IMMIGRATION.

Evening Star, Issue 3460, 25 March 1874, Page 2

IMMIGRATION.

To the Editor. . Sir,—lt seems to be the general opinion m the colony, that it is Dr. FetherstoaeV faulr. there was so much sickness on hoard the ships that come out here from home, but I should like to know which is the more to blame, the home agent or the Otago agent. Ihe former’s duty is to ship the emigrants, and the provisions they ought to receive during the voyage; the latter’s to receive th 6' emigrants and see that there are no complaints when they ai%ive, which I; believe is not done, or if it was, there would be end of complaints. I wonder there is not more sickness on board the ships,- for the provisions that are given to the emigrants are not wholesome, of course, 1 cannot condemn all for one, but such was the case' in the unfortunate “Surat.” The beef we received was not wholesome. On several occasions it was quite putrid; the pork was a little better, but very often we could not eat it, had we done so we should have been in danger of getting some fever. We did not receive half the quantity of rice, oatmeal, and peas that we have done, and according to our contract ticket the scale of diet for children under four years, ought to have been preserved meit instead of salt every day, but they did not get it; also preserved milk, eggs,sago, arrowroot, *c. Milk they received, such as it was, more like water than milk. They received about half the quantity of eggs up to the 19th of November, after that time they did not receive any, the same with sago, fta, the excuse being there was none on board. This was told to Mr Allah when on board the “Vire.” “Observer” could have been an emigrant, or he would not have forgotten to mention these little facts in his letter of the 23rd inst. Now for a few words about the passengers’ luggage. It seems very bard to know at least, there is some of your luggage in a store-room in Dunedin, and the owners cannot claim it. ft is true they would not be much good now, f >r the things are rotten, but are we to lose everything through the carelessness of the officers ? Is there no legal step to be taken by anyone to claim the full amount of our loss, or is the matter going to fall to the ground ! Trusting you will insert these few lines in your valuable paper,—l remain, die., ■ ~ A VSurat” Victim. Dunedin, 'March 25.