I MORE IMMIGRANTS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXI, Issue 143, 18 June 1906, Page 6

I MORE IMMIGRANTS.

ARRIVAL OF THE ATHENIC. A LIKELY LOT. With a living freight of some 595 souls, tbe'big Shaw Savill steamer . AHhenic steamer into port from London this mornin S . The vessel brought 440 passengers in all. most of these, or 396, being immigrants from Locdon. The passengers are a fine healthy-looking lot of men and women who should make satisfactory settlers The Immigration Department sent an official (Mr. J- E. March) out to meet the new arrivals, and tho Labour Department also had an official on tllio spot, to give them any information they required. Mr. March, of the first-mention-ed department, inspected the immigrants, and did all in his power to put them in tho way of landing without difficulty, and he is also making special arrangements in regard to the transhipping of some oi the Napier passengers. The ship's papers give the occupations of the new comers, and state that there no less than 29 on board with no occupation, which is a much moro formidable number than any of the vessels have brought of late. The other passengers are mostly labourers, domestic servanth, navvies, and fanners. There is one party of 20 domestic servants in charge of Miss Birchell, matron. These are fine-looking young women, and have come out under engagement to residents at ' Hastings, Hawkes Bay. A representative of the Post who has seen mosb of the recent batches of passengers which have arrived from the Old Countiy, mixed freely with the new arrivals this morning and found them to be a useful-looking lot of men, probably the best! samples all round that havo reached New Zealand of late. Every one appeared to be happy and imbued with the idea that) they have only to work to do well in this country. In conversation with one young Englishman, our representative was informed that things are in a' very bad way in London just now "In tact," said the new arrival, "England is now living solely on her old name." Thousands of people are out of work in all quarters of the country. The office of the New Zealand Agent-General is . besieged wiffli enquiries from hundreds of people day after day. These, mostly men, have not, in the majority of cases, Mifiicient money to come out to the colony, and they endeavouT to bargain with the authorities to bring them out and allow them to pay the money back after they have secured work in New Zealand. This, of course, the Migh Commissioner cannot agree to. The clues of men endeavouring to come out under these terms is said to bo good. Another passenger booked from South Africa gives a doleful account of the position of affairs in tlut country, as far as the woikiug man is concerned. There is no room for the labourer there, the only man who has any chance being the skilled worker. Another South African passenger remaiked, "From what I can learn, we can't stnrve here, as we did in Africa, provided wo graft. This is a white man's country — not a black man's." The' occupations of the passengers are given as fo.kms in the official list: — Labourers 39, domestics 27, navvies 26, farmeis 24, no occupation 29, carpenters 12, miners 7, plumbers 6, farm hands 4, engineers 4, Sisters 3, butchers 3, ironmongers 3, engine cleaners 2, clerks 3, blacksmiths 2, machinists 2, nurses 2, masons 2, bakers •2, bricklayers 2, grocers 2, gardeners 2, joiners 2, painters 2, and one each of the following ? Chemist, millwright, .fruiterer, buttermaker, relief stumper, telegraphist, engineer, wheelwright, coach trimmer, blacksmith, fort officer, carrier, policeman, dairyman, fireman, confectioner,, trainer, printe^ caretaker, traveller, electrician, architect, cigaiette-maker, porter shipwright, harns?3maker, timekeeper, surveyor, munufacturer, miller. Mr. March, of the Immigration Department, expressed himself well satisfied with the new arrivals, whom he considered to be a very desirable and respectable class who should make admirable settlers. The party of servant girls for Hastings are also a very respectable class. They will leave for Napier this afternoon by the Talune. Miss Birchell, who came <sut in charge of twenty-three domestic servants, stated this afternoon hat she has had a large . number of enquiries for her girls since j she- landed, but she could not entertain any of tho offers, as tkiTgU'l^ bine come out under engagement. Nineteen aro going on to Hastings, and four will remain in Wellington. Asked ps to whether any furtiier batches of domestics would follow, Miss Birchell said she could say nothing definite. It was a difficult matter to get tho light class of domestic to como out to New Zealand in view of the- high wages ruling at Capetown.

Sdles were effected to-day on the "Wellington Stock Exchange as follow s: — Wellington, Meat Export (£2 12s 6d paid), £3; Hydraulic Hand-milker, £7; Waihi, £8 ss' 6d. * On Thursday, 21st inst. , the Post Office will be closed at 2 p.m. in all branches during tho funeral of the lute Premier. All mails for the afternoon trains will close at 1 p.m. The receiving boxes throughout the city, usually cleared at 4 p.m., will not be cleared until 6 p.m. There- will bo no afternoon delivery of letters by the letter carriers. The Telegraph Office in Wellington will be closed from 2 o'clock till 5 p.m. All other offices in the colony close for one hour from 2.30 till 3.30 p.m. During tho last few days several additions have been made to the collection of oil paintingi and water-colour drawings which aro beinir exhibited at the old Commercial Club, liunter-streot. Among them are forao fine examples from tho, brush of Walter 8. Htacey, vice-president of tho Dudley Gallery, ono of which, "In Ho*. 'tile Array," was exhibited in tho Exhibition of tho Boyal Institutes of Painters in Water-colours, and another, "Sweet Spring Time, was shown in the Dudley Gallery. Thoro is also a fino interior of Westminster Abboy by Jamos Cafe, and several worka by other artists of repute. The exhibition will remain open for a few weeks longer. _ Messrs. Lovien, Shallcrass and Co., Wil-lis-strcct, have received a consignment of tho new season's mutton birds, which thoy can supply in kits containing from 20 to 40 birds. To-morrow, at 2 o'clock, Messrs. W. H. Morraji and Co. will sell by public auction, in their rooms, Willis-street, household furnituro and effects, also lady's bicycle. Mpssrs. Sidoy, Mccoh and Co. advertise thai they will hold a clearing sale of household furniture, fancy goods, boots, and goods of all descriptions at their rooms to-morrow and Wednesday, commencing each day at 2 p.m. To-morrow, at 3 p.m., twolvb oil paintings will be sold. The samo firm havo a special notification postponing tho snlo of freehold properly from Thursday, 2lst Juno, till the next day, Friday, 22nd June, on account of the funeral of tho lato Premier.