The Dutch American Steam Navigation Company
and the sailing to Buenos Aires 1888 - 1890

 



 

From: "Magazine of Maritime History", October 1992.
By P.W. van Zeijl


Quite a few Dutchmen immigrated to Argentina in the years 1888-1890. This emigration was caused by a national crisis in agriculture, mostly felt by the provinces Friesland, Groningen and Zeeland. The circumstances, under which especially the farmers lived, were undesirable. Unemployment and poverty were a motive for many to leave the Netherlands. Besides, the unfavorable circumstances in their own country coincided with favorable ones in other countries.

Development of employment in Argentina looked good at that time. Craftsmen could find work easily. One had to work hard, but in general the circumstances were healthier and safer than in most European and American cities. Besides, the pay was higher than in Europe. Up to 1890 there was lots of work for uneducated people and farmers, however often under worse living and work conditions than Europe. The Argentinean government stimulated in many ways the emigration of especially Northern Europeans to the sparsely populated agriculture areas of the country. That’s why the so called "Oficinas de Informacio y Propaganda" was established in a few European cities. The goal of these offices was to promote knowledge about Argentina, so immigration would spontaneously rise. To make the voyage possible for the future immigrants, "pasajes subsidiarios" were issued by these offices. These were subsidized passages for the voyage to Argentina. In this contribution I will emphasize the role the Dutch American Steam Navigation company (NASM) played, what the conditions were on board the ships that sailed to Buenos Aires and what happened to the Dutch immigrants in Argentina.

The "pasajes subsidiarios"

On November 12, 1887, the Argentinean government started issuing the subsidized passages. Normally the price of a third class passage ticket on a ship of the NASM was 84 guilders for adults. Instead the emigrants received a passage ticket through the Foreign Office or through the "Oficinas de Informacion y Propaganda". A "half-ticket" was issued to three to twelve year olds, a "quarter-ticket" to one to three year olds and the voyage was free to children under one year of age. The "pasajes subsidiarios" were not issued to people over sixty years of age, neither to the sick or handicapped.
Three quarters of the total immigrants in Argentina were Italian nationals in 1887. The Argentinean government preferred immigration from France, Germany, Belgium and other North European countries however. The emigrants from these countries were found to be from "the white race" and "civilized". The government tried to stimulate immigration of North Europeans with the free tickets.

3.742 Dutch people entered Argentina with the free passages in the years 1888, 1889 and 1890 and in total 4.470 Dutch people arrived during those years. The majority used the free provision of the Argentinean government. The largest group existed of the poor, child-rich families from the Northern provinces and Zeeland.

Contracts were signed with Steam Navigation Companies to transport the emigrants. The NASM signed a contract with the "Commisiario General de Immigracion" on October 24, 1888 for the transport of emigrants with subsidized sailings, mainly from the Netherlands. That same year they started scheduled services to South-America. The company was paid a set amount per passenger by the Argentinean government. The amount was pegged to the Argentinean price of gold. Moreover, the Argentinean Immigrants Commission had agreed to supply the transportation of 10.000 immigrants to the new line.
L. van Riet, the Dutch Consul of the time in Buenos Aires, criticized the tickets. He thought it was all about the profits for the ship companies. He wrote "that for them it was less important to supply an excellent class of immigrants, than to make sure their ships were full of passengers of whatever quality, on the day of departure".
In Argentina they needed people with experience, especially in agriculture and craftsmen for the future industry, in new companies, the canalization of rivers, building of railroads, ports, bridges etc. But with "pasajes subsidiarios", people with little or no experience would arrive, who only fled from the existing crisis in Europe.

The sea voyage

The Dutch American Steam Navigation Company, named the Holland-America Line from 1896 on, was established on April 18, 1873 with its head office in Rotterdam. In the beginning sailing ships still crossed the oceans. The transition to the steamships in the second half of the nineteenth century, made sure emigration became easier, especially to North America.
Two reasons to point out for opening scheduled services on steamships to America. In the first place, there was stagnation in the building of the steamships in the Netherlands, just when steam navigation in England developed strongly.They felt compelled to escape this impasse. Secondly a new and shorter sea channel to Hoek van Holland had recently been made.

As said, the NASM started a new line from the Netherlands to Brazil and Rio de la Plata in 1888. In December of that year the first ship departed to the South in a once every four weeks service from Rotterdam/Amsterdam to Montevideo-Buenos Aires-Rosario. The Paris World Exhibition in 1889 promoted passenger transportation, especially in first class. This led to the decision to also go to Boulogne-sur-Mer. Their own depot was established there in 1890. In the Netherlands interest in Argentina grew enormously. This is supported by the fact of the visits of the Dutch Navy to the port of Buenos Aires on several occasions.

The following ships of the NASM sailed, from the latter part of 1888 to 1891, to Buenos Aires with Dutch immigrants on board:
 

Name
Built
Tonnage
Passengers
1 cl
2 cl
3 cl
Crew
P. Caland
1873
2540
  24
  18
300
67
Schiedam
1874
2236
   --
  --
722
65
Zaandam
1882
3063
  50
  --
424
51
Leerdam
1881
2796
  44
  --
392
62
Edam II
1883
3130
  52
  --
424
62


Of these ships the "Schiedam" and the "Zaandam" sailed the most crossings to Buenos Aires, respectively seven and six.
In spite of the request of the Dutch Consul in Buenos Aires to increase the frequency of the sailings to once every two weeks, it stayed at a basically monthly service. Under mentioned table shows the departure and arrival data of the NASM ships in the Netherlands and Buenos Aires:


Ship Departure from the Netherlands Arrival at Buenos Aires Departure from Buenos Aires Arrival in the Netherlands
         
1888
       
Zaandam Amsterdam
06 December
? ? ?
1889
       
Edam Rotterdam
06 January
? ? Amsterdam
05 April
Schiedam Amsterdam
05 February
? ? Rotterdam
09 May
Zaandam Rotterdam
04 April
10 May 01 June Amsterdam
06 July
Leerdam Amsterdam
07 May
15 June 26 June Rotterdam
05 August
Schiedam Rotterdam
04 June
09 July 29 July Amsterdam
09 September
Zaandam Amsterdam
20 July
28 August 16 September Rotterdam
23 October
Leerdam Rotterdam
20 August
08 October 21 October Amsterdam
25 November
Schiedam Amsterdam
25 September
30 October 15 November Rotterdam
24 December
Zaandam Rotterdam
05 November
10 December 28 December Amsterdam
07 February 1890
Leerdam Amsterdam
15 December
Sunk    
1890
       
Schiedam Rotterdam
15 January
19 February 03 March Rotterdam
10 April
Zaandam Amsterdam
15 February
24 March 07 April Amsterdam
13 May
Edam Amsterdam
15 March
18 April 05 May Rotterdam
09 June
Schiedam Rotterdam
26 April
29 May 14 June Rotterdam
22 July
Zaandam Amsterdam
25 May
25 June 18 July Rotterdam
23 August
Edam Rotterdam
25 June
23 July 08 August Rotterdam
11 September
Schiedam Rotterdam
06 August
06 September 17 September Rotterdam
01 November
P. Caland Rotterdam
22 October
20 November 01 December Rotterdam
10 January 1891
Schiedam Rotterdam
15 November
17 December 02 January Rotterdam
07 February 1891
Edam Amsterdam
14 December
24 January 06 February Rotterdam
19 March 1891


The NASM propagandized the crossing to the South by way of the books about the Argentinean Republic. One of these books, from 1888, was based on the reports of consul L. van Riet, who at that time still spoke favorably about circumstances in Argentina. O. Reuchlin, managing director of the NASM from 1873 to 1919, undertook an inspection trip to Argentina in December 1889 and gained favorable impressions. The NASM also had a ships agent in Buenos Aires, who supplied the company with information. This was L. Geuken from Rotterdam in 1890.

It obviously was a lucrative business to acquire emigrants, because the recruiters of colonization companies as well as ships agents tried to attract emigrants. They received a bonus for every emigrant they recruited. The recruiters enticed people with all kinds of beautiful stories. Nothing could stop this legally, just as nothing could be done to recruiting through propaganda. A law existed since 1861: "Definitions and Stipulations concerning passage and the transportation of emigrants". This law was changed and complemented in 1869 (the concept "emigrants" was defined in 1936). The emphasis with this law was more on the transportation of "transmigrants" than the Dutch emigrants.
Only one article talked about advice and propaganda, this was Article 22. This article seemed vague and incomplete and it has never succeeded to convict people or companies, who occupied themselves with misleading emigrants.

Not all the recruiting agents were targeting and recruiting passengers no matter what. The agents connected to the NASM were known to be better. They were supervised by district inspectors, who were established in 1888 in Groningen and Oisterwijk. What followed the increase of emigration was a stricter supervision of the ships by the government. Regulations were issued whereby for example the minimum space given to the emigrants were established. Also the care of his well-being on board was more regulated. The inspectors checked and verified this at the time of departure. A new law was passed in 1883, adding an extra appendix to the regulations for emigrants with higher requirements of the transportation of them. Some trouble started at first between the NASM and the inspectors, because of the new requirements. But a ship could not depart before the inspector signed a declaration for the NASM, for the voyage in question.

The lay- out of the ships

The sleeping accommodations of single men were usually in the front, separated by the engine room from couples and their children. Behind those, the accommodation for single women was found. During the seventies and eighties cabins were build for families of two, four or six persons that could be dismantled. They could be dismantled to make room for cargo for the return crossing. Again later, permanent third class cabins were built on the higher decks, because third class transportation developed more slowly. At first the NASM was not interested in "cabin transportation".  Around 1886 they decided to apply themselves more to the transportation of the paying passengers. The cabins were divided in first and second class.

It seems, according to "the Service Instructions for Steamships of the Dutch American Steam Navigation Company of 1874", that there was quite a bit of difference between various classes. The third class regulations mention (in contrast to the second and first class), that firearms and damage to woodwork was prohibited. Also third class passengers were obliged to take turns in cleaning their surrounding areas.
The ships of the NASM going to Argentina transported always more than three-hundred passengers and there always was a doctor on board. He had to attend to all the sick, without distinction and prescribe free medicines. He had to visit the passengers in third class twice a day, in the morning and the afternoon and check for signs of infections and contagious diseases. In contrast to passengers on earlier sailing ships, the emigrants on the steamships did not have to provide their own provisions. They received hearty food on the first NASM steamships.

Disembarkation in Buenos Aires

At arrival in the port of Buenos Aires the "Departemento General de Immigracion" inspected the ships for living space, food, comfort, hygiene and safety. The Immigration Act of 1876 described exactly the demands the ships had to satisfy and how many passengers per tonnage were allowed to be transported.
The Dutch ships never transported more passengers than the amount the ship was furnished for. But this was not always the case on all the ships from Europe. The weekly Herald of Buenos Aires of February 2, 1889 reported for example that the Norddeutcher Lloyd received a fine of five hundred dollars, because there were too many passengers on board of the Ohio.

The port of Buenos Aires was hard to reach for large ships because of the amount of mud at the mouth of the Rio de la Plata. Before the construction of the new harbor in 1898, the big ships had to anchor a few miles off the coast. From there passengers and luggage were ferried in stages to land, first in smaller boats, than in high wooden carts, pulled by horses and at last the two hundred meter long passenger pier. This kind of disembarkation caused a lot of delay. For transportation of the passengers to the emigrant hotel, agreements were made with some tram companies. The luggage was transported by carts.
Every emigrant had to watch their own luggage at disembarkation, loading onto the carts and at arrival at the storage room of the immigrant hotel. This hotel was for every immigrant who could show through a certificate issued by the Argentinean Consul or Immigrant services that he was qualified to practice a trade and was well behaved in general. During the first five days in the hotel you could claim free room and board. In case of serious illness you enjoyed this privilege till recovered.  If the immigrant was going inlands, he was entitled to 10 days free room and board.

The Dutch in Argentina

The Dutch arriving in Buenos Aires were offered a job sometimes through the "Officina de Trabajo". This was an office that helped the newly arrived emigrant find work, especially in agriculture. Through this office people were transported for free to the place or colony where one wanted to set up home and work. Significant Dutch colonies arose in Tres Arroyos, Rosario and Buenos Aires. The colony in Tres Arroyos became a success in comparison with the others, it still exists and in 1989 they celebrated the one hundredth anniversary.

It was not easy for most of the Dutch to establish themselves as farmers. Many did not speak the language and after days of waiting in the immigrant hotel had to make long journeys by train and carts into the pampa. There the housing was poor, little protection against the weather and no tools available. Some got sick, started drinking and quarreling, others roamed around or departed for the big cities.
The Dutch Benevolence Society, established in November 1889 under management of consul L. van Riet, took care of those people in Buenos Aires. Some were returned to the Netherlands with the help of this Society. The Society received many letters from people asking for financial support. These requests were not always honored, so more and more complaints and threatening letters were received. Especially consul van Riet took the brunt for that.

A letter by A. van Dijk, dated March 1893, was addressed to van Riet personally. In the letter he mentioned the fact that "I, van Dijk, too sick to do my work for almost four months and little to eat. I have seen you so many times for help, but can’t get it from you and you don’t know why yourself, but wait a few more days". He thought the Society should be obliged to help the Dutch in need and threatened to write a letter to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the newspaper and with a visit to the society. According to him (van Dijk) it was disgraceful "that I received 23 pesos only from you in the four years that I have been in Argentina, you must think me to be a fool, but we will see about that". Apparently there had been some comments about his spelling, because he finished with the words "If this letter is bad again, you can stuff it, because you always say that I write such bad letters".

Of the approximate 4500 Dutch who arrived from 1888 till 1890, about one thousand returned home. They departed the Netherlands with high expectations, did not bring savings with them and could not support their large families.

In 1890 an economic crisis arose in Argentina. Economically wrong politics in regard to money and credit was used. Inflation and an increase of domestic and foreign debts were the result. In an attempt to lower these debts, one of the most important railways was sold to England. To no avail. Unemployment grew, wages fell and the cost of living was sky high. A revolt broke out in July 1890. President Juarez Cekman was forced to resign and Carlos Pellegrini took over power. The change in politics meant the end of the "pasajes subsidiarios". New officials were appointed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and at the "Departemento de Immigracion" they were very negative about the gained experiences with the free passage tickets. Therefore they were abolished. This had an immediate influence on the occupancy rate of the NASM ships. The line that had started with such big expectations, showed more and more losses. In September 1890 they even cancelled one crossing. A few months later, in January 1891, they stopped the sailings to South America completely. The Management of the NASM gave three reasons for this:

- the unfavorable economical developments in the Argentinean Republic and the political commotion involving the Banks. Fear of doing business arose because of that. Export 
  demands decreased, so they lost more and more on the crossings.

- the Argentinean government stopped their passages on credit. Normal emigration decreased strongly as a result of unfavorable reports.
- more expensive operations as a result of higher coal prices and wages.

Conclusion

The Dutch emigration to Argentina at the end of the 19th century seemed at first a great success. The crisis in the Netherlands brought unemployment and poverty, especially among the farmers. At the same time the Argentinean government tried to stimulate the immigration of especially the North Europeans.
They accomplished that by furnishing as much information about the country as possible and by the prospect of a better future.
Initially the Dutch consul in Buenos Aires was also very positive in his reports about the developments in Argentina. He wanted to stimulate trade relations and worked hard, together with the established Dutch traders, on the opening of a steam navigation line between the Netherlands and Argentina. This line came about because a contract was signed between the Dutch American Steam Navigation Company and the Argentinean government. With that, the crossings of 10.000 emigrants were assured and the cost of the sailings of the passengers accommodated.

The NASM transported about 4500 Dutch people in two years to the South and both parties were very satisfied with business. However, through lack of craftsmanship and financial means, the colonists could not maintain themselves on the Argentinean pampas. The economical crisis of 1890 did not improve the situation. The unemployment and the cost of living rose and the Dutch colonization became a big failure. Many moved to the cities or returned back home to the fatherland.
As a result of the crisis, the Argentinean government eventually stopped the free passage tickets. The NASM immediately suffered losses on their crossings to South America. Without the subsidies of the Argentinean government the direct line could not continue and the sailings to the South came to an end.
The NASM sailed to Buenos Aires for two years eventually. However, these sailings depended totally on the Argentinean subsidy regulations. So the La Plata crossings were never a very profitable business. This probably contributed to the relative obscurity of this episode in the history of the NASM.



Much obliged to Els Ordeman-Wagenaar for translating this article to English.