The immigrants, among whom are some who paid their own passages to New Zealand, hail from all parts of the British Islands, and their occupations are various.
There are farm labourers from Ireland, match girls from London, and tailors from Scotland.
But they are all hopeful of getting work, and as they appear healthy and energetic there is a prospect that their hopes will be realised.
A Daily Times reporter had a chat with some of the newcomers yesterday.
One young fellow from Fife left the land of his birth because he could get little work of any kind.
A man about 50 years of age left Perth because he is troubled with bronchitis, and the severe winter frosts were very hard on him. He is a tailor by trade, and will look round for work.
The match girls are going to Wellington. They left Home because wages were so desperately low.
There are a few carpenters, who are nearly all going north.
Most of the farm labourers hail from Ireland and fine strapping young fellows they are.
One man with a family of 10 is bound for the coal-fields on the West Coast.
Two shepherds from Scotland leave to-day for Queenstown under engagement to a station holder there.
All the passengers to whom our reporter spoke agreed that there was depression at Home, more pronounced in London and other centres than in the smaller towns and the country districts.
A shipbuilding strike threw thousands of engineers onto the streets. A noticeable feature of the passenger list is the large number of children on board.
•It is a rather striking fact that on our railway trains there is never more than one first class smoking carriage. There is frequently necessity for an additional car, but it is always found lacking.
Quite recently, for instance, a passenger on an express train south of Dunedin found to his surprise and inconvenience that there was only one first-class smoking carriage, which was far from being equal to what was required, and the position was rendered the more annoying from the fact that four or five of the seats were occupied by ladies.
