JOSEPH LIGGINS’ EIGHTH LETTER
Longburn Dairy, Nr. to Karere, Palmerston North, Wellington, New Zealand October 5th, 1885 Dear Luke, I have at last the information I wanted. The terms for nominated immigration are £10 payable in the colony, for each adult, to be agricultural, therefore I do not know if you would be eligible. There is a clause providing for special cases so that I think the difficulty could be overcome. But what shall you do when you get here? Do you want to throw up your profession and take to farming? If so, all right, if not the prospect is gloomy. I have today a cockney and a printer cutting firewood for us and they cannot earn 5/- a day whereas a good colonial would make 10/- to 12/-. I have before pointed out the disadvantages, all of which point to the need for more experience I much suspect, so that your coming here would rely solely on speculation and chance. Do not come if you have not money enough to go back with. If you still decide after all to come, send me a Postal Order to Palmerston North Post Office and I will nominate you out. You may do well as many do but you may do very badly as many do also. Regarding myself, we have run nearly three months now and have made four tons of good cheese. Our stores are doing well so that altogether I am all right. All the children, Sarah and myself like the country and are well. We had a total eclipse of the Sun here on the 12th Sept. The Sun was shining brightly at 6 a.m., at 7.30 we had to light a candle for to light us at breakfast. The Sun presented an unusual spectacle, a black ball coming across its face at one time completely covering it, then rays of red and yellow, of very great and unequal length shot out gloriously all round the edge of the Moon, then it gradually passed over. Birds prepared to go to roost and horses and cattle gathered in corners to lie down just like night. Also on the 23rd July we had two sharp shocks of earthquake. A queer sensation they were, just as if someone was pulling the ground from under you and giving it a good shake; I cannot describe the feeling. We have had a good Winter and are experiencing some beautiful weather now. I have peas in blossom, bees about swarming and new potatoes are to be expected soon. For Xmas we propose suckling pig, green peas, young potatoes, also ducks we have that will do duty about then. We shall miss old faces but shan’t we have a feed, though, by the by, if you are going by this way about then you might drop in. If you decide to come I shall advertise in the Wellington newspapers just before your arrival and will do my best with the merchants I know in Wellington and perhaps we may be lucky enough to get you in at your own business. If not, well I’ll join you on some land. You won’t starve, never fear. I have some trading contacts in Wellington now and my partner is a J.P. for the Hutt near Wellington and well known and highly respected. If you choose to try, I see no great fear but there is much luck about it. If you go home at Xmas tell them I am writing them next mail so that if they have not had my letter they soon will have it. Lavinia Morley talks of coming here with a Spare; I am writing her that you may perhaps be fortunate enough to come out in the same ship. I expect to nominate them after hearing from them. Their address is The School, Tomersham?, Ipswich. Do not buy anything to come out here with, you can get everything here. If I nominate you I shall say that I am your brother and agree to find you work, that will settle the nomination business. I expect to join a land association - quantity of land 400 acres, terms 1/- an acre for 21 years then a re-lease at a higher figure. If you give the higher price you take the land, but if someone else, they pay you for the improvements up to £5 per acre. The land should pay enough to buy the freehold in that time with the rent so low, but bushfalling is heavy, heavier than you might imagine until you see the country. I want to get a large dairy, as big as my partners have, but as you may imagine, I have entered quite deep enough. Speculation is rampant here, "one day the servant, next the boss or visa versa" said Mr. Weller. Mr. Carter’s son John is well known to my partner and is up to the earholes and will be a rich man or a sundowner (tramp who times his arrival at sundown to get a night’s lodging) some day. He is a speculative builder. Gold and silver are found near here and many companies are being formed so that this is likely to be a big place one day. My partner, Mr. Buick, is a claim holder and a trial of one ton is to be tested directly and we shall see if the mountains near us are gold or road metal. You were talking of the Maoris; I do not see many of them now. I think they get less or move away. My helper here can talk Maori as well as any of them. We had an old chief in the other day and we showed him our milk vats, etc. and he kept exclaiming at each new thing with a deep sigh "Ha! The Pakelia. Ha! The Pakelia!" or "very clever white man". I am living close to the factory now, in a very small house for this year but next Autumn we intend building a nice house near here and enlarging the stores. At present we are having 300 gallons of milk a day but expect much more, some of our larger suppliers not having started yet. We respectable married people are shocked at so much immorality in the modern Babylon; what the d----- are you all after? The rage for morality has even got here, people want the age for consent raised to 21. If 61 had been named, perhaps it would have the same effect. If you see the old faces before I write, then give our love to all. All here are well and all right. Write soon anyway. With much love from us all. I am your affectionate brother, Joseph Liggins Regulations for Immigration to New Zealand Nominated Immigration Part 1. Applications considered in the following cases:- a.) Nomination of seperated families. b.) Nomination where relatives nominate relatives. c.) Nomination of single women unrelated. d.) Nomination of friends who are not included in above. Payment in cash in colony as follows:- All persons over 12 years of age £10-00 Children under 12 years of age £5-00 Infants Free As a rule nomination will only be considered for agricultural labourers and single women suitable for domestic service. Nomination of tradesmen and provisioners granted subject to approval by the Minister for Immigration who will not grant passages except under very exceptional circumstances. Writing next mail but if you decide before communicate Postal Order c/o Post Office, Palmerston North.
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