10 Anerley Park
13 September 1889
Mt dear Chris
We are all well, no change except that May has got employment with one of the best families in Bremen to teach a little boy English, and is to get paid ₤25 a year.
Edie is still travelling about the Continent with Mr Dalton seeing a good deal of the world and the beauties of Europe. She is coming to see us presently.
The strike amongst the dock workers and lighter men and lumpers will delay my sailing – possibly a fortnight. At present we cannot get any work done. At present there are no signs of the end of this disturbance. The leaders are socialists and have got it up and intend keeping it up so long as money comes in freely. While it has done to date these men at the head of the movement will line their pockets well meantime the dock companies are much to blame in not having altered their bad system of employing labour. Good will come out of it no doubt, but thousands of the men now on strike will not be employed again – their places have been filled.
I hope to hear soon that you have had a copious fall of rain enough to keep you going for the year at least, and that your railway will be finished by the end of the year. I have not seen Mr Brandon yet but hope to before I sail again. Rawson I see now and then, but business is slack with them.
I suppose you follow up the news from the Cape fields. I think you ought to try your fortune there when you can clear out of Croydon, which I hope will be soon.
We are filling up with passengers and will have our usual compliment on sailing. I will send you a wire when we get out. Be sure and have a letter awaiting us, and let me know the result of the treatment of the stone sent to London from the Queen claims.
I hope your health is good.
Love to Alec and yourself from your affectionate Father
Jas A Elmslie
PS
The account of the strike movement is well given in the Weekly Times.
JAE