EMIGRATION TO THE COLONIES.

Auckland Star, Volume XIX, Issue 222, 20 September 1888, Page 5

EMIGRATION TO THE COLONIES.

THE EMIGRANTS' INFORMA.

TION OFFICE.

ASSISTED EMIGRATION AT A

STANDSTILL.

MR PATON INTERVIEWED.

Me W. >Patox, a representative of the Emigrants' Information Office, after a tour through New Zealand, left for Sydney by the Rotomahana last evening. Prior to hi 8 departure he was interviewed by a. Star representatiyeattheNorthern Club. Mr Paton is editor of the publications issued by the Emigrants' Office,Bituated in 31, Broadway, Westminster, which is practically the Emi-1 gration Department under the supervision of the Colonial Office, and he is at present! making a tour of the colonies, in order to ■ make Trimßelf perfectly acquainted with their respective merits as fields for emigra- i tton, and the openings for an increase to the ' colonial population. He is, therefore, inaj positionl to speak authoritatively on these subjects. ~ ■,-;■ V:." -,;■■ . . MR PATON'S MISSION. ,; "My mission," said Mr Paton, "is to acquaint myself with the country and to' collect • information ■as to the suitability of the various colonies as fields for emigration. I have been to the Cape, and through New Zealand, and today I am going to Sydney and through the Australian colonies, ending ;with Western Australia at the end of the year; I will leave in December for Home. The work of

•THE EMIGRANTS' OFFICE is simply to give information, and we are in no sense'an Emigration Society. The office was, started about two-years' ago, and it is the only office in connection with the Government. It was- started with the bbjoot of providing correct information and to / distribute it in the United Kingdom. We have three modes of publication. There is a poster, which is put up^ corrected to date, each quarter, in every post-office in the United Kingdom. There are 25,500 post-bffioes That poster gives the demand in the; difterent colonies for labour, the cost of passages, etc., so that anyboay who wants information has only to walk into the nearest poßtoffice to obtain it. Then people write to us, and we send them a circular,, which gives information as to the rates of wages in the ; colonies, cost of food and house rent, states how land can be obtained, whether, free or otherwise, the demand for local produce, and bo on, and if further information is wanted we sell them a penny note-book at cost price, which gives fuller details. In this noto-book the New Zealand Government provide the maps, and we issue somewhere about 6,000 of these books every year. We have also our ' professional circular,' which deals with professional employment in the colonies." ... ' ASSISTED EMIGiRATION. "• Do you think the Imperial Government are likely to vote any money towards emigration 'I Well, you flee, they voted £10,000 at present to aid-crofters in Scotland, on condition thatsi2,oOO was collected by voluntary aid, and my own impression is that they will not .advance more until they see bow that succeeds^

What direction will the crofter emigrants ;take? '_, I'"." :;<:■■ ■. t ' /y it is proposed, to settle them in Canada. Theu you do uot think that che Imperial ! Government will vote a further sum of mouey for emigration ? ■Well; our olh'ce is entirely supported by the Government, and in that'way we are voted money, v Do any otthe colonies assist immigrants I just now? ">•-, i There is no' assisted or nominated immigration to this colony, and that prevents a great many people from coming here. With a climate and soil like New Zealand possesses I feel assured thttt a great many excellent people would come out if facilities wore .afforded; .-■ to them. In Australia,: Queensland is the only colony; that has assisted and free immigiation, aud that only applies to agricultural labourers and to female servants. There are also assisted passages to Western Australia to agriculturists with some little capital, and there are nominated passages also. What about the Uape and Canada 2 '■■■■. Thore is ho aeaisted immigration at the Cape, and Canada has just stopped assisted, immigration. ' PAUPER EMIGRANTS. ;Do you not think? that free emigration tends to shunt a pauper class of people ou 'to th« 'colonies?'"■ .' -' '•' ■' ■"• '■' ■; '■:':;' AV'ell, we have to, tell many people who apply td us for information that they are not suited to the colonies. I daresay that we average seventy applications per day, including letters and personal applications.1 lln the new Local Government Bill, power is given to the hew County Councils vo advance money to intending eniigiantsj and I should think the selection of emigrants would bei' left in the h«tnda of , these bodies. I think that the people themselves know the cqlonies much, better than formerly, what class of peopie are wanted, and there in no fear of pauper emigration. jln fact, in our/last notice to tho/pauperain! England, we inserted a paragraph utrpngiy recommending and earnestly requesting people to bear in mind that" it was of no earthly 'use rushing ■ out paupers to': the colonies. In some of the colonies now power is given by law to send such people back, and I-.thihkit is a; very good thing. . What class of people are now desirous of coming, to the colonies I v They are not paupers,' but men with very! little money., Of course, there are applications from paupers too, but there is a large percentage of really good men. ;/■'■■ Whatare these people by occupation ? . : For the most part they are mechanics and agricultural labourers,^ and a few'professionals, about 4 per cienb. I should say. l^here.are also some applicants from fehlale servants, bufc they'only go to the colonies Which give them fr6e passages/ like 'Queensland. ,;■' .. ■■' ,;:.; ' ':. '' ' ' . ' ' , NEW ZEALAND * ; TOO FAR, AWAY. Which colony is most favoured by, intending emigrants? * Well, the difficulty with regard to New Zealand and Australia is that they are a very long way off,;and fares are high. ; The consequence is that most of our applicants turn their thoughts to Canada, ;c because the fare there is just a quarter of the money required to come out'here. .Besides, in Canada they get-free land, which: makes it much better still.' ; , ■i What about the Cape ? ; ; ; :Thingß are rather slack at the Cape, and the difficulty there is that there is ah enormous quantity of, native labour.. The natives work'so cheaply that white labour is not in great demand for unskilled industries. In a few places I fpond there, were openings for skilledjmeehanics, especially as moulders or fitters. ■ ',■<•' * ' CONDITION OF .OUR ' LABOUR MARKET. In New Zealand^ gaidiMr Patoni a? far as I can make pub, ihereis ( no active' demand for mechanics in thetowns. Idome factories, I found, had been working half-time, and others were working short-handed, although a few; months back they were fully employed. The demand for labour.■.seems | to fluctuate a good deal; I: found that female Bejjvauts were, in ; demand in the country/ districts, and I always found a demand for m'en who will take up land with a little capital or work; iti themselves. "When I-say that there is ho demand for certain classes I mean to soy that there are, no openings. I mean to say that if a man ; 9wn? hef? IpqWoij fop i employment W

would nob get half a thousand employers rushing at him, but I mean to say that of a country so full of splendid resources as this is it would not be true to say there is no opening for a really, steady and honest working man. I consider New Zealand a good field for men who will take up land, however small, and for the farmer with capital, or even in some parts for men without capital who will work in the country and save money, in order that they may acquire a small holding for ; themselves. At the same time I think thai) the man who comes out here just now should be a man without a family. Men with families ought to keep away from the towns, and have a little money to keep them until they obtain work. -. \. ■;, ' ' - . ' ~■:. ■::.,■; ~' ■' .1 ,

After some further conversation our representative thanked Mr Paton for his courtesy, and wished him bon Voyage. ■■-■>■ ■