FIFTY YEARS AGO

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21494, 18 May 1933, Page 6

FIFTY YEARS AGO

EXTRACTS FROM THE HERALD 'IMMIGRANTS FROM BRITAIN The following are extracts from the New Zealand Hebald of May 18, 1883: The news of the arrival on Wednesday evening (May 16) of the steamship Westmeath and the ship Rangitikei, both from London and each having a large dumber of immigrants on board, had the effect of attracting one of the largest crowds to the Queen Street Wharf that we remember seeing there. Throughout the whole of yesterday the wharf was thronged with foot passengers to the almost entire stoppage of cart traffic. Of course, the centre of attraction was the steamship Westmeath, the pioneer of the direct steam service between this" port and London. At about 11 a.m. the steamship was moored at the end of the wharf by Captain J. McKenzie, the wharfinger, and an eager crowd at once thronged on board. At the time the vessel came alongside- the wharf there must have been between 1500 and 2000 people on the outer tee. At about 12 o'clock the immigrants were landed and taken to their temporary places of abode.

"It is known that the Victorian Government make a strenuous effort to induce New Zealand to join the Postal Union," telegraphs the Herald's Wellington correspondent. " Although the matter is still open for public consideration before any final decision is arrived at, I think I shall be correct in stating that there is hardly the remotest probability of the Government agTeeing to the proposal. I cannot give the full figures showing respective gains and losses by such a change, but I may say that, so tar as can be calculated, the certain loss to New Zealand would be at least £IO,OOO per annum, and probably much more, while the bonofife to be derived would be very limited and somewhat problematical."