CONCERNING IMMIGRANTS. ARE WE GETTING THE RIGHT CLASS?

Evening Post, Volume LXX, Issue 155, 30 December 1905, Page 5

CONCERNING IMMIGRANTS. ARE WE GETTING THE RIGHT CLASS?

SOME EXPERIENCES. Complaint was made by some political candidates during the recent general elections, and also by occasional correspondents of the newspapers, that the recent batches of assisted immigrants to New Zealand were largely compoted of the wrong class. Too many tradesmen, too many labourers, not. enough farmers, were some of the criticisms that were passed. Enquiries made by an Evening Post representative as to the fortune that has attended some of the immigrants who reached Wellington from the Old Land about threo months ago toave shown that for tradesmen there has been strong demand in tho M-hole period. A compositor has worked full time from the first week of his landing, and (during December) a good deal of overtime besides. This, however, is not an unusual experience in tho printing trade at year-ends, "which are invariably periods of extra briskness. A butcher who was unemployed for two weeks -after his arrival here in September got into work early in October, and has been continuously employed since then. A servant girl is of opinion that the difficulty in obtaining servants is largely one of wages. "You hear a. lot about the great rush there is to secure servant ' girls whenever a new lot arrive fron\ Home. That is true enough, but the ! reason is that the girl just out is willing to work at a low' wage. When we, get to know what the regular wages are we generally want the same; and then the trouble comes. And that's why I'm down here now" (at tho registry office). A carpenter w.hb came to New Zealand by the samo boat as tho butcher previously referred to has met with in-and-out experiences: a week in one job, a day or two unemployed, a fortnight in another job, and so on. He, however, is pleased with the country and hopeful of getting into permanent employment. "And, anyhow," he continued in fine Mark Tapley vein, "I'm doing pretty right now, for I've had the lost time for holidays nnd earned a deal more monoy than I'd have got working full time in England." By second-hand information the Post roporter learned that other tradesmen immigrants have done fairly well in Wellington. Others have gone to inland towns, and no information as to their subsequent doings has reached their shipmates. Enquiries as to the experience of the labourers has met with no information —no doubt because they move in different circles to those of the tradesmen spoken to, It would be interesting to know the oxperience of any Jabourer from abroad who reached < New Zealand during the year now closing, and the cases of tradesmen, farmers, miners, and others who have had either good or bad experience!) would also bo of value to the public here and abroad, as showing.the prospects that the colony affords to new people, the measure of their adaptability, and the. ascertaining of the avenues of employment in which work may be most readily obtained. To this end the Evening Post will be prepared to receive and print letters from immigrants descriptive of their experiences, whether as artisans, farm labourers, ordinary labourers, land selectors, miners, general servants, or other callings. The letters should be brief, and should be sent in as soon as possible, so that a representative number may bo printed on the one day. } '