EMIGRATION IN THE DARK.
pro TEE EDITOR or THE " SPECTATOR."] Sra,—My attention has been called to the article entitled " Emigration in the Dark," which appeared in the Spectator of January 23rd, and in which it is intimated that intending British emigrants, especially those who purpose proceeding to foreign countries, are insufficiently safeguarded in the matter of information. I would ask leave to show that such in- formation has been very widely spread by the Emigrants' Information Office. This Office was established by the Govern- ment in 1886, under the supervision of the Colonial Office, ‘. for the purpose of supplying intending emigrants with trust- worthy information respecting emigration to the British Colonies ; " and in the last two years its scope has been extended to cover, within reasonable limits, foreign fields of emigration.
As the Argentine Republic is mainly referred to in your article, I will confine myself to stating by way of illustration what has been done by this Office in the way of giving in- formation as to this one country. At the beginning of 1889, the attention of the Foreign Office was called by this Office to- the increase in British emigration to the Argentine Republic as a matter deserving special care and attention (see Parlia- mentary Paper, " Correspondence respecting Emigration to the Argentine Republic," c-5873-89), and in the quarterly emigration summary sent from the Office to the leading newspapers on July 1st, 1889, "men with families are warned against emigrating to the Argentine Republic at the present time."
A year later, in July, 1890, a leaflet was issued (gratis) embodying " general suggestions for intending emigrants to other countries than British Colonies," which called attention,
inter alia, to the depreciation of the paper currency in the Republic, and to the fact that British labourers would there have to compete with Italians and Spaniards. In August 1890, a special pamphlet was issued on the Argentine Republic (price 2d.), supplemented by a revised summary of wages and prices in January, 1891, and again in December, 189L In October, 1890, attention was called in the Press (in the quarterly summary) to this pamphlet as showing "the diffi- culties which English-speaking emigrants must expect to encounter in countries where language, laws, and people are largely foreign to their own."
In Aprll, 1891, in July, 1891, in October, 1891, and in the- present January, the summaries sent to the Press all contained warnings against emigrating to the Argentine Republic under present conditions.
In May, 1891, a special bill, of which a copy is enclosed, headed " Caution to Emigrants—Argentine Republic," was sent to one thousand leading post-offices, a large number of working-men's clubs, free libraries. &c. On July 1st, and on October 1st, 1891, the poster exhibited by this Office in every post-office in the United Kingdom included a, special parr graph repeating the warning ; and finally, a "Summary of Consular Reports," published in December, 1891 (price 2d.), contained the latest information received from her Majesty's Consular officers in the Republic up to that date. Further, at the nine dep5ts which have lately been established in various provincial towns, these warnings have been exhibited, and notices to the same effect have appeared in the local Press in each case. With regard to Brazil, the warnings have been still stronger and more frequent.
I may add that every assistance has been given to the work of this Office by the Foreign Office and its able representatives in South America; and any suggestions for further spreading- the valuable information which they have supplied will be
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