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pastors, and business-places, if any settlement is started. I believe it would be a good thing to insist upon a residential qualification, applying to men of all nationalities, before they were allowed to dig gum, after a certain date —that is to say, a man who does not possess a holding in New Zealand shall not have the right to dig gum on Crown lands. Ido not think it would be desirable to have any law preventing men from digging until they had been twelve months in the country. I think, however, if it be known at Home that land is given to Austrians, as well as facilities for digging gum, an increased emigration into New Zealand may be the result. Some scheme, therefore, should be decided upon that, while allowing those at present here to settle or to bring their families from Austria, a check should be put upon indiscriminate emigration in the future. Sworn statement put in by Matthew Andrew Ferri: "Being particularly requested by the settlers and British gum-diggers to give evidence re Austrians working on the gumfields, I will endeavour to do so to the best of my ability. It is well understood that all along there has been a strong feeling of animosity towards Austrians, and that the first Eoyal Commission did not accomplish much, if anything. It remains to be seen what good the present Commission will do. It is hardly likely that any additional evidence to that taken some years ago will be forthcoming. Here I would suggest that, if possible, the Commission should sit during the evening, and in some cases at least visit the camp or camps personally at that time, to collect evidence. My reason for this suggestion is that many of the men who would come forward to give evidence cannot afford to lose a day's labour, and, therefore, much really reliable information is lost. If the Government would adopt my views and policy much unnecessary expense and delay would be avoided. Government is much to be blamed for not having taken the right steps to protect the gum industry some twenty years ago. In giving evidence on behalf of Austrian gum-diggers I wish to strongly impress on people's minds that I am doing so from pure feelings of patriotism and good feeling towards both Austrians and Britishers, and that my sole desire is for the welfare of the colony, and the improvement of the condition of the Austrians in every respect. Therefore, my evidence shall be straightforward, honest, and impartial. The Austrian gum-diggers are from the Province of Dalmatia, a province that has made no progress since its foundation, and has, under several rulers and Governments, had to fight for freedom and national language. The people are kept in ignorance, their education is limited, and they are backward in all general knowledge. They are heavily taxed and greatly imposed upon, and are kept down by the capitalists, landlords, storekeepers, &c, for their own object and purpose. Austria has never had, or attempted to form, any colonisation. Her subjects (Slavonic origin) have been compelled through poverty and lack of opportunity at Home to seek their fortunes abroad, though Slavonic people are a race well able to mount the ladder of success if they had but opportunity given them. On their arrival in a strange land their inability to speak the language, and general want of education, compels them to accept labour of an ungrateful kind. Only the poorer class leave Austria, those of better social position and attainments remaining at home. I think those who do come here should, if possible, try and settle—make a home, and conform to the laws and usages of their adopted country. From personal knowledge and experience in extensive travelling in different parts of the world, I have come to realise the brutal system of Dalmatians going abroad to earn money. After a time spent in hard and ungrateful labour, they manage to save a few pounds, with which they return home, in reality no better off than when they started. When that little is spent —and it soon goes into the hands of the money-eaters—they are compelled to go abroad again, with nothing of capital left save a little experience and a taste of freedom. And in many instances the treatment they experience when at home makes them very hard and bitter, so that when leaving home a second time they forget for ever their country and all it holds dear to them, and become careless and callous. It is for this reason I have come forward to offer my views and suggestions —solely to try to improve their condition and opportunities in New Zealand and in any part of the world, for I have met a number of young men at a very low ebb, brought to that degree partly by family affairs, and partly by the superstitions of their country. When the poorer classes of other nations go abroad they soil out what they own and take their families with them. Then, when a settlement is made by the industry of all, in a few years they arrive at comparative prosperity. It is on all sides acknowledged that Austrians are a very hard-working, industrious people, and that they would make desirable settlers; therefore, I urge upon them to follow the example of other nations, and to settle in their adopted country, especially as the young men are, broadly speaking, imprisoned, as, if they return home, they are compelled to serve their country as soldiers. When I first visited New Zealand three years ago, I took great interest in the gum industry, and personally interviewed my countrymen, and from what I saw and heard I sent back reports to Austrian newspapers, telling of the miserable life on the gumfields. At that time the number of Austrians was not nearly so great as now, but circumstances would not allow of my taking an active interest in their welfare, as I am now, so far as time is concerned, at liberty to do. Since my arrival this second time in New Zealand there have arrived over three hundred Austrians, all of whom are on the gumfields, making a grand total of at least fifteen hundred Austrians digging kauri-gum. At the beginning they were mostly confined to the North Wairoa district, but now they are scattered all over the gumfields. I quite agree that the Britishers greatly feel the competition of the Austrians, and am of opinion that the prices of gum might be higher if the market were not overstocked. I also agree with the Hon. W. T. Jennings—that if the Austrians cannot be induced to settle, a small tax should be imposed upon them. It is rather a bad system that diggers should follow only the gum industry as a means of support. I think they should combine other occupations with it. I know by experience that gumdigging to some is not a remunerative pursuit, and that the majority who have followed the occupation for many years are to-day in very poor circumstances ; in fact, while digging may afford a means of livelihood to a single man, the married man with a family to support is heavily handicapped, and lives from hand to mouth. If no other decision could be arrived at re Austrian com-