Wellington Items.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5580, 30 March 1886, Page 4

Wellington Items.

» THE UNEMPLOYED DIFFICULTY. A SLY-GKOG COMEDY. [By Tklkgbaph.J [fbom otje own cobbespondent.] WELLINGTON, March 29. The Minister of Public Works assures me that there is no truth in the statement contained in a recent Press Association telegram from Hokitika, that the whole of the unemployed who were Bent to the "West Coast from Christchurch had struck work. The facts are these: — When the contingent reached Wellington, en routefor Greymouth, 12of the men remained in this city, evidently objecting to doing work of any description. The others went to the Coast, but at Greymouth one of the gang found enough money to get drunk upon, and was left behind in charge of the police. When the others reached Hokitika two of their number got drunk and were locked up ; ten malcontents refused to work for the wages offered, preferring, doubtless, to loaf than earn an honest crust. Thia left 75 labourers, who went to work, and who are reported to be making a fnir effort to g've satisfaction. The pricea are said to be sufficient to enable men with ordinary diligence to earn 5s a day. Mi* Richardson does not intend to stand any nonsense from the unemployed. He is anxious to give them work where it is poßsiblp, at wages which will keep them going till something better fcnrnß up ; but if they don't like that they can go and take care of themselves. People here are not at all pleased at the advent ot a dozen of the " won't work " class from Canterbury, as it is feared they may commence an unemployed agitation amongst the working classes here. We have had no unemployed cry in Wellington since 1879, and are not anxious to hear any now ; but it is difficult to say what znay happen if we get a lew unemployed stump orators amongat us. The Wellington Benevolcr^ Institution, ceaßeß to exist after to- uurrow (when trußteea are to be appointed), has, during fche paat ten years, disbursed upwards of £17,000 in charitable aid. Out of that sum only .£3500 has been raised by voluntary subscriptions and donations, the Government supplying the rest. The "Own Correspondent" of the Post jives some interesting particulars of a slysrog case heard at Paikakeriti on Friday, ?ji which the defendant was mulcted in x penalty of JB6O, or three months' hard labour. To fully appreciate the beauties of the case (Bays the correspondent) a short history of the parties concerned and their antecedents is neceßßary. Briefly, then, the person charged was a man named Frank Poff, who liaa earned for himself a very unenviable notoriety in variouß partß ot the Colony, through his connection with certain turf transactions. The principal witness (Mary .Burke) is also a celebrity, for it is said that it was at her shanty that the unfortunate men concerned in the Nenthorne tragedy, in Otago, procured the liquor that drove them to the quarrel that ended fatally to one of their number. TheßG two moat undesirable residents each wanted to havo .^ue other convicted of sly grog-selling, and, driven from the field, Poff undertook to dear away Lie rival in the business by taking her two gallons of whiskey and offering to sell it her, thereby providing the means to get a caao against her. At lest the woman Burko refused to have anything to do with the whiskey, but aftercards she bought a portion o£ the two i;allonB, for which she paid 15s in presence if a witness. Poff, fearing that ho had put himself in the woman's power, then offered to shout, and paid for three drinks, which were served out of what he had juat sold to Mrs Burke. Each now thought they had the other aafo, but they reckoned without their host. At any rato, Poff did, for the whole transaction was soon uiado known to Constable Roohe, who nt once proceeded against Poff, with the result otated. Poff, in crosa-exainining Mary Burke, aßked her if she had not given £G0 ;ti» have a man murdered down south, but Mary indignantly replied hi an omphntic aogatire. ____ - ____ t _^^^^