NEW ZEALAND AFFAIRS IN ENGLAND.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1235, 15 July 1872, Page 3

NEW ZEALAND AFFAIRS IN ENGLAND.

Under this beading the Welliiujton Independent publishes the following interesting letter from a private coi.espon_ent in England :— As the success of the railway schemes sanctioned by the New Zealand Parliament depends so much on the labor market there, I will give you a few particulars respecting the prospects of emigration from the United Kingdom to JNew Zealand. In the first place, something akin to a social revolution in the condition of the working classes of this country is impending. The working man is now coming to the front ; he has come, and resolutely declares for higher wages and shorter hours. Artisans employed in the most important branch of trade in Great Britain — namely, the iron tradeshave had .conceded them nearly all their demands. Following in their wake comes a much more numerous class, who are veiy badly paid, and consequently ill-fed and lodged— l mean the agricultural class, who have learned the value of union amongst themselves, and are standing out and successfully asking for higher rates of wages. Now, I may be wrong, but 10 my mind these two circumstances that I have just mentioned have a most important and superlative bearing on the present and future prospects of New Zealand, in this way.: The Government of New Zealand have decided on opening up by railways and peopling by special settlements , the inland parts of New Zealand. For the first they require the material and machinery from England. Within the last eight months there has been a rise in price of from 25 to 50 per cent, in these tilings; railway rails have gone up from L 7 10s to LlO 15s, and are likely to remain at about the latter figure, so that what cost L50,0C0 will now cost L7ff,OoO, ' For the second they require 'labor* This, I understand the AgentGeneral here is doing his utmost to procure ; but he has to contend against competitions for able-bodied men from Canada, the United States, South America, Australia, and even in England, 'Ireland, and Scotland, where, I may safely say, trade has never been better, or employment more abundant than it is at

present. New Zealand itself has sent a competitor iivtho shape of Colonel Fielding's company, who offer ffree passages on certain conditions not yet generally known. Well may the British working man come to the front when there is such a call for him froin-SH pHrts of the world. He begins to think himself of great value. He is justified in doing so when Canada not only offers free grants of land, but will clear a few acres of bush for him to begin with. . : Notwithstanding the wealth and prosperity of Great Britain that I have alluded to, there exists an under stratum of hundreds of thousands of poor and helpless laboring men in the agricultural counties, and the densely peopled cities of England and Scotland — to whom emigration would be a blessed relief. It is this class of poor but hard working honest men that New Zealand requires to carry on her public work and finally settle down on her waste lands ; but, unfortunately, they are so steeped in poverty that if you even offer them a free passage they cannot accept it, for they are destitute of the few shillings — say from 20s to 30s— to pay for the ship bedding, &c., and their fare to London. As to their; outfit, this is a greater stumbling block stUK In most cases the suit of clothes they have on their backs, and a change of linen, are all the clothing they possess. I presume that the Messrs Brogden have seen this. For they urgently wanted men of this class, and saw they could not procure them, except, on what terms do your readers think? Why : Ist. They provide them with a passage. 2nd. They furnish them with outfits varying from a cost of L2to L 7. 3rd. They pay their fare to London. 4th. They find them their bedding and mess utensils. 6th. They. guarantee them work in New Zealand for a period of two years, at the rate of 6s per day. For these advances the men give their promissory notes. In some cases, the men leave their wivea and families hero, and the latter receive 12s per week while the men remain in Messrs Brogden's employ. The men are at liberty to work for other employers before the two years : expire on paying what they owe to the Messrs Brogden. They are not to receive les3 than 5s per day, and may receive more. Prom this I think your readers will see the present difficulties to be encountered in introducing large bodies of people of the right stamp into New Zealand. To prevent disappointment it ia as well this should be understood and acted upon. It is better to face and grapple with a difficulty rather than ignore and evade it. Present English prosperity is not likely, to be durable. High prices diminish consumption; hence the recent fall of Id p?r lb in wool. Not that the prices of ironwork will recede to former rates — that is fixed By shortening the hours of labor, for some time to come. There aro laboring men and mechanics, who have saved a few pounds, who are prepared to emigrate to New Zealand; but as a class they are far from being as numerous as they were about two years ago. The effect of this unusual and exceptional state of affairs may be to retard the construction and completion of some of the proposed railways, in sparsely populated and ont-of-the-way country districts ; but it 6ught not to prevent the completion of those that are situated within fifty or sixty miles of your large towns— the great centres of your population. It must be clearly understood that if your colony is prepared to receive tradesmen of all descriptions, and the idle, dissolute, or half employed laboring men, and sweepings of great towns, you can have abundance of that sort of flesh and blood ; but as your Agent-General very properly insists on having the pick of the laboring class, and will only take a few good country mechanics, you are not likely to procure them in large numbers. On the 12th of last month (April) the Schiekallion sailed from Gravesend with 124 adults, under engagement to the Messrs Brogden. Asa whole, they, are a fine body of working men. They 'are not all, I believe, for Wellington ; the majority of them being intended for tho Blenheim and Picton Railway. On the 19th of April the Celestial Queen sailed from Gravesend with 92 emigrants for Auckland, and on. the 26th of the same month the well-known fine ship Halcione, Captain Bishop, also left Gravesend for Wellington, with 200 adnlt emigrants, in high spirits. When on board the Halcione. and attired in their brand new outfits, they looked more like a pleasure party going to a fair or some races, than the once poor and destitute laboring men how going to a far distant land. I understand the Messrs Brogden intend sending between 100 and 2CD adults to Auckland in the City of Auckland during this month. The Merope, with nearly 200, leaves about the 10th inst., for Canterbmy. The projected departures are tlfo Ba^arat for Napier, with about 150 Highlanders, in June ; and a ship from Christiana, with about 250 Scandinavians, for the same port. Besides these, one ship, with Germans, from Hamburg, i s likely to sail for Canterbury at the end of May, and another from the same place about the beginning of June for Otago. The Hydaspes is fixed to take out emigrants to Otago in June. I believe the great objeo to be attamed is to distribute the emigrants, as far as possible, fairly all over the colony, and although they are not poured in at the rate of 1500 or 2000 a month,- yet it is to be hoped that sufficient will arrive to meet the pressing wants of the labor market.