KENT AND SUSSEX LABORERS FOR NEW ZEALAND.

Kumara Times, Issue 805, 30 April 1879, Page 4

KENT AND SUSSEX LABORERS FOR NEW ZEALAND.

[EUROPEAN MAIL.] The differences between some of the Kent and Sussex farmers and their laborers on Jan. 29 , entered upon a new phase, in the departure from Kent of between 500 and 600 of the locked-out and evicted laborers as emigrants for New Zealand. The emigrants were acknowledged to be “the cream” of the Kentish laborers, the large majority of them being young men without incumbrance and full of hope. The unfortunate circumstances which have led to this exodus date from October last, when some of the leading farmers of Kent and Sussex met at Canterbury and resolved that the low price of corn and the bad conditions of farming warranted a reduction of the laborers’s wages. It was pointed out that the men were able to pay to a “ society” or union, and it was considered that a reduction of wages would lead to a break up of this support to the laborers. The union, in fact, had become a power among the laborers. It grew to the strength of 15,000 members, its principles beingpartly for benefit society purposes. It was • alleged of the union by its friends that since its establishment crime and pauperism had decreased among the class of people who gave most inmates to the gaol and workhouse, and that, by urging arbitration in cases of dispute between employer and employed, many differences had been healed or avoided. Nevertheless, the farmers did not conceal their antagonism to the union, and expressed themselves as ready in some cases to enter into a compromise with the men on the wages question if they lefc the union. The weather fought against the men, and in all nearly 1000 were locked out. Mr Simmons, a working man, ,the founder of the union, and assisted in the management of the society by a council of delegates from all parts of Kent and Sussex endeavored to obtain the arbitration of the County Court Judge of one of the districts; but the employers refused to listen to the suggestion, and insisted on the locked-out laborers being evicted from the cottages rented by them as workers on the estates. In these circumstances, upwards of 500 accepted the offer of passages to New Zealand made by the New Zealand Government, and after a farewell meeting in Maidstone, started via the London, Chatham, and Dover line. There were a few married couples and a few children, but nearly all were hearty strong men, the pick of their class, between 200 and 300 being men specially skilled in hop growing. There has been previous emigration to New Zealand from the district of agricultural laborers, and on the advice of these earlier settlers a large quantity of bedding hop sets has been taken out; so that there is a prospect of England seeing in her markets the produce of New Zealand grown from .'Kentish plants by Kentish men. The train which conveyed the emigrants had 13 carriages and two wagons of goods, and after passing Herne Hill the train passsed over to the South-Western line, for passage via Wimbledon to Plymouth. Mr Simmons, in whom the people have the greatest confidence, will accompany them to New Zealand, and it is expected that another party of emigrants will follow in a month. The Union voted LBOO to assist the emigrants. In the strike the public sympathy with the men was shown in the contribution of sums amounting to LIOOO, but the laborers themselves have born the chief burden of the unfortunate lockout.