LIFE IN THE ARGENTINE.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 9993, 24 March 1898, Page 6

LIFE IN THE ARGENTINE.

A WARNING TO YOUNG NEW ZEA-

LANDERS.

We have received the following from a young New Zealander now in the Argentine : —" As the Argentine the last few years has taken the attention of New Zealand as a place for the future of her young men, I hope you will allow mc space for a'short letter to warn them against coming .here without capital. A great many New Zealanders during the last three years have come here to try their luck, with only a few pounds in their pocket, and, as one who has been fortunate in getting something to do, I wish to warn others of a few of the difficulties they have to encounter in a foreign country, which, until they arrive and have experience, they are entirely ignorant of. The language of the Argentine is Spanish, and until one knows it one is entirely helpless and of no use whatever in the country or town. 'English is of as much use to an Englishman here as Maori is to a Nβ w Zealander. ff one is fortunate enough to get a billet, the first thing necessary is to learn Spanish, which takes some considerable time and hard work, and cannot be " picked up" in a few months, as one is told before arriving here. The cost of living is 100% more than in New Zealand, clothes and everything else are more expensive. A salary of £200 a year-is equal to about £80 a year in New Zealand. It is quite out of the question to think of any of the luxuries of life which a young fellow with a small salary in New Zealand is able to have. There are numbers of young Argentine lad*, whose English parents have been here for years, who have been born in the country and have a thorough knowledge of English and Spanish, and who can afford to take billets in merchant houses and offices for a few doilare a month as they have their homes here.

The first question that is asked when an Englishman applies for a position is "Can, you speak Spanish ?" and if he is unable to answer in the affirmative a man with half the experience, but who knows the language, would be accepted in preference.

I have seen men here who have come from New Zealand, steady, hard-working, and • competent men, who havo been unable to get anything to do, although they have good letters of introduction. They have kept up until their small amount of cash has gone m living, and have then had to go to other New Zealanders for food. I have seen cases here of men I have known in New Zealand in good billets faint from want of food. This is not a country like New Zealand where one can do anything to earn enough to keep himself in food and clothes. is very cheap ; hundreds of immigrants are arriving every month from Italy who are like the Chinamen in New Zealand, as they live chiefly on bread and water and work for a few dollars per week, and live in the most awful hovels, where no Englishman could live. There are, comparatively speaking, very few young Englishmen who have had luck here and managed to get billets. Those that have succeeded have better chances than if they had stayed in New Zealand ; but it \ means years of hard work and, most important of all, a man must be steady. The morals of the Argentine are very slaok, aiid there are temptations of the worst kind that are not seen in New Zealand. If a man is at all inclined to go astray, even if he has ! money, it is much better he should stay in New Zealand with his friends, even if his prospects are not over bright. ■ Several New Zealanders have been glad to I accept billets on estancias (stations) for their food only. The living and life in the country is much rougher and harder than New Zealand, and I would strongly advise any young fellow, who thinks his prospects are not bright in New Zealand, not to try his luck in the Argentine without capital. If he does he will run the risk, as I have seen men here, of starving in a foreign country away from friends, and very often, without a person to help him. For men who come here with capital it is another matter. Although there are advantages which New Zealand does not possess ; still, there are a.great many disadvantages in the way of locusts, scab, bad government, &c. But I have written you to warn young New Zealanders not to come to the Argentine without capital to try their luck; if they do they run great chances of going without food, an experience very few young New Zealanders know. I hope I have not taken up too much of' your valuable space. If I had time and opportunity 1 cou'd write you more fully on the numerous hardships a young New Zealander has to contend with if he comes to the Argentine without capital. P. S.—Since writing the above I have met two New Zealanders who have been some months travelling in the country trying to get billets, but without success. There are advertisements in the morning paper from Englishmen offering to work on stations " for food only."