A FEILDINGITE ABROAD

Feilding Star, Issue 352, 24 August 1907, Page 3

A FEILDINGITE ABROAD

A former resident of Feilding, Mr A. L. Ruff, writes to us by the last mail from San Francisco; — Having been a resident of Feilding for many years and hearing of young New Zealanders contemplating coming over to San Francisco, I thought it just as well to write and enlighten them a bit. There is one thing especially which is not mentioned by the shipping companies : A passenger has to show £10 before he can land after passing the doctors. The doctors are very strict and are frightened of a disease called " trachoma," an affection of the eyes. The next thing is to find rooms ,which run about three dollars a week or more; and then you have to go out for meals, which cost from Is 6d to 6s each. It all depends upon what you have, of course. Wages are high, ranging from three to eight dollars a day (dollar 4s 2d), hut the cost of living and clothes, etc., covers the wages. If a man has friends he can get board and lodging for about five or six dollars a week. The next item is joining a union, which costs £6. It does not matter what your trade is, you must join the union. I consider that unless a man has friends in 'Frisco he is better off in New | Zealand. O fcourse, I am all right. i I am with old friends — Mr Jas. Watj son, of Feilding. I have plenty of work, and can manage to save £4 or £5 a week, but I could not do this if I were not with friends. In the boat I came over with there were about 24 passengers rejected on account of not haying enough money, or else not passing the doctor. Of course they would be returned free, but think of the trouble they had been put to. There is only one thing I do not like in this country, and that is they do not value life. Dozens are killed here every day in tram and train accidents and murders, and no effort made whatever to stop it. The climate here is just beautiful. The tradesmen are awfully dirty and slovenly, and so the people here appreciate a New Zeafander who has been taught to be neat and clean. A New Zealand tradesman need never fear not getting a job anywhere in the world. Travelling here is cheap, so I have been looking round the country a bit. "When work eases here I am going to Chicago. New York and other big cities. I think travelling is an education. I have seen tilings here which New Zealand is lacking, and yet again in many things New Zealand is miles ahead of this country. There is one thing New Zealand has a real good Government and good labor laws. A far superior Government to this one of the United' States. There is one law here for the rich and another for the poor. New Zealand is not very well known -here. The American papers are very selfish, and there is only one country in the world, and that is the United States. I let them all know about our dear little island. It is really wonderful to see such a large city as San Francisco being rebuilt. Buildings ten and twelve storeys high are being run lip everywhere. I could. write a book about the city, but I have juat given a few details. Mind, I do not want to influence the young fellows one way or the other, but I say this —they are the best off in New Zealand.