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The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 44

January 15th, 1879

January 15th, 1879.

Sir,—As an advocate of the Labourers' Union I feel it my duty as an old Unionist to write a few lines to you to give you some information of this colony—to say, in short, I believe there is no other country under the sun that is doing so much for working men as New Zealand at the present time. Good labourers are in great demand, as you will see by the newspaper I sent you. Thousands of good agricultural labourers could find immediate employment. I am sorry to say very few good farm labourers come here in comparison with what is needed. There are too many drunkards and idle men find their way to this colony. Times are very good in New Zealand now, and it is a page 60 man's own fault if he does not soon become bits own landlord. I see all those that have been here two, three, and four years have nice cottages, with a quarter of an acre of land. I think the thing that is greatly needed is that some person, who knows what the colony is, should be appointed by the New Zealand Government to go through the various farming districts and select the right sort of emigrants, and enquire into their characters, and I am sure they could find employment on arrival with high wages. I am thankful I ever came to this colony, for here I can bring up my children to my wish. Here is plenty of work. Labourers get from 7s. up to 10s. per day, and provisions are rather dearer than at home. I oftentimes wish I had a power over the English labourers. I would be right glad to send them from the land of starvation to the land of living and liberty; but I believe thousands more would come if they only knew the real state of the colony, but some that are informed at home are so unbelieving that they will not venture the journey, and will rather stop and live in serfdom as they are so accustomed to it from their birth up, and they never know what true liberty is; but I trust the day is fast approaching when men shall know the value of their only commodity that they have to dispose of. Working men hero have a knowledge of their worth, and they take good care not to spend their strength for nought. Servant girls are in great demand at high wages. The climate of New Zealand is splendid. We have no sharp frost here like at home; I never have seen no snow yet only on the high mountains. I have been here two years, and when I landed I had £2 in my pocket and a wife and one child to provide for and make a home for them with my little money. I well knew I was in a distant land, so with God's help I turned up my shirt sleeves and went into work as a bricklayer's labourer. I soon got out of work at that, as most every house is built of wood in this north island. I then went into the bush as a bushman or anything that came first, as that is what all classes should do when they come, and I soon saved a bit of money, and bought a bit of property, and since I bought it property has rose in value so much that now I am worth as many hundreds of pounds as I was worth pounds, when I came two years ago. This is how I have succeeded in New page 61 Zealand, and I am glad to say I am not the only one by hundreds. I can assure you every man that tries gets rewarded here for the efforts he uses. I used to be the secretary of the Copthorne Branch, and when I left it there was 29 members. I know not how it has succeeded since, as I hear very little of the Union. But, may the Union grow in spite of all her enemies, and it will one day, I am sure, secure for her members such freedom as at the present British labourers are ignorant of. I could tell you much more. I could almost fill a newspaper concerning this colony, and would be glad to do it if it would have any influence on British labourers. So I trust you will accept this short epistle, and if it is of any service to the Union by advertising it, you are fully justified in doing so. Trusting it might have a power on the working man. So no more. Wishing the Union every prosperity.

Edward Arnold.

Ruripuni Post Office, Winterton, Province of Wellington, New Zealand.