PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
C.O. 885
COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO |
BE
24 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-
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Mr. COMYNS CARR: This evidence is directed to rebutting the defence which my friend suggested last time, that if the first batch of men had remained longer at Buenos Ayres they would have got work. The experience of this witness will show the position with regard to that.
Then did you call on Hetherington in October, 1913 ?—Yes.
What did you ask him?--I asked him what chance there would be for me out there, and told him what I had been doing, and he said I should do very well.
Did you
ask him about the language?—Yes. I said I understood it was a foreign country, not a British Colony, and consequently was knowledge of the language necessary, and he said no, and showed me a letter to that effect or a printed copy of a letter.
Just look at the letter signed" Green "there. Is that the one. (Letter handed)? -That is the one.
Did you ask him anything about breweries?—I asked him, and he told me there were plenty of breweries and mineral water manufactories there.
Did he say anything about the language in connection with those particularly?—— No, not at all. He told me they were run by British and American people.
To sum it up, did you ask him with regard to the prospects of your finding employment ?—Yes.
What did you say exactly?--I said, “Do you think I shall get on all right there, Mr. Hetherington?" and he said, " Certainly you will."
Did he show you any of the other pamphlets there?—(After inspecting.) Those two.
The shipping notices?—Yes, but they have the same thing on the back, you see, as a lot of other papers.
Did you notice the statement on the front of those. Look at the bottom on the front of the first one with five statements?-Certainly. That was what I based my going on: "Work found for all."
Did you
ask him about that, as to the State guaranteeing all work?—That was what I was most concerned about.
What did he say to you, quite apart from what is printed there?-The Govern- ment find work for all, and, further than that, the English would be preferred out there.
Did you then book a passage by the "Hollandia "?—I paid a pound deposit that day, and called the next day and paid the balance of £6.
Now go to the day when you arrived at Buenos Ayres. Do you remember what day that was?--The 1st November, a Saturday.
Did you enquire at the Labour Bureau for work?—Not on that day. It was a feast day, and they were shut up.
And the next day was Sunday. I suppose you applied on the Monday morning? Yes, I went down quite early in the morning.
Did you get any?—No.
Did you continue to enquire?—Yes.
How often?-Every day for a fortnight, two or three times a day.
After that did you ask them to send you up the country somewhere? Yes. I said I was willing to take work on a farm if they could find it, as it appeared that was what they were doing. They were sending people on the farms, Spaniards, and like that, and they said no, they never sent Englishmen away to the country unless they had got work.
How long did you continue in the Emigrants' Hotel?—I was there about a fort- night it would be over ten days, say about fourteen.
Afterwards did you apply to the Y.M.C.A. there?-I applied to them in the
meantime.
And, ultimately, did you get some employment through them?—Yes, it was indirectly through them. They sent a man away, and he wrote back and told me there were two more wanted, and he stated my case to our governor.
In what capacity was that?-As a painter.
Where was it? At Pont de Linco, Mendoza Province.
How long did it last?-Two months exactly.
Was another Englishman, Mr. Webb, with you ?—Yes.
Did you two have that employment ?—Yes.
When that was over what did you do?-Came back to Buenos Ayres
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Did you continue to look for employment there?—Yes, I was back a week, and I could not find any work, and as I had not much money I went to the British Consul.
Did he assist you in getting a passage home?—Yes.
Can you tell me how many Englishmen went out with you on the steamship "Hollandia"?-Fourteen.
Did they all go to the Emigrants' Hotel with you ?—Yes. When I say English- men I mean Britishers. One chap was a Scotchman, and another an Irishman, I believe.
They all went from Dover with you?—Yes.
Did they all apply with you at the Emigration Bureau for work?—Yes. Or rather, the Labour Bureau ?--Yes.
Did the Labour Bureau authorities find any for any of them?-Not as far as I know. I left three in there when I went away up country. There were three then, but they were not there when I came back. I do not know what happened to them.
Cross-examined by Mr. RAEBURN.
When did you come back to England?—I left the 6th of February, and arrived here on the 28th February.
Your passage home was found by the Consul, was it not?-Not entirely, partly. When did you go to the Board of Trade?-The Consul told me to report to the British Foreign Office, and they sent me to the Board of Trade.
Was
I did not notice the documents which you said Mr. Hetherington gave you. this one? (Handed) ?--Yes.
And it was those remarks on the back about the immigration law that he showed vou?—I had those the day before I sailed. I went over them roughly, and I had two other documents besides that I went by principally. One had a map, and there was something there about an Argentine book.
one.
What was it like? Was it this? (Exhibiting book with map)?--That is the
Did Mr. Hetherington give you that?—Yes.
Did you notice on the back of that the same statement about the Labour Bureau? That is what appealed to you, was it not, the Labour Bureau ?-Yes, the Labour Bureau.
And that is what decided you to go?-Absolutely.
EDWARD WEBB, sworn.
Examined by Mr. CoмYNS CARR.
Where do you live?—I live at 27, Paris Street, Lambeth, at present.
Up to October last were you employed as a pawnbroker's assistant in London? -Not up to October; up to July.
In October did you see an advertisement in the "Daily Chronicle "?—Yes, I think it was the " Daily Chronicle "but I am not certain-one of the daily papers.
In consequence of that did you call on Mr. Hetherington ?—Yes.
ask him?-About the advertisement in the paper, and quoted my What did
you case to him, and he said " all right," and he showed me his pamphlets. I read them down, and I said, "I have a great desire to go abroad to Argentina," and he said, "You will get on very well there. I asked him about the language, and he said, "The language you can pick up in three weeks." I said, "Is that so, Mr. Hether- ington?" and he said, "If you are thinking of going, tell me the date when the boat is to sail, and if you leave £1 deposit now and call and see me in a day or two, and pay the other you
will be all right."
on the 9th October ?—Yes. Did you sail on the "Hollandia
I will take this quite shortly. On the boat did you make the acquaintance of the last witness, Mr. Wright?—Yes.
And were you with him all the time you were in that country?—Yes.
at the Emigrants' Hotel together, and we went up the country together.
We were
Did you hear the account which he gave of your experiences there?-Where. When he was in the box did you hear the evidence he gave of your experience
in the Argentine ?-Oh, yes.
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Was that a correct account?-Quite correct.
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