Chapter XIV. How to Get to the Colony, and Who Should Go.

The question may now arise in the minds of our readers, How can we get to this happy land? The answer has already been partly given in our description of the different mail routes. The New Zealand Shipping Co., Messrs Patrick Henderson & Co. of Glasgow, and Messrs Shaw, Savill, & Co., of London, will always be glad to give particulars concerning their fine fleet of sailing-vessels, continually on the ocean. We also append full information on the subject. No more pleasant change to the worn-out tourist routes of Europe can be found than a trip to the Antipodes in a large steamer of the Orient line. The voyager, in thirty-seven days after leaving Plymouth, will be landed at Adelaide, that beautiful stone-built city, to admire its fine public buildings, its orange groves, and its exquisite botanic garden. Melbourne and its busy streets, its palaces, and its magnificent public library, will next attract his attention. Then Sydney, the mother-settlement, with its harbour, unrivalled in beauty, and its princely mansions, will claim his regard. In four days he can cross to Auckland, and enjoy the fair landscape from the summit of Mount Eden. Here the ocean to the east and west is, like Corinth of old, only separated by an isthmus of six miles. He may see vessels in the lake-like harbour, laden with the fruits of the Pacific isles. He may by railway penetrate the interior, only accessible a few years ago behind a park of artillery. He may rusticate at Waiwera hot springs, where his rheumatism, and many other ills which flesh is heir to, will bid him farewell. He may turn aside to witness the industry of the Thames gold-field. He may be pulled along in a Maori canoe to see the wonders of the pink and white siliceous terraces at Rotomahana, and revel in the luxury of a bath in the tepid waters of the lake. He may spend a day or two at each of our chief cities with advantage, and judge for himself of the manners of the inhabitants, as well as experience their hospitality. Everywhere he will find comfortable hotels with an excellent cuisine. If he has a friend to introduce him to the clubs, he will be sure to be well entertained, and to make page 102 agreeable acquaintances. He may ramble through the South Island, and relax himself in the dreamy gardens of Nelson, be refreshed by the cheeriness of the truly English city of Christchurch, and be stirred up by the commercial activity

Dunedin Club.

of Dunedin. He may explore the grandeur of the glaciers of Mount Cook, towering, untouched as yet by the alpen-stock of rambling Club-men, 14,000 feet high.

The river and forest scenery of both islands is in many places of exquisite and unusual beauty. The umbrageous tree-ferns, the tall and graceful fronds of the nikau palm, the towering pines, the delicately foliaged mapau, and the glossy-leaved broad-leaf, will reveal to him new features of silvan loveliness. He can get by rail to Lake Wakatipu, and take a seat on board its steamer, to be arrested with the view of the majestic and rugged peaks which environ its dark waters. The glorious landscape at the head of the lake, with its wooded islands, its romantic hills, and the dazzling snow-clad page 103 summit of Mount Earnslaw in the background, will imprint itself as a brilliant mental photograph never to be obliterated

Nikau Palm.

He can finish his explorations with a summer trip to the fiords or sounds on the west coast, and be wonder-struck at the precipitous grandeur of the Mitre, ascending sheer from the page 104 sea to an altitude of several thousand feet, and descending to an unfathomable depth. These and many other objects of surpassing interest will be a source of permanent gratification, in the pleasing recollection of them, to the traveller, who will carry home with him lively ideas of the impressiveness of the scenery he has visited, and of the kindliness and intelligence of the frank and vigorous people among whom he has made his short sojourn.

We have received letters from so many inquirers of all ranks, whom we cannot advise to emigrate, that it is expedient to offer a few remarks as to who in our opinion should go to the colony and who should not. First, then, a barrister without influence here, and who therefore desires to try a new field, has small chance of success in the colony. There is no separation in New Zealand between the profession of barrister and that of solicitor. The attorney accordingly naturally hands his brief to himself. There are 260 barristers and solicitors on the colonial roll, a number perhaps more than sufficient for all the business. There is, besides, a host of articled clerks ready to fill vacancies, and to overflow into new territory. Barristers admitted elsewhere are examined in the colony only as to the statute law of New Zealand. Solicitors previously admitted elsewhere are examined in the law of England generally, and in the law of New Zealand so far as it differs from the law of England specially. The great bulk of the business in the courts is conducted by oral pleading. For a lawyer to succeed, he requires to possess not only a sound knowledge of law, but also fluency of speech and readiness in debate.

In all the professions which may be called learned, such as the medical, civil engineering, or that of an architect, we believe the colony to be fully supplied. There may be occasionally an opening for a surveyor in the extensive surveys yet to be completed, but we recommend no surveyor to go out unless he has first secured an appointment on the public staff, or is prepared to begin at the lowest round of the ladder, by acting in the humblest capacity of assistant.

The various ordinary trades, such as chemists, booksellers, drapers, clothiers, grocers, hairdressers, and the like, are all well represented. Many of our correspondents complain strongly of the excessive competition, the stagnation of trade, and the progress of co-operation, having destroyed all prospect of making a living in Britain. Life here, some of them say, is nothing but unremunerated slavery. That may page 105 be so; but we doubt if more of the mere distributing class is needed in the colony at present. This remark applies equally to clerks and shopmen as to masters. A young man emigrating without interest or some positive invitation, or without money to keep him till an opening occurs, runs a serious risk of being obliged to take the first job as a labourer which he can find, in order to save himself from want.

A number of young men, apparently without experience, and without any definite aim, are under the impression that, although they do not see their way to get on in the old country, they will have no difficulty in getting on in the colony. They, or their parents for them, write that they are not afraid of hard work, they are prepared to rough it, and are willing to turn their hand to anything. One young gentleman is a handy fellow, can clean a clock and solder a tin. It is to be feared these youngsters are under some delusion. Life in the colony is not so very dissimilar now from what it is at home; and we recommend each youth who is without capital, to imagine himself in the middle of a rural district in Britain, and then to think how he would be able to maintain himself. There would be nothing between him and starvation but manual labour. Any young man without means, and who has not been trained to some special employment, must therefore be prepared to undertake the ordinary duties of a farm-labourer, and expect to be treated as such. If he be fit for honest labour of this kind, he will be well remunerated, wages being a pound a week and board. From this he may, by industry and sobriety, save in the course of a few years several hundred pounds, with which he may start farming on his own account. There is no road to success for such youths but by dint of sheer hard work in the humblest capacity. There is no 'getting on to a farm,' or being employed 'on a run,' and becoming a manager, or riding about as overseer. In early days, when hands were scarce, young men were often taken on a run, and a few of these obtained situations of trust. But as a general rule, the majority did not succeed in becoming masters. At present, settlers and runholders are chary of employing strangers who have not been thoroughly trained for their work, and who are not prepared to take their place among the ordinary hands working on the farm or station. It is next to impracticable for a youth to get on to a farm or station for the purpose of learning his business, unless it be in some places where a high premium is charged. page 106 It should never be forgotten that, even when a youngster has learned his business, there is little hope of his advancement afterwards unless he has capital to purchase and stock land on his own account. Two classes only in general do well—those who have sufficient capital to enable them to occupy land advantageously; and the hard-working labourer who is frugal, sober, and industrious. We wish to impress on youthful aspirants after colonial life that, unless they are physically and morally fit for the work of a labourer in this country, they are not fit for similar work anywhere else. Division of labour is fully carried out in the colony, and every man is expected to be fully qualified for the special duties he undertakes to perform. As we previously stated, working-men in the colony work harder than their fellows at home. The advantages on the colonial side are, that they are generally better treated, better paid, and better fed, and the working time is limited to eight hours a day.

Ladies with a limited income have asked whether it would be advisable for them to emigrate. The cost of living, as regards provisions, is less in New Zealand than at home, and if they are willing to eke out their means by keeping boarders, they may get on comfortably. Clothing, house-rent, and servants' wages cost more than at home. We believe, however, that ladies so circumstanced will find that their money will go further in some of the older towns in Europe, than in a young country, unless they can devise a plan whereby they can earn something additional. It is painful to find the struggle for existence so hard for many of our sisters in Britain. A lady by birth, education, and position, speaking French fluently, musical, cheerful, domesticated, and skilled in housekeeping, has expressed her willingness to take a situation as 'governess housekeeper,' or any place of trust. Several equally accomplished have made similar inquiries. In our opinion the colony is scarcely sufficiently advanced to offer many openings of this kind. Ladies who have had boarding-schools in England find their success affected by the new educational system. The same difficulty exists in the colony. In several instances, ladies' boarding-schools have been very successful; but now that there are numerous public and some private schools in the colony, at which the highest education for young ladies can be obtained, we fear much that the success of any new adventures would be somewhat doubtful.

For female domestic servants there is an unlimited demand. page 107 Young women who are able to use their hands in house-work, or have a moderate skill in cookery, need never fear of obtaining a good place where they will be well paid, well cared for, and much respected. Many an educated girl in Britain, who finds it hard to make headway here, might with advantage enter into service in the colony. After a short experience, she will be able to secure a situation where she will be comfortable and feel herself on a higher platform than if she were to go into service here. The demand in New Zealand is continually increasing, along with increasing settlement; and the ranks are also constantly being thinned by marriages.

A word of caution must be added to parents and guardians in reference to young men who, owing to some fault of behaviour, imperfect education, or mental weakness, are unable to make their way in this country. Such youths are often sent to the colony to get rid of them, or in the hope that by some unknown process they will succeed better there. In general, these unfortunates sink to a lower depth than they would have done at home, where friends operate as a check to a certain extent. Many fall to the lowest position, and not a few become inmates of our jails.

The career of one may be described. An ex-officer of dragoons came out in the same ship with a friend of ours. Of good family, having a university education, and of fair ability, he might have risen in the army; but he was poor, and had not the moral courage to resist rivalling his more wealthy comrades in their expenditure. His debts were paid twice over, and at last he had to sell out. His relatives paid his passage to New Zealand, hoping he would find something to do there. Our friend recommended him to study bookkeeping on the voyage, to qualify himself for the situation of a clerk. He thought the idea a good one, and resolved to do so. One month, two months passed away, and the rollicking and card-playing amongst the other young men on board were too strong for him. Our friend was vexed to see the precious time slipping away unimproved, and said to Mr Sabreur: 'You have only a month left. Don't you think you should be seeing to your book-keeping?' 'Boole-keeping!' was the reply; 'what's the good of it ?' He was left to his fate, and when last seen, the accomplished militaire filled the situation of billiard-marker in a colonial public-house, his highest enjoyment smoking a short pipe.

Good tradesmen, skilled in their respective handicrafts, will page 108 always have a fair chance of employment at higher wages than are current in Britain. Workmen trained to some special department only, should make inquiry whether they are likely to get employment in their special line before emigrating.

Emigrants with capital, say from £5000 upwards, may live comfortably in any of the towns without doing anything, by investing their means on first-class mortgages, yielding from 8 to 10 per cent.

We have already indicated clearly the classes we think would better themselves by emigrating. The agriculturist who has means has unlimited scope for carrying on his business profitably. As has been already mentioned, numerous manufactures have taken good root in the colony. Looking at the list of imports, we will state a few articles not yet manufactured in New Zealand, and it will be for the enterprising to consider whether there and in the neighbouring colonies a sufficient field is to be found to justify the attempt at an addition to our manufactures.

In starch there were 2000 tons imported in 1878, of the value of £10,845. This quantity would go a good way towards supporting a factory, and if the making of corn-flour from maize were joined with the manufacture of starch, as is the case in the works in Britain, a successful footing might be gained in the long-run.

The quantity of brushes and brooms imported in 1878 was considerable, amounting in value to £19,500.

Cement and plaster of Paris of the value of £81,000 were imported.

In vinegar, there were 95,000 gallons, of the value of £12,000, imported.

Looking at the enormous quantity of potted and preserved fish imported in a year, the value being £47,524, this industry in a country whose coasts and rivers are now teeming with fish, appears to deserve attention.

We import blacking valued at £4697; matches valued at £35,000; and jams and jellies valued at £44,660. This last item in a country where fruit can be grown so good, ought to be profitable to local growers.

Artificial manures may by-and-by, as the practice of high farming extends, offer room for a good trade; but with our abundance of good grass it is questionable whether, with our mild winters, there will ever be any necessity for oil-cake or other preparations of food-stuffs, unless they could be manu- page 109 factum! in the colony for export. There are many substances of vegetable growth which, although not yet cultivated, may be profitably raised in the colony.