OUT OF WORK.

Waipawa Mail, Volume XLIX, Issue 149, 7 September 1928, Page 3

OUT OF WORK.

CASE RAISED IN PARLIAMENT. (Per Press Association). WELLINGTON, September 5. Replying to a question put by Mr J. C. Rolleston (Waitomo) in the House of Representatives to-day, the Prime Minister said he had seen the cable published in New Zealand and quoted from the “Daily Herald” in London, with reference to the death of a man named Dominic Nolan at Ataika.

Mr Coates gave 4he history of the man so far as it was known to the authorities. He was not an assisted immigrant. Notwithstanding this ho was met by immigration officers and offered assistance, advice and work. He decided, however, to fend for himself and proceeded to the North Auckland district. Nothing further was heard of him until October, 1926, at which date he secured employment with Mr Mason, a farmer, of Maromaku, where he remained until March, 1928. At this farm he was housed, fed and paid well and was never asked to work if he did not feel like it, and pleased himself at most times when he left off. When he finally left this job lie had a plentiful supply of clothes and drew the balance of wages due, £8 10s. He then went to work for Mr Wallace, farmer, at Towai, and left there on April 26th, 1928, drawing £1 12s 6d, the balance of wages due. It is known that he then proceeded to Whangarei, spending his money, and he evidently wandered a couple of miles out of town and lay down in the scrub alongside the road and died. With reference to the statement imputed in the cablegram to the secretary of the Waitomo Labor party, Mr Coates said it would he advisable for Labor secretaries, before circulating damaging reports concerning the Dominion, to obtain the true facts.

The Leader of the Opposition: Tt is not denied that his letter was found. The Prime Minister said he had further information, hut he did not think it advisable to give it. The man had been arrested and convicted at Whangarei. He had also been an inmate of the Whangarei Hospital for five weeks suffering from heart trouble. That was during the time lie had been employed by Mr Mason. Mr Holland: The letter the man himself left was sent to the “Daily Herald.” The Prime Minister: For every letter of complaint we have a number . Mr Holland: Was it not the man’s own letter that was sent to the “Daily Herald?” The Prime Minister: That I cannot say, hut anyhow the information was supplied according to the report to the Labor secretary at Waitomo. The letter contained incorrect statements. “As a matter of fact,” Mr Coates continued, “it was ridiculous nonsense to say there were hundreds of men walking- about starving.” Mr Holland: It said hundreds of men. That is quite true. The Prime Minister: T do not think there are hundreds of starving men walking about this country. There are men who have had difficulty in getting work, it is perfectly true, hut when people say there are hundreds of men walking about the roads starving-—well, I think the people in the country districts arc the bcsl judges of that. Mr W. E. Parry: They are sleeping under bridges in Auckland. The Prime Minister: J say the labor unions have a duty. It is not generally realised that secretaries pounce on men on relief work for their dues. Mr Holland: That is not a fact. No union compels a man to pay up when he is out of work. Mr Speaker: I am afraid this discussion does not come within the scope of the question. The Prime Minister said he had letters saying that the position was as he had stated, and he concluded by saying that it would he just as well to throw out a broad hint that people should fall into line and help.

HUNDREDS WALKING THE ROADS.

LONDON, September 4. The cabled reply received from the Rt. Hon. J. O. Coates, regarding the starved immigrant story, cabled on Monday, prompts the “Daily Herald” editorially to assort it could fill columns with extracts of letters from New Zealand bearing out the statement that hundreds of starving' men are walking the roads in the Dominion. The “Daily Herald” proceeds to give several extracts from private letters “which were sent to us in shoals,” concerning the dire straits of immigrants. Tt asks if it is conceivable that all these letters are wrong, and Mr Contes is right.