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EXPERIENCES IN NEW ZEALAND.

Under the above heading a recent kumber of the " Glasgow Weekly Mail" contains the following extremely egotistical correspondence from a person at present occupying the position of " sole manager and director" of a wholeBale and retail store at Timaru, and who, by his own account, notwithstanding the damaging statement he sends home of this colony, has, in our opinion, but^ little cause to utter a complaint against it. It is fortunate that publicity has been given to the letter in question, as opportunity is thereby afforded the press of New Zealand to contradict many of the injurious statements contained in it. The writer evidently intends to make his friends at home believe that morality is at a very low ebb in New Zealand, and that the Sabbath is but little respected. He is assuredly not one of that class who are destined to make New Zealand what has been predicted for her by the greatest men of the day — the Britain of the South. We have no hesitation in pronouncing him a most undesirable colonist, as, by his . own words, his principal aim is to realise a few more thousands, and then " skedaddle" to " his own Sabbath-loving country." After a few prefatory remarks by the " Mail" on the vicissitudes of " New Chums" in New Zealand, the writer says :— " I unfort-unately arrived in Dunedin when everything seemed to be overdone, and on the turn for the worst. I then took a situation in a general wholesale house till I could look about me, and take advantage of the little colonial experience I could gather in that way — and after living in Dunedin twelve months to a day, I left it to join affirm in this town, who I am glad to say appreciated my talents more than they had done in Dunedin, and in nine months after a business turning over about £30,000 a> year was carried on — your humble Bervant sole manager and director, with one-third of the profits, which at the end of the year was something— yes, something over a thousand pounds ; and I am glad to say that, notwithstanding strong opposition, I feel confident of the same result this year. We do a general trade, •which^mbraces wanted in a country district, and which is the only trade that will be very successful, when well managed, in a sparsely populated (or new country) place. Of course you will understand that I must work hard and be very active to keep a retail trade going a head in a proper and profitable way, but I made up my mind to go into it with heart and hand to establish a business and make money sooner or later, and the sooner the better. We open at^ eight in the morning, and sometimes don't get home till after ten at night, We profess now to shut at eight, but seldom manage it. Iwasover-anxiousatnrst,andover-wrought myself, and had to .'lay up for* a -while iv consequence, but you know my style is to stick into it while there is a customer to serve. I haven't seen anybody that could go to windward of me in selling a general parcel since I have been here. You will mind my old shopman. He is my right hand man ; he has been digging and counter-louping in several places since he came to the colony, but did no , good till I took him in charge again. I j hope he will yet be a credit to himself and me. To be successful in business of any kind a man must be steady and active in mind and body, and to be enabled to save money a man must be of very sober habits, as there is every sort of temptation held out by the unscrupulous. Tippling, gambling, and playgoing are the ruin of at least the one-half of the young men who come to the colony with great— yes, too great — expectation,' few friends, and often little funds. Then disappointment drives the unwary to drink, and that leads to eyery other vice. They then get regardless of themselves and their friends, and the chances are that friends at home don't know their mode of life or manner of death. Will you believe it, I've not yet drank a glass of whisky nor put a razor on my face since I've been in the colony, an 4it I can only go on for a time — I mean till I make a tew thousand— then I will be glad to get back to that Sabbathloving country which so many too soon forget and disgrace. I have not, nor will I, recommend any person to leave the good old country for this yet, as, from all my experience, the nine-tenths of the arrivals are at first disappointed, and for a long time after out of their natural jipfcere, and if then they take to fretting aiid cursing the country, ten to one but they are for ever lost to themselves, their country and friends. Xou will no doubt remember little D . He came out in the, ship with me, and he was not only sanguine, but cock sure of making £3000 a-year, from the flattering manner in which an old friend of his showed up the country, &c, Now, I am sorry to pay, he is not only penniless, but debauched and deserted by his wife and family, his wife living in Melbourne with & nephew of his, who also eatne out with ns, to be lost to himself and his friends. He has been at everything you can think of, from the day laborer on the roads* to counter-louping, billiard-marking, and prise fighting, He was assisted into a email business in Dunedin, but got too big for it, and is now hawking on the west Coast gold fields. G~- — came asking me H few days ago for a job to enable him to raise a meal. I gave him ft job to fill coals ; he seemed thankful, gave it up next day, and departed on his journey of pilgrimage. Such is the way in which too many who come to the colony with great expectations turn out. I should cettainly say that any man who has anything 0 f & social and comfortable living at homo should not give if up to

emigrate ; and should misfortune overtake one at home, friends should do something else for them than recommend them to emigrate. It is much easier to bear up against disappointments at home than to battle against them here, where there are neither comforts nor the social society that a man in business enjoys at home. There is no enjoyment equal, in my mind, to the happy social fireside friendship of home, and which cannot be got, in the colony. Of course we try to make ourselves as comfortable as circumstances will admit, but still, we can neither procure nor enjoy them equal to the settled home of our forefathers. Of course money, looked at from your point of view, seems plenty in the colony, but when you know that everything is so much dearer than at home, the difference is hot so very much to a subordinate of any kind as should induce them to leave the comforts of home for imaginary wealth abroad. If. people of moderate circumstances at home would only submit to do what they must do when they come to the colony they could save as much, if not more, money than they can here. Eor instance, when we were in Dunedin I had £20 a-month, and the day I left Dunedin I was poorer than the day I landed. I paid £5 a month for a house to live in, and that house a cold uncomfortable one — as all wooden houses must be. Coals, 5s 6d per cwt ; firewood, about 5s a week, and so on in proportion. Servants will cost their employers fully £60 to £100 per annum each, hence many people who would be horrified at home at the idea of having to cook a dinner or clean out a kitchen, must either turn to and work here, or then be fortunate enough to have husbands whose business can afford them a servant. The other side of the picture is : if a man should be fortunate enough to get into a good business, and practice perseverance and economy, he can sooner make a lump of money than is often done with the same capital at home. I believe (and always did) that it is what a man saves that makes him rich or independent, and that can be practised anywhere and everywhere. I have built me a nice comfortable house, which cost me about £500, and I have tried to make things as comfortable as circumstances will admit. Mrs M. has enjoyed the best of health all along, but I fear will never be altogether reconciled to colonial life, hence my inducement to save and go home some time, if Providence should spare and award me moderate success ; and if I have the good fortune to escape the fearful ravages of a fire (a calamity too frequent in wood-built houses), I should expect to be able to return with sufficient means to keep us comfortable in old age, and at the same time be enabled to help on a deserving friend, if required to do bo. I like this climate very much, and it suits me exactly; but 1 did not like Dunedin — too wet and cold altogether, very changeable from heat to cold and wet, and with miserable houses as compared with what we have here. On the whole, I've made up my mind, to make myself moderately comfortable here, and save money enough to enable me to live comfortable in after years at home amongst friends and relations."

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ST18670426.2.15

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Southland Times, Issue 662, 26 April 1867, Page 3

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,641

EXPERIENCES IN NEW ZEALAND. Southland Times, Issue 662, 26 April 1867, Page 3

EXPERIENCES IN NEW ZEALAND. Southland Times, Issue 662, 26 April 1867, Page 3

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