A WARNING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 181, 22 July 1908, Page 4

A WARNING.

EXPERIENCES IN AMERICA. HOW XEW ZEAIAXDERS ARE TREATED. A. L. Ruff, a New Zealander,. recently wrote to the Wellington Times:—■'! feel it is my duty through your paper to write to the New Zealand and Australian people and warn them against coming over this side in search of work, i know there have been hundreds like myscif who have been lured over here by the accounts rend in the colonial papers and sent over by the Cnited States newspapers. Well, now, 1 want to stale my experience since coming here, which is just twelve months. First of all, everything in this country is what they call skin game. Evcry.iiue is doing his best to take till! last penny from you. It does not matter where you go or what you buy, you are taken down every time. The shipping agents in New Zealand and Australia, are just as bad. They take your £lO or £25 and tell you everything is all right, but wail till you (jet to 'Frisco, and find out before you can land you have to pass a vcrv strict doctor and have to show up £lO in cash. I know several who came over with me who passed the doctor all right, but did not have £lO. Well, they had to go back to Australia again, and lose their £lO too, and also tlieir six weeks' time.

Another case was where a working man came over and secured a home and sent for his wife and two children. AA'ell, the doctor said one child had trachoma, and that the mother and children could not land. It was the same as in many other eases, "Slip me a few dollars and if will be right." Well, now, if people only knew this before they left, thc.v

would perhaps alter their plans. On the j same boat. ] came on theft- was an Australian on his way to New York ami then to England, und was worth £SOO in cash. Becapse lit' was 02 years of age he was liable to become a burden on the State before he got lo New York, and, mind you, he had £SOO with liiiu. and they would not let him land. The immigration olficer as good as told him he wanted sonic, of that £SOO, but the : old man could not see it, and so he went back to Australia. 'Clic number of people rejected on our .boat was 22, and 21 on the boat before us, so you can see huvv hard it would be lor those people who had saved up to come over hero and then to lie, stopped! After getting landed you have to look for room and board. Everything here is pay in advance. A single man can't possibly live here in the States under 25s a week. A3 regards work, when 1 came here I was lucky enough to meet a New Zealander, and worked for him for about five months, getting 18s a day. I saved a few dollars. ' This was right in the middle of summer. I was in San Francisco all last winter, and I tell you i saw some pitiful sights of starvation, .lust imagine 40,00(1 starving men on the streets lil for anything. 1 tried to getany kind of a job, lint could not get a thing to do. Men offered their services for nothing, but could not get work. 1 did noj 'feel it so much, as I had a little saved up. I helped many a New Zeahiinler and Australian during winter. Their cry was if only they'could get back to New Zealand or Australia. 'Hie British Consul did his best for them, and got them jolis on boats going to Australia. The Americans are very hostile to u-, foreigners, as they call ns. When 1 went up to join the union the secretary told mo straight that they wanted to keep us out of the country. ••We American*" he said, "made this country, and we want to keep it for our own children, and not for you foreii'iiers.'' And this is a free, country! The working-men here admit that they are no better off at the end of ten years than they were at the start, so what good does, the big pay do? It means barely living for seven months and five months' starvation."