THE REMITTANCE MAN

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 294, 7 December 1908, Page 4

THE REMITTANCE MAN

Is there any greater tragedy than thai of the remittance man ? There are plenty of the genus in all the Staled of the Australian Commonwealth r members of wealthy families, as a nil:', who have been packed out to this side of the world to make their way as best they could in a strange country. Th y are everywhere—in the on the j stations, in the shearing sheds. Oik i such individual, who admitted the crime jof forgery, was brought up to be sen- | tcnced this week at the Sydney Quarter i Sessions, It appears, from the statement of his lawyer, that he is the son of a rich Sheffield manufacturer, and that having had his remittances stopped, lie had resorted to forgery, to obtain money. Judge Backhouse expresed the opinion that people had no right to send remittance men of this kind out to Australia. The medier- I evidence was that the young fellow vs mentally weak, and that if he won sent to gaol, the result might be tnat he would become insane. Ilis honor took a merciful view of and accepted the suggestion of one of the , relatives of the young man that he .should he allowed to go to England. Sentence was accordingly deferred ti'l next month, the understanding being I that i.i the meantime he will leave Ausi tralia. The other day at Ballarat. a young man who gave his name as Coieridge, and said lie was a son of th« eminent Lord Coleridg", chief .Juslie-e of England, was charged with drunken ii©ss ami disorderly conduct, and being unable to pay the line imposed, was seal to gaol for three days. Coleridge, who was liberated from gaol on the previous Saturday, was then penniless, but *ecured drink by begging. He speak* cultured English. but his attire and general appearance are not. prepossessing. He is another unfortunate re mittance man. After all, even in its human view, poverty is a line thing. It would probably have been better than wealth for these young fellows, who have had tlie Talal luck lo posses-; an unfailing supply of money not earned by their own labour:- Poverty jniiriu have given them self-reliance. Mosi of us agree *hat it has many advantages. hut wT' always prefer to see il practised by other fellows.—Dominion correspondent.