THE " Nothing extenuate; Nor set down aught in malice." TUESDAY MORNING, 17th FEBRUARY. EDUCATED FEMALE IMMIGRATION.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVII, Issue 1831, 17 February 1863, Page 2

THE " Nothing extenuate ; Nor set down aught in malice." TUESDAY MORNING, 17th FEBRUARY. EDUCATED FEMALE IMMIGRATION.

WnAT a melancholy picture of genteel poverty is presented by the educational advertisements, in the columns of the London Times. We read there scores of announcements of Governesses wanting situations, while the listof openings for their employment is sadly smaller byi contrast. A little thought indulged in while gazing on the daily broad sheet, might conjure up a sad scene before the mind's eye, of once happy homes broken up through misfortune or death, and of amiable and educated'girls deprived of their natural protectors and forced to go forth among strangers to earn their daily bread; Truly the lot of such is pitiable indeed ; poverty ; in whatever shape it may come, is a great misfortune ; but educated poverty, carries with it a sharper pang still. The number of this class in Great Britain has of late years increased very largely, and the competition for employment has become keener in proportion. The wages of a governess qualified to teach all the branches of a good English education, together with drawing, the modern languages of Europe, and a smattering of science are little more in many cases than those of a domestic servant. The supply exceeds the demand there— education is alas! dirt cheap, and accomplishments are a drug in the market. It was to meet this social difficulty that a society for the employment of educated women, was formed in England some time ago, in connection with the Social Science Congress. Miss Bessie Parkcs, Miss Emily Faithfull, Miss Maria S. Rye, and others; took an active part in its operations, uud fresh spheres of occupation were struck out. Some females were trained as copying clerks for law conveyancers—others were taught the art and mystery of printing, and a few of the surplus governesses were assisted to emigrate. This latter course is that in which the colonies are most interested and demands our special consideration. At a meeting of the friends of Emigration held in London on November Ist, Miss llye bid farewell to her. friends, preparatory to starting for New Zealand. Accompanied by 100 female emigrants, of whom eight arc governesses, and 30 are mill girls from the manufacturing districts, the remainder being domestic servants, she sailed from Graveseud iv the John Duncan, on the sth of November, and muy be shortly expected to arrive iv Otago. This lady has undcitaken a noble and holy task, and it is ou, earnest wish that she may meet with a hearty co-operation from the local authorities on her arrival. The circumstance that the experiment is to be made carefully and gradually goes far to ensure its ultimate success. She proposes to visit Otago, Canterbury, and Nelson. with a view to ascertain the requirements, social wants, and capability of receiving immigrants of the particular classes she represents, and will, on her homeward journey, visit the Australian colonies, with a similar object. How far then are the New Zealand settlements prepared to accept and provide for this gradual influx of educated women of the middle classes ? In Victoria, if the Melbourne Argus and tho testimony of those who have had recent personal experience there be of authoritive value, the demand is but limited. It becomes a question mainly, whether members of this class are prepared cheerfully to accept household,, as well as intellectual labour, wherever v it may present itself. We are not yet sufficiently far advanced in NewZealandlo find employment for more than a liniited" number of Governesses, through ca.sQS. occur in many families in this Province, who living in the Country settlements, would gladly accept the services ef an educated goveiaeas for thoir V

children. But the good thus effected would >c '*" small, while the evil is' great, and for years to come our capabilities would not! be; materially increased. Domestic, servants, 'aye, f anxl ; cjv&p; : mill girls, who can boij a potato i and csbk^' $ mutton chop, or who are not totally Ignonjnlfq'f the mysteries of the laundry, would find -ready .and constant employment, here, as well as in every other settlement of New Zealand, at wages ueaily triple what they received in England ; t but to the other class, the prospect is not so^ hopeful. The Emigration Commissioners h^Vehitherto.taken this view». anil their assistance,;/; has been rendered exclusively to those women who could bring a certificate that they had^been, in domestic service; Thus genteel poverty has met with rebuffs at every step.' We cannot but \ think that this system is somewhat unjust^ex* ;,{'. oludiug as it does, a class of women, better educated, respectable, and in 'many cases as competent to discharge- household , duties as certificated domestic 'servants. The daughters of shopkeepers and master tradesmen in England usually perform the household work . of their own homes, and as such would be per-.! fectly suitable! putting the hardshijJ'of 'tnVcase ''.!' aside, as immigrants to-the- coloniejj.^TbiSj; may appear a rather harsh ;view; of the case, v and apparently holds out but a cheerless 1 prosy: pect to such immigrants ; but it must be borae „ in mind, that the daughters of the mined ~merr.<<7 chant, the petty officer of the civil ' service," and the poverty stricken master tradesman, hayje^ f to earn their living in some way pr : o,ther, and ; only think of emigrating to the colonies, asa v stern necessity. The mauvaise hqnte .which „ would prevent such women accepting domestic service at home, would wear off here, and. they,/ would find ; their :lot not by any means a hard one. The; pos|(ion of a doihestjc servant in New Zealand is very diSererit f;'6m \yh»t it is L ; in Eugland, it involves nothing, that iSidegrad;ing, while the prospect of securing a hbmei by marriage, is neither uncertaiq nor Remote!, we confess, there is a difficulty in providing properly for this superior class ; but yealf by year, as we advance in material prospenty and, refinement, will that difficultyiftfadually disappear. We could even now take a limited number of governesses, while CanterDriryVaiia the other Southern Provinces, ■ have > greater openings still. Whatever is c doneln that pfafti tor * cular kind of immigration, miist be done little by little; meantime, to Miss Rye and her coadjutors, who have grappled practically with the matter, we heartily- wish Godspeed.;