EPIC OF THE UNEMPLOYED.

Waipa Post, Volume XIX, Issue 1103, 9 June 1921, Page 4

EPIC OF THE UNEMPLOYED.

HOW THE STATE HELPS. TRAGEDY OF A DIRTY TRIP. The second chapter in the tragedy of the trip of “ Bill Massey’s party ” of unemployed into the depths 'of the Waikato opened with a visit of one of the party to the reporter who recorded their disembarkation at Te Awamtftu in the Waipa Post last week.’ 1 “I want to see you about this,” said he as 'he flourished the newspaper clipping. “Oh,”i said the reporter, with a dull, sick dread of wh'at was coming. “Is it all wrong?” 4 “No,” said the visitor, as he eyed the newspaper steadily through his spectacles. “ It’s all right.” Then he added, “ Except that you said I looked like an accountant, which will amuse my friends very much, for I am a blacksmith. Lately I had been working at the Wanganui gasworks.” “Your card, sir?” “My name’s Booth—William H. I

like the way you got that up"—reverting to his clipping)—"and I came in to tell you what happened ''afterwards." "Pretty wet trip?" " Very bad. I'll tell you." The Story of the Journey. "After we started we gox out at the second hotel at Kihikihi and waited half an hour I asked the driver of the dray was there accommodation out there" (indicating their destination, Mangere Stream, 26 miles away in the baokblocks of Waikato). "He said yes; and I said, ' Are you quite sure?' 'I was a bit .suspicious. He said yes. I said, 'All right.' If there had been no accommodation I would have stopped at that hotel that night instead of going on. After half an hour's delay we started and got eight miles away, and then had to chain the wheel."

"What for—to steady your speed?" " No —to stop the motor dray from skidding in the mud up a hill." "I've got you. Proceed."

Their First Job—Bogged in Waikatb's

Mud. " After we'd feone two miles we were near the top of a, hill, when we bogged up to the' axle. All hands jumped off the dray with the intention of trying to get it out, but neither the engine nor the men could move it. So we backed down hill again and made another attempt But we couldn't do it. We backed further down again, and instead of getting out of our difficulty she bogged up to the axle again. It was pitch dark and raining fast, and only five of us had overcoats. We were so.ppirfg wet."

A Famous Quarter-Mile Walk. " Then the driver told us there was accommodation only a quarter of a mile off. ISo I walked, and that quarter of a mile was exactly six miles. At the end of that walk I got into a farmhouse, and was given some tea. I could not get a bed there, and I went on to a store, at a place called Pukeatua, six miles from where the car was stuck/ up. The roads were very dark and muddy, and it was raining heavily. You could not see where you were going, and I had to feel the'road with my feet When I got to the store I was told there was no accommodation there whatever, but there was a dance hall, and I could go into there for the 1 night." Strange Scene in a Dance Hall. "So I got to the hall, and found some of the party there making tea on biscuits. and tinned fish. Most of them were wet through—swags 'and all. I took off my coat and boots'and stopped like that for the night." '"And your pals?" " They did the same." "Slept in their wet clothes?"

" Yes Those who had their swags with them did their best, and took offj their wet clothes and other clothes; but their clothes and blankets were all rather damp." " You all nestled down on the hard dancing floor?" "Most of us. I pulled two forms together and slept on them." " But did none of you get ill with colds?" " As far as I am concerned I had a narrow escape from being laid up with rheumatics. The next night I could hardly walk, but I am all right now." A Waikato Samaritan. "Well, when the morning came I went up to the store to get some food, and was met by a farmer, who asked me was I one of the crowd. I said yes. 'Well.' he said, 'you better go up to, my house and get some breakfast. How many more of you?' I said about a dozen, and he said, ' Tell the missus to have breakfast for them in half an hour, 'and you go and get yours.' I .went and had breakfast, and after that I went to the store to get further information, and found that I had to go still another ten miles, and we were not being met by the engineer to give us any information, Wd that we would have to put up our tents when we got there. I wanted to take some food with me, and offered to pay the cost, but he did not wish to supply it until he saw what the engineer was going to do." Intelligent Man Who Grew Wiser. " Well, I came to the conclusion that I'd better turn back. I would like to say here, on behalf of the crowd; that we thank that farmer for his kindness in giving us that breakfast. I want you to publish my statement with the idea that when anybody else comes up they'll know what to expect." "But weren't you told what to expect before you started?" "No, I had no instructions or information at all."

"But where djd t you make your application?" "In Auckland, at the Labour Bureau."

" Surely they told you where you were to work, else how did you know to come to Te Awamutu?" "They told me nothing— just gave me this."

The man handed over a small official envelope, on the back of which

was orowdedly written in ink these words: — " Employment for three months only. To take own blanke's and cooking gear, and make own arrangements about food. To catch 10 am train, 1/6/21 Change at Frankton Junction and take train to Te Awamutu, which leaves shortly afterwards." : "But did you think you were to work in Te Awamutu?" " I was under the impression it was perhaps a mile or two from there. In fact, believing this, I left my swag at the Te Awamutu railway' station, thinking I could easily walk in and get it." " Didn't the others know?" " No. In fact, they regarded me as the most intelligent man as regards information." \ Profit and Loss Account " Now, what has it cost you, chasing into this job and chasing out again?" 9 't "It is costing me ten shillings a day at the hotel now. I have been trying to get work here, but so far have failed. 'What do you advise ime to do?"

"Te Awamutu is too small a place to look for a job," advised the reporter. "Get back to Auckland."

“ I will. But now, as an honest man, I suppose I ought to refund the ten shillings they advanced for my train fare?” “ Better forget it,” was the concluding advice. “ Seems as if you earned it.”