NEW ZEALAND EMIGRANTS IN LONDON.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 3942, 5 October 1874, Page 3

NEW ZEALAND EMIGRANTS IN LONDON.

9 The following article, headed "Signs of the Times," and signed "Harry Leach," appear s iv the Pictorial World (a London weekly newspaper), of August Ist: —

All those interested in emigration must have observed how steadily—during the past twelve or eighteen months—the tide has been setting from this country in the direction of New Zealand, by way of the Thames. Since the commencement of last year several thousands of emigrants have, by the energy of Dr Featherston, Agent-General for the New Zealand Government, been collected in London from all parts of Europe, as well as from the Un'ted Kingdom, and shipped off from fche East and West India Dicks. It appears, however, but very recently to hive occurred to those connected with the organization of this business that the establishment of a central depot, at which emigrants, as they arrive, could be collected and housed, previous to their departure, would greatly facilitate the work. Such an establishment has existed for the last ten years at Plymouth; and the Hotunda at Castle Garden iri'New York is a monster institution of the same kind from which we might with advantage glean some useful hints. However, a building formerly known as the Old Brunswick Whitebait Tavern, close to the Blackwall Railway Pier, has just been opened for tho purpose above indicated, and is now in full working order. The large ground-floor room, associated in the memories of many Londoners with fish dinners and sparkling Moselle, has been converted into an eating-room, wherein benches and forms are arranged barrack fashion, so as to accommodate a large number of messes of ten each. The single women have a smaller room on the same floor, and all are instructed, as soon as they arrive, to keep themselves and their quarters in good order. You may see tliere at the same time coteries of English, Scotch, Irish, Swedes, Gei mans, and Belgians, all bound for their new homes, in the same ship. Proceeding upstairs, we find the sleeping quarters arranged in an almost precisely similar fashion to the berths on board ship, and with the same amount and quality of bed furniture accommodation. The married people, single men, and single women, have each separate qnarters, and a matron is appointed to keep the last-named, and sometimes rather noisy, section in order. The emigrants remain in this establishment about a week or ten days, aud are, during that time, victualled by the Agency. Care is taken, of course, to provide that none but healthy persons are admitted, but no systematic medical examination appears to be made before they are received, and this, we take it, is eminently necessary, for it appears that during the last six or t-ightweeks, several families have at the last moment been eliminated at Gravesend from the ship in which they started, because whooping-cough, measles, or some other infantile malady was fouud among them. The establishment of this depot is, however, evidently a step in the right direction. No port in which emigration business is carried on continuously is complete without such a building, aud on sanitary grounds alone, it would be well if such a building existed at Liverpool, for this port receives annually a large number of emigrants fi om Germany, wa Grimsby and Hull; and the licensed lodging-house system is in many respects very unsatisfactory. The emigrant depot at Blackwall is most conveniently situated, close to the river, and in the immediate vicinity of the docks ; but as it will accommodate only 400 persons, more room must be found if tho stream of emigration from the Thames continues to increase in the same proportion as during the last eighteen months.