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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
PLLC.O. 885
24 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE | BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-
COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
Who told you to write?—Nobody.
Do
did that entirely on your own?--Yes.
you say you Had you seen the Board of Trade before you did that?—Yes.
Had any suggestion been made to you by anyone that you should adopt some alias, and write to Mr. Hetherington?—No.
Do you think this was a very honourable way of behaving --I do.
Why did not you go to Mr. Hetherington straight and tell him your experiences! -I did not want Mr. Hetherington to get any idea this affair was going on, and he probably would have done if I had told him, and I have heard several people before have been and told him, but it has been no use.
Was this a trap which you were laying for Mr. Hetherington?-It could be termed so.
it.
into.
It could not be termed anything else?
The MAGISTRATE : It was not a trap. He writes for a pamphlet and receives Mr. COMYNS CARR: It is a trap which Mr. Hetherington invites him to fall Mr. RAEBURN: It is the purpose of the application. However, I will not discuss that. It was not a bona fide application; you were not intending to go abroad again ?--No.
You have had some experience, have not you, in your life, of emigration?—Yes. You have been in Australia?—Yes.
I suppose I may take it that you are an educated man?—I have received just ordinary education, that is all.
And you know, perhaps, a little more of the world than the average person who has not been abroad --Probably I do.
What was your occupation at the time when you first saw Mr. Hetherington's advertisement in the newspaper?---No occupation.
How long before that was it that you had been last in occupation ?-In March previous to the month I applied to Mr. Hetherington.
That is March 1913-Yes.
What had been your occupation then? What were you doing in March?—I was working for a commission agent.
When were you a clerk in a hotel, or storekeeper? You were introduced as that? That ended in June 1912. That was after three years' service.
Did you go
into business on your own as a commission agent?—No, I was work- ing for another man.
What were you intending to do in the Argentine?—I was intending to get a situation and earn a respectable living.
Which line? as a commission agent or in a hotel?--In a hotel.
As I understand, having seen the advertisement in the "Daily Telegraph " and some other paper, you wrote?—Yes.
Did you have some subsequent correspondence with Mr. Hetherington after that, after your first letter?—No, I spoke to him on the 'phone once or twice about the dates of different boats.
?-Yes.
In July 1913, were you living at Putney ?---
Do you remember writing from Putney to Mr. Hetherington asking him whether it was necessary for you to put yourself in the hands of the Emigration Authorities in the Argentine?—Yes.
The MAGISTRATE: Have you that letter?
Mr. RAEBURN : No. I have a copy from my client in reply; you got a reply from Mr. Hetherington ?--Yes.
KI
I will read the copy, and you will tell me whether this is right. It is dated the 22nd July, 1913. My copy says 1914, but it is a mistake. Dear Sir, in reply to yours it is quite correct, &c., &c." (reading the letter). Your idea had been, had it not, not to trouble the Immigration Authorities at all but to find work on your own? No, that was not my idea.
And to get a cheap passage?-My idea was to take advantage of the facilities offered in the pamphlets which I had from Mr. Hetherington. If I could have' taken advantage of this by going out as a second class passenger, or in a better position. I should have done so. I could not get those advantages so I went out as a third class passenger.
Did the £7 fare to Buenos Ayres attract you?—Not necessarily.
I do not care about necessarily-did it?—The amount of money?
Yes, the cheap fare.-No.
Do you say it did not?-It did not.
What did attract you?—The inducements in these different pamphlets.
Which inducements?-The inducements that you were to receive five days free board and lodging, and work would be found for you in your business, and if they could not do that they would find you work in any business, or find you work of some description.
You had your five days free board and lodging, did you not?—Yes. That was true?—Yes.
But you failed to get work? Yes, but those five days free board and lodging was put down as first class, and the way is explained in that book you would think it is decent; it is filthy. The food is not eatable and the food is filthy. In fact you only stop there so that you still gain the benefits of probably getting a situation. You would not stop there to take advantage of what they give you to eat.
The Argentine Republic do not say they will give you first class fare, but only free board and lodging.
Mr. COMYNS CARR: The words" first class Mr. RAEBURN :
21 days?—Yes.
are used.
With regard to the work, you were in the Argentine altogether
You soon got tired of it?—I soon got tired of it.
"
Twenty-one days, three weeks.-I applied to the Immigration Bureau twice a day practically day after day. The first time I applied was the morning after the day of arrival, and after a lot of messing about they found a boy of 16 who could speak English, and he gave me to understand Englishmen were not wanted. The first thing he said was, What have you come here for?" I explained what I wanted. He said," Call back this afternoon." They did not take particulars of my ability I went back time after time and once or twice I could not even see or even my name. the boy who could speak English. They put a man in who had little idea of English. All He made a few notes in Spanish. They told me to come back time after time. you got every time was, No work-no work for Englishmen," that is a phrase they use specially..
Had you expected from what you saw in these pamphlets to walk straight from the steamer through the Labour Bureau into a situation?--I thought they would find me a situation, or, if they did not, they would keep me in this place a certain time. In fact I was in their hands. I relied upon them to find me a situation for me to get a livelihood. I did not know anything about the country except what I was told in these pamphlets.
How do you know, if you had not stopped there longer, you would not have been in work now?-Because the British Consul said that they could not find us work.
Was that in your presence?-Not in my presence.
Mr. COMYNS CARR: My friend has asked that question. He is entitled to the answer.
Mr. RAEBURN: I asked whether it was in this gentleman's presence, and I got the answer, no.
You spoke about a letter which Mr. Hetherington had shown you in his office before you went out ?—Yes.
Was it a letter from one brother to another, do you remember?—I think it was from a brother to a sister.
Would you remember the name if you heard it? No.
Lather. Was that the name?-No; I did not pay any attention to the name.
I can prove the particular letter. Would you recognise the letter, do you think,
heard it? I can prove this.-I do not think I would.
if
you
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The MAGISTRATE: Just listen to it.
Mr. RAEBURN: "Dear Harry, You have no doubt had my note and perhaps a
reply is on the way to me. I am very pleased now I came out here for I am to be got
on in just the way I always wanted. I have a sure post, as long as I do my work all right, for life with good chances of promotion. I think I told you I am getting
" 150 dollars a month for a start. just over £13, and I hope about Christmas to be getting 200 dollars a month. If young Harry comes out here he would get that for
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a start by applying to the offices of the Buenos Aires Great Southern Railway. "There are several vacancies in the accounts department. Most of our clerks are
English. Do you recognise that?-I do not recognise a word.
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Mr. COMYNS CARR: He has described the letter shown to him, and he said it was written on a boat by a man to his sister. This does not agree with that.