New Zealand as an Emigration Field.

Thames Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2980, 3 September 1878, Page 2

New Zealand as an Emigration Field.

Bevilers appear still to be at frork ,(says ,the i JNew Zealand Herald); Vying to decry New Zealand as a field for emigration. The subjoined letter from the Edinburgh Daily Keview of the;;lßth July, shews that some one, who appetra to have been in Auckland, is busy at work. He does not give his name, but conceals .his identity behind certain letters which may be the correct initials of his name, or they may not. . Had he given bis true name, the people of New Zealand would have been able to judge of his qualifications to express an opinion on the subject upon which he endeavours to enlighten the working men of Scotland:—

Sir,—ln,looking through the columns of your paper last Friday, I observed the letter from Mrlnglis referring .to New Zealand in glowing terms as a field for emigration. As one who, has just re-' turned from that country, and: haying travelled through the most part of the North Island, and as one who has had to work in the bush with my coat off under a New Zealand sun, sawing timber, pick-and-shovel work, &c, &c, I think I am as welL able to give advice to,intending emigrants as Mr Inglis) who, I suppose all the time 1 he was there never yet had to take off his black coat to earn a shilling. I cannot let this opportunity pats; by without contradicting some of the statements made by Mr Inglis,; and also to let intending emigrants know what stats JNevr Zealand is-in at the present moment. In the first place, Mr Tnglis states that the demand for labour of nearly all kinds is unlimited. To that I have to say in reply that, when I left Auckland some months since, there were .hundreds of good workmen doing nothidz, or ,nekt to nothing, many of them gladjfo get 6» perV day at pick-and-ghoyel work, and that is not always to be had, because during the rainy season, which generally,: lasts bar^ tween three to. four months of } the jearf . during which time outdoor work is almost ( , entirely suspended; and I have known;^' tradesmen's wives, whoso husbands were, out of employment, going about the-ship-ping amongst the sailors asking for some washing to do to raise money to keep their children from starvation.' Think J of a man taking a wife and family put to a country'like that. I am glad I did not follow Mr , Inglis's , advice in getting married before I went out, because if I had I should never have got home . again. It is a comparatively easy matter for a single man to get home, but it is quite a different thing for a man to. get back when he has a wife and- family to bring along with him. There are hundreds of families in New Zealand at >this present moment who would be glad to get home to their native country again, " but they cannot. , They have' not the means to do it with; the .New Zealand Government will not take them' : back at' the same money at which they took them away. Catch them! They want- the country populated, with , Europeans; so that if the nativea were once tainking to itart another Maori war, the ( Government would fcave the satisfaction of knowing that they had 'plenty'ot men on the spot to put it down.* ''Another thing is they want -to ''keep the labor market!well supplied, so a» to keep wages down. Employers of labor in years gone by thought they were pay. in« far too much, for labor, and they thought by bringiriftout k| large number of immigrant* they would b" ring-flown the wages, Their plan hus succeeded quiteup to their expectations, as you can get any amount of men there now to work for os or 6s a day, when previously they were-

getting double tliat amount. It is quite true, even now, that there are a number of men now earning from 6a to 14s per day, but there are also a number who have not constant employment aX those wages. A us*ual thing in New Zealand is ior tradesmen to be working one week idle the next two. I knew a joiner, out there who kept an account of his earnings

during the whole of atwelvenonlh. His •average wage during the whole of that ' time came to something like 5s 6d per triay, and out <f lha.t he b»<\ to pay 12s 6d per week for rent. This man was a splendid tradesman, and.f sic (hat I was personally acquainted with. A working mau in this eomiiry with 30s .» week is as well off as one wth £2 10s in New Zealand. The only kind of labor that , New Zealand wants for some time to ' come-is great, strong laborers, able to go •to'work at the swamps, draining the country, sometimes up to their middle in mud and water. It is not everyone, that can stand this kind" of thing, .more especially when one has not been accustomed to it. There are always a few who are knocked ujlwith it, and. take fever by drinking ■'barHrater. I went out as a tradesman,^ . but,could not find work at my.own trade.* The Government promised to get me employment, but. swamp work was the only Work they could find me. What New wants more than anything is not , labour but capital. It requires men to go out with capita!, and start manufactures, and thereby produce for themselves that , which they at the present time send money out of the country to purchase. Until that is done there will never be any improvement in the state of New Zealand. Mr Inglis talks about the climate being good, which is quite true,, but people cannotlive ob the climate. I think I hear some of your readers say, "Oh, this js •some lazy, drunken fellow that cannot do well nowhere" ; but, in thinking that they are mistaken, because in one particular point I have taken Mr Inghs s advice, and taat is, during the whore time I was in the colonies strong drink'never passed xky HpsV 1 have also been for nine "years A Good Templar. 'Those who are best acquainted with me know that what I now sar is the truth ; and as for not being willing to work, I had many a. long tramp in-search of it, as hundreds are doing out there even now. It is all very = well for the agents in this country giving * isTew Zealand a good name, and indue- ; ing people to go out when they're- ! ceive 10s for every emigrant, they send ''o'utV but I" have no interest m "-writing this, but merely to let people know what is the truth on the subject. 'You must excuse me, Mr Editor, for * takingup so much of your space, but I ' felt' compelled to write this, and perhaps ■savjß some .poor fellow from going through ! r wKat I hare had <o encounter. I send * you.my name.and address, and shall be glad to give anyone additional information aonnthe subject should they require it.— lam,&c, A.F.B. •«.-;, Edinburgh, July 15,1878. .

; After the storm had ceased, the other aay, be remaAea to his wife :' 4 Guess the snow is all over.' ' "Kes,' she replied, •All over the ground.'. He only said, • It's snow jokin' matter.' This cutter a .'.;.'.■.,■>. .;■ ■... ..'.-.. - ■:.-■.■