"CRUELTY TO IMMIGRANTS."

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 325, 28 May 1875, Page 2

"CRUELTY TO IMMIGRANTS."

The following are the telegrams and correspondence upon the above subject :-~ November 12, 1874! Government Buildings, Dunedin,. Macandrew, Dunedin, _ My attention has been called to an at* tide m the ' Mount Ida Chronicle,' headed " Cruelty to Immigrants."-. Would your Honor kindly cause enquiries to be made, and inform me, as to whether, in the treatment of the sixteen families sent to Eden Creek in September last, proper care and attention was paid to their health and comfort.

H. A. Atkinson. Dunedin, Government Buildings ; the Superintendent, Danedin, The date of the 'Mount Ida Chronicle' to which I yesterday referred in my telegram was October 30th. .'"*■'- H. A. Atkinson. November 17,1874. Dunedin, his Honor the Superintendent, I go to-day to make personal inquiry. Could not leave Naseby sooner. H. W. Robinson, R.M. Naseby, November 20,1847. Dunedin, his Honor the Su- ' perintendent, Dunedin, Statements in 'Mount Ida Chronicle' not exaggerated, as to hardship endured. People arrived in severe weather—afraid to "go to race with children. Men had been engaged in Dunedin through an agent (Hooper), to work at eight shillings, or piece work. Were led to expect supplies of fuel on ground. Some now at work on race at wages—others at piece work at very low rates. Seems as if advantage taken of inexperience in sub-con-tractsf can barely make living; still, all bravely stick to work. Contractor seems .to have; been under no obligation to em- ' ploy them for any time, or to provide in any \vay for their comfort. They say they signed a book at the agents, but got no writing themselves. Made their bargain without intervention of any Government officer. Were supplied with small tents (single calico, without poles), and rations for eight days. Had the weather been fine, they would hardly have comfortunes'resulted from their own fault of forethought; but, as they were going on to Government works, they scarcely perhaps realized that they would only haveto do with a contractor, whose object would be to drive hard bargains. ' with them. I think there should have been some precaution taken to prevent families of women, and young children being sent out to brave the weather in such a season qftfie year, and that it would have been well to have seen that their bargain with the contractor was a fair one. • Jd , W. Robinson, R.M.

l "'■--'- Superintendent's Office, "■""'"'"Z ':■■':':.. Dunedin, Nov. 28,1874. to the statement which appeared lately in the Naseby 'Chronicle/ headed "Cruelty to Immigrants," I have the honor,to ; stale that, on enquiry, it would appear that the picture..has been somewhat overdrawn. No-doubt the unusual severity ofthe weather at the time must have been trying to new comers ; at the same time thousands wh6 have preceded them have been exposed to greater hardships, and were not so well cared for. The immigrants in question were employed in Dunedin by a Mr. Abbot' a well known contractor, who is at present carrying onextensive works at Naseby, and who has long been a large employer of labor in this Province. They were to receive Bs. a-day—or piece work at their option; were, supplied by the Government with transit,to Naseby, and provisions during the journey: also, with the use of tents, until such time as they could; get housed otherwise, which, with the assistance of the contractor in erecting sod huts, need not have been long. The Government Inspector of Works reports.the immigrants were well and humanely treated by the contractors and his .agent, and that no blame is attributable to either in their treatment of the strangers, the only fault apparently being that they could not control the elements. No doubt it was unfortunate that immigrants were landed in such number in the middle of winter. As it is, however, this is ndt'likely to occur again. I have the honor to be, Sir, Your most obedient servant* James Macandbbw, Superintendent of the.Pro-: ■■• = •■' vinee of Otago.