WHAT THEY SAY OF NEW ZEALAND AT HOME.

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3685, 16 October 1880, Page 4

WHAT THEY SAY OF NEW ZEALAND AT HOME.

(FKOM THB BIBMIH&HAM DAILST POST, MAX 8.)

A correspondent sends the following extracts from letters written from New Zealand by a party of Birmingham artizans who left here in October last. These letters tell such a plain and pitiful story of the condition of that country that intending emigrants may well pause and consider before going there.

The first extract is from: a letter writen 31st January, 1880:—•'I aio'soriy to tell you this land of promise is quite different to what we expected. There are hundreds, I may say thousands, out of work here; those who are in work are working short"*time, and glad to 'get that. We hare walked miles upon miles to get work of any sort and cannot. I hare tried all in my power to get farm work, but it is all no use. And then the labor agents, if you go to them, they post up advertisements for men wanted, they get 2s 6d from you, send you forty of fifty miles about the country, when you get there you are not wanted; or they send fire or six after one job. Their harvest is when a fresh, ship comes in, and ships keep landing fresh passengers. lam sure I cannot think what is to become of us; men in all branches, willing to work, but cannot get it. Be sure and tell all who think of coming out here to well consider before they start. I wish you could let the papers see this. lam not running the country down; living is cheap, but the labor market is overstocked, and there seems no possibility of getting work.' 1: Toe next extract is from a letter written in February, 1880:—" I am almost broken hearted; without food or shelter. lam sure I do not know what will become of me. I have only done three day's work since I have been here. If there is a job there are hundreds after it, and if you are seen seeking for food you are sent to prison; it is worse than home. I have walked from one end of the island to the other; it is as bad everywhere. God knows it is hard to be willing to work, bat impossible to get it. I never knew it so bad in England; and this is their busy time. It is hard lines here—sleeping in the bush or under straw stacks, which there are scores of us obliged to do. I should like the emigration agents to have to undergo what I have had to do this last six weeks. ... I could send a list of over 100 names of men who are walking about who came in the last three ships. A tradesman who comes out here tomes to his ruin. lam sitting down to rest after a tramp of eight miles for work, only to be deceived, the job being stopped for want of money." Extracts from letter written on the 12th March, 1880:-"Itis something fearlul out here. There is a petition being signed by the unemployed in this placeabout a thousand have signed—asking the Government to give us employment to keep us from starving. They keep all this out of the papers, but there is a new one just started. We have meetings every day, but get no work. They ask— Why send money to Ireland while we are starving here ? But that is done as a blind for the Englise people. This is a sad life, without hope or prospect of it being any better. Ton must not expect to hear from me so often, as it costs sixpence. All good thinking people here say it is a pity the Home Government are not made acquainted with the true state of things, here." .