HAWKE'S BAY NEWS.

West Coast Times, Issue 3412, 9 March 1880, Page 2

HAWKE'S BAY NEWS.

Napier, March 8.

A meeting of the unemployed was called for Saturday night, but it proved a great fiasco. About fifty men, two- thirds of whom were laborers, rolled up. The convener of the meeting unexpectedly asserted that there was plenty of work, then said there was none, and concluded by returning to his first statement and offering to get work for any who said they could not find it. He told an extraordinary tale of how he aud Vincent Pyke lived on snakes for a week in Victoria, when on the walJabi. The next speaker very strongly denounged the no employment cry, at the '

same time saying tl^at every man who wag able and willing to work could get constant employment. Beanetf-, tfye convener of tbe meeting, said he must dispute this, and mounted a barrel, which did duty for a platform, but some one pushed ifc from under him and he fell heavily to the grouad, where he lay stunned for some time. On recovering,- he offered to fight any one in a thirty-six foot ring for love or money, This concluded tbe proceediHgf.