DANES V. NORWEGIANS AS IMMIGRANTS.

Tuapeka Times, Volume V, Issue 242, 19 September 1872, Page 5

DANES V. NORWEGIANS AS IMMIGRANTS.

Mr Halcotnbe writes to the Minister of Public Works on this subject as follows :— "As a rule, the Danes are physically unable to contend with the hardships of a pioneer settler's life; and. while the Norwegians house themselves comfortably with the rude materials at their command, are able to make good -wages immediately on setting to work, and surround themselves with many simple comforts, and are, , moreover, cheerful and contented *ij. a rulpj the Danes are shiftless, thriftless,'; unable to work with the axe, and uneager.to learn, and are therefore unable to earn nearly as much as their neighbors, and.<Aß a .result, are discontented, unresonable in their expectations from Government, and ready to magnify every little unavoidable difficulty itita a great grievance. Nothing can be more marked than the contrast presented at the Master-ton camp hetween the two nationalities. The temporary huts of the two parties are erected close together, the Danes on the one .side of a sort of •treat* the NorwqgiaM on the other, r The

houses of the Norwegians are comfortable, exquisitely clean, and in most 'cade* 1 even tastefnlly decorated, their inhabitants clean, cheerful, and contented. As the result of two months' work, the Norwegian party have paid their store account for their two months' supplies, in full, and they have to draw for one month's work besides, which will probably, most of it, be paid to the Government in partial liquidation of their debt for passage, &o. The fanes, on the other side of the street, are comparatively poorly housed ; there is no sign of comfort or thrift about their rooms, — their hausts and persons aie filthy. They are heavily in debt to the storekeeper, and. though they have hacl per Lead nearly fifty per cent, more food supplied than the Norwegians, they complain that they are not allowed to run more heavily into debt. Having in view the additional difficulty which must result to the Government in re-couping itself advances for passages, &c, made to the latter class of men, and fear that a large nnmber of them will merge into the "loafing" element oi the communiby, I desire to suggest the desirability of encouraging the Norwegian and discouraging tl.e Danish immigration as far as possible, and of exercising a far more stringent supervision over the selection of the latter immigrants than have been obtained in the case of the two shipments already made. I desire to point out that the mixed emigration of Norwegians and Danes, is a mistake, in consequence of the existence of a very bitter national feeling of animosity between them, which prevents their co-operating in anything, however much it might be to their mutual advantage to work together."