CO885-(23-24) — Page 549

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

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24 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO

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A few months' practice should suffice to obtain a fair working knowledge of "it"?—Yes.

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Did you read that the best chances of employment are, of course, for those who can speak some Spanish "?—Yes, read that.

Re-examined by Mr. COMYNS CARR.

You

You were asked whether your patience was exhausted after three weeks. told me your return was postponed at the request of the Immigration Authorities?—

Yes.

At the end of the third week did they request that you should postpone it any longer? No. As far as I know they gave the British Consul to understand that they could not do anything for us whatever.

With regard to the Swift Beef Company, you say you saw that letter of Mr. Jocelyn's?--Yes.

Did you read in that about the attractions of the Swift Beef Company ?--Yes. Did you get any such employment when you got there?—No, none whatever.

(The witness withdrew.)

Mr. COMYNS CARR: I have the whole of the seven men here. Their evidence is the same as the evidence I have called. I do not know whether you would desire I should call the whole of them before you on this summons. I do not wish to waste your time if the evidence is sufficient. In addition to that I have witnesses from the Emigration Office to call.

In

Mr. RAEBURN: Of course, I am prepared to take it that the next witnesses will say the same, but they cannot say the same because the inducements may have been all different. For example, as one of the witnesses called to-day said, he made enquiries for himself. He made enquiries for himself at the fountain head, the Argentine Consul-General. That is an important fact in this particular case. so far as they can say no work was found for them in the three weeks they were out there, I will accept it that it is the same, but there may be some different facts with regard to what Mr. Hetherington said which must be dealt with after- wards; so that I feel in a difficulty.

Mr. COMYNs Carr: I think I can clear the ground on that. I do not think any of the others had personal interviews with Mr. Hetherington; it entirely depends on the documents.

There is one I mentioned the other day, the man who was not My friend made some point about that.

Mr. RAEBURN:

booked through us.

Mr. COMYNS CARR:

I will clear that up, and I will call Mr. Nelson.

Mr. JOHN NELSON, Sworn.

Examined by Mr. CoмYNS Carr.

Do you live at 96, Christchurch Street, Preston?—I did do.

Where do you live now -14, Prospect Place, Aston-on-Ribble.

Are you a tailor?—Yes.

Before you went to the Argentine, what were you earning?-30s. to £2 a week. Did you see an advertisement in the " News of the World "?-Yes, and in the "Daily Mirror.

About when was it that you saw that?-In August.

About the end of August, did you write to the address given in that advertise- ment ?--Yes.

Does my friend produce the letter from this witness?

Mr. RAEBURN : If I can I will, but I do not know that we have the earlier one. Mr. COMYNS CARR : I understand it is not produced. (To the witness.) What did you say

in your letter-I asked if there was any work for tailors and what the wages were likely to be.

Did you get a reply?—Yes.

Have you any letter you received from Mr. Hetherington in reply?—No, only pamphlets.

Did he answer your questions apart from the answer you got from the pamphlets?—No.

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Will you look at the pamphlets in front of you and tell me if those or any of them were the pamphlets you got?

(The witness examined the pamphlets.)

Yes, I got all those.

Did you read them ?--Yes.

Taking the yellow one for instance, did you notice the statements at the bottom

of the yellow one which will sum it up?—Yes.

Did you believe those statements?—Yes.

Did you receive also the letter purporting to have been written by a man named

Green?--Yes.

Did

you

read that and believe it?—Yes.

Did

you write again to Hetherington asking for the name of the boat?--Yes. That was as to when was the boat leaving? Yes. Did you ultimately book a passage on the

September?-Yes.

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F

Zeelandia and sail on the 18th

I think you never called at the office at all?—No, that is so.

Generally, when you got there, did you remain 21 days in the Argentine, the same as the others?--Yes."

How many times did you go to the Labour Bureau ?—Every day.

Did they find you any work at all?--No.

At the Labour Bureau, did they give you any advice as to what to do to find employment? They said the only thing they could do was to give me the address of the English newspapers to look in the advertisements.

Did you do so?--Yes.

Do you remember the name of the paper?-"Standard" and the " Herald." Did you find such work?—No, none at all.

any

Did you find an English tailor in the town and apply to him for work?--Yes. Did you get it?--No.

From him, did you get the address of other English tailors?—Yes. Did you find any

of them willing to employ you?—No.

Having failed to find work in your own employment, did you apply at the Bureau for other work ?—Yes.

Were you informed whether there was any kind of work available; did they tell you

whether there was any kind of work to be had?--No.

Did they say whether there was or was not?-They said there was no work. Were you willing to have gone to a farm if they had found you work?--Yes, Would they send you to a farm ?----No.

Then did you go with the others to the British Consul?—Yes.

Did he arrange to send you back to England ?—Yes.

After he had first arranged to do so, was it postponed ?—Yes, it was.

Ultimately did you come back on the " Alcala "?—Yes.

After it was first postponed, did you call again every day at the Labour Exchange?—Yes.

Did you particularly look at the statements in that white pamphlet with regard

to the wages in the tailoring trade ?---Yes.

What is your branch of work in the tailoring trade?—I can do ladies' work and gentlemen's work, and I can do a bit of cutting and machining.

Do you see the statement there : "Tailoring Trade. Working day, 8 hours. "Per month, cutters, 500 dollars; finishers, 120 dollars. By day, waistcoat makers, "3 dollars; trouser sewers, 3 dollars, journeymen, 6 to 7 dollars"?--Yes.

Were you attracted by that prospect ?—Yes.

When you got there you tell us you applied to a number of tailors; what did

you discover with regard to the wages?-They said wages were very low-

Mr. RAEBURN : This must be what someone has told him.

Mr. COMYNS CARR: Yes, it must be what someone has told him on the repre- sentation as to what the wages would be when be got there.

The MAGISTRATE : We can only have the average wage and what he found that We cannot have the particular wage. It is clear we cannot have the wages paid to a particular cutter.

was.

Mr. COMYNG CARR: I suggest the pamphlet says that.

The MAGISTRATE: The pamphlet says 500 dollars to the cutters.

Mr. COMYNS CARR;

500 dollars a month.

875

Yes, but the statement in the pamphlet is general; cutters

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