WELLINGTON NOTES.

Press, Volume L, Issue 8580, 6 September 1893, Page 5

WELLINGTON NOTES.

September 5. Some days ago the Evening Press of this city published an account of an. interview with one of the immigrants brought to the colony by Mr William Courtney. The immigrant in question blamed Courtney fdr bringing him and others out to the colony to work for which they were not suited. In to-night's Press Mr Courtney replies at length to thia assertion, and in the course of his lettes he writes as follows : —" I plainly admit that the man has proved himself without pluck. I could not tell that the man was chickenhearted, and I can assure , you that if my first object was simply to get passengers for the sake of the cbininiesion on their fare, instead of seventy-five I could have hal many more.' My first thought is 'are "they suitable for the colony and will they benefit themselves and colony by coming, and I say without hesitation that there hare never landed in New Zealand seventy-five in one paily that in education, morals, and capital would surpass them. An old colonise said they -could not- be beaten. A large number have drafts for sums of from £100 io many hundreds, and othera have thousands out; one being ot age early next year, when he has a large independence, and yesterday his employer told mc he could not have believed tliat a gentlemanly fellow like him would shape so well. The Lord Bishop of Christohurch came out with us; he is as large minded and thorough a man as I know, and both he and Captain Bone spoke to mc on more than One occasion and said that I hid every reason to be proud of my party, and that was after being shut up with, them for six weeks*" In face of the opposition shown to the introduction of *Mr Courtney's iirfmigfants the above is of considerable interest. The Hospital authorities are undeoided how to deal with 37 patients wlio have been in the institution over two months. The trustees have a rule that, after that period patients may be discharged though still unenred. The position was placed before a meeting of the trustees to-day, and as there are peculiarities about certain, cases now in the hospital, which makes it impossible for them to be received into other institutions without fear of contamination, the matter has been referred to a Committee who will confer with, the medical officers on the staff and report. Messrs McGregor, Chairman, and Pryde, Secretary of the Dunedin Education Board are at present looking round the Wellington schools on the chance of picking up a bint or two that may prove of use. . The Benevolent Trustees continue to have exceedingly distressing cases before them, iuclttdiug roea, \\ J omen and children. Their Heme is always well tilled and now and again citizens express their appreciation of this useful and well conducted Institution iv a practical manner, one gentleman to-day sending a complimentary letter covering a donation of twenty guineas. At a meeting, to-day, the trustees eaid that the Labour Bureau was only filling the city with unemployed from alt parts.