The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-12-05 00:00:00

EMIGRATION TO NEW ZEALAND.

In London, on Tuesday evening, the advantages of
New Zealand as a field of emigration was made the
subject of a very interesting paper, read by Miss
Emily Faithfull at the meeting of the Victoria Dis-
cussion Society, in the Quebec Institute, Lower Sey-
mour-street The audience was numerous, and, in the
absence of the Duke of Manchester, Sir Charles
Clifford presided.
After a few introductory sentences by the Chair-
man, Miss Faithful observed that her tour in America
had convinced her that the United States afforded but
few chances for those who hart to seek their fortunes
in other ; whereas New Zealand offered the
greatest attraction to tin ,se who took advantage of
the inducements held out to them by free and as.
elated passages. Giving an interesting account of a
poor, well-educated girl, who at her instance had gone
out to this rising colony, proving her Meese on the
voyage for a colonist and obtaining a situation of
a government teacher at .01.1 a year immediately
on her landing, with permission to read up for an ex-
amination which, when passed, would give her £1.50 a
year. Miss Faithful' said that the 'ffurrent rate of
wages for heuseuaahls and cooks was from £3O to tr.o a
year, and whenever a ship came in all the single wemen
were engaged as servants within a few hours. A really
good needlewornan need never be idle in a New Zealand
town, and single women were proved by the savings
banks to be able to save as well as single men. She
denied that emigration had the effect of taking away
the best servants, and declared that it was a curious
fact that,good servants here made the worst emigrants.
They were not the best servants for New Zealaud or
for any new colony. The great openings were fir
the number of excellent young women who at home
were, out of respect for fondly connections, averse to
take service, but who, buckling to in the colonies,
eoon proved their weal finalities, and were great
favourites y.ith their employers, and soon picked up as
wives by sensible young colonists, who soon found out
that Midi girls hail been brought up well, would knew
bow t • manage their homee, and make good mothers
for their children. Such girls were married without
intending it, while the " pita and white done," who
went out on a marrying expedition, with pianos and
fine clothes, found few bidders in the New Zealand
matrimonial market. It was to the middle class of
well-brought-up girls who, though educated, were poor,
that emigration proved so great a boon. They could its
things in the colonies and be well paid for them that
they could not do at home. Suggesting the develop-
ment of new and special industries for women in the
colonies. Buell as vine dressing, wine making, the
production of perfumes, essences, tinctures, jams,
and crystallised fruits, Miss Faithful' drew a melan-
choly picture of the necessity for providing
for the many sad cases of women who would be in-
valuable in the colonies, but who here are too often
actually on the brink of starvation. She then pointed
out the evils which have too often attended the system
of female emigration from this country, and described
how effectually those evils have been obviated by the
admirable organisation of the New Zealand Govern-
ment scheme, which makes female emigration "com-
fortable and honourable." In conclusion she gave
some information with regard to these free assisted
passages, and described the operation of the Act
of
len, by which every passenger paying tlii for a pas.
sage became entitled to land to the value of LIU, on
which they were not obliged ti settle at once, thus
eral?st family to earn wages far a year or two to
afatm the better to stock and cultivate the grant
they were to have.
After the reading of the paper, a discussion ensued,
in which one gentleman, Mr. Beaven, insisted on the
necessity for the formation of a Colonial Museum,
where the intending emigrant might learn all about
the place whore he intended to go, what he was tort
when he got there, awl La tact leach what it would