The Clutha Leader. THURSDAY, JAN. 14, 1875.

Clutha Leader, Volume I, Issue 27, 14 January 1875, Page 4

The Clutha Leader. THURSDAY, JAN. 14, 1875.

During, the year ending- 2lst. Novem-lf ber, 8920 souls,, equal to 7355 statute- Jl adults were introduced, into this Pro- ll vince. They arrived, by twenty-five m vessels,.in batches varying* from. 151 to-9 620. Their ports of embarkation werej| as follows :.— London, 6497 ; Glasgow, m 2014, and Plymouth, 409 l They ai~9 rived per month in the following pro-. |j portions -t- January, 426;. February, m .541- March, 647; April, 467; May, M 1131 ; June, 154;. July, 2300 ; August,. 1 846 ;. September, 991 ;. October, 1060, 1 and November,^ 357. By separating; J| this influx according to. the seasons of m the year at which they arrived, we may 9 succeed, ia solving the- problem of our.* 11 powers- of absorption ;. a problem which pi at one time appeared to be surrounded jf by difficulties. which, threatened, to in- 1 terfere with, the immigration scheme in | .which, w.e are now fairly embarked; if During what- will, be understood as. the 1 dead season, vizv, May, June and July,, 1 the inbrought population represented | 3585 souls* in the month of July 1 alone the number was- 2300. During j the three months immediately preceding 1 May, it amounted to 2081, and during f the four, months succeeding, July, 3254.. I We thus find that our immigration | transactions were heaviest during the- I very depth of winter; in other words 1 at the very time when labor in all its- 1 branches, was slackest and' seasonal \'\ operations entirely suspended. These \ facts shew at a glance the real cause fof "\ that stagnation, which it will be remem- jl bered overtook the labor market the "J latter end of winter and early part of ' ]\ sp-ring ; a stagnation which was eagerly | laid hold! of by a> certain: olass — tha detractors of our colonizing policy— as. | evidence of the rottenness of the whole- ;| system^. Another reason which con- j| tributed to that stagnation, was the ad- \% mittedly inferior class of immigrants- : .'m introduced. That, however, was not ll the real cause of the evil although it 8 certainly did contribute to. its. aggrava- • m tion. The primary oause; as we have il already shown- was the ill-timed regula- -J m tion made for their landing, a circum- 'iM stance which* is- abundantly corrobo- -M rated 1 by ' the- fact that the stagnation ; | 1 proved to be of but a> temporary charac g ter, ; and all traces of it disappeared with Ja the ad vancemeut ofV the season. These IS are facts which cannot be too strongly In impressed upon that section, of the Go- Jl vernraent entrusted' with, the admini- m stration of. ' immigration' affairs! .: .^ It 9 would, . we • opine*; be -a- very- simple- ~ J9 matter indeed td regulate: degarfcureftgfr jfl

»s to prevent the advent of a large influx at the very time when the labor market is least prepared to receive it. An ill-timed movement of this kind is unfair to all concerned, Jt throws unnecessary responsibility on the Colony ; the Colony, as shown by past experience, being compelled to provide for his sustenance until employment has been secured for the immigrant. On the other hnnd it is liable to dishearten the immigrant himself and lead him to form an opinion that he has been lured away from his home by inducements and promises having no foundation in fact While on this subject, there is one point connected with the absorption of the inbrought population to which we would earnestly invite the attention of the local authorities. The policy of planting immigration depots throughout the landward districts of the Province has been recognised and to a certain extent acted upon. The centres selected for establishments of the kind are upon the whole judicious. Still, the claims of all the centres eligibly situated for a purpose of this kind, have not been satisfied. The Clutha, for instance, is admitted to be a place second to none in that respect in the southern districts of the Province. Its industrial pursuits, boh as regards number and variety, will compare favorably with any place that can be named in Otago, and so far as the raw material is concerned, no place could be better provided for future operations. For prosecution of public works alone it is bound to operate largely on the labor mart. The continuation of the main trunk line of rail to the Mataura has been begun ; the Kaitangata branch is as good as begun ; and we have in contemplation the section between this and Clinton. The Dunedin merchants are sufficiently alive to their own interest to insist that no unnecessary delay takes place in the constrnction of that work even although the district were otherwise indifferent to its progress. Then we have the bridging of Molyneux for railway purposes. For some reason or another that work has been delayed, but of this we may feel perfectly certain it cannot be delayed much longer. Another work seriously contemplated is the branch line to Catlin's River, Sooner or later that work will have to be undertaken Timber is getting scarce, and with a bush like that of rhe seventy-mile bush extending from Molyneux Bay to the j SI at aura Kiver at our very doors it would be the height of credulity to imagine that it can be allowed to remain long without being properly utalized. The exigencies of commerce alone will settle the question even altho'-p-h the district from a feeling of false modesty or other less pardonable cause choses to allow it to stand over in abeyance. These are a few of our public works, then we have no end of private undei takings, which all require to be provided for. With the opening of the branch railway to Kaitangata a great and decided impetus must be given to the working of the coal mines. A part of the inducement held ou*. to the contractors who have undertaken to construct the line is something in the shape of guarantee that they will be supplied with so much coal per week for eaniage to Dunedin and elsewhere. To produce the quantity we have heard named something like sixty miners will be required. That of itself will create a demand for labor, and when we bear in mind that the whole of the surrounding district is an area of coal-bearing country it demands no great stretch of imagination to believe that other mines * of equal, if not greater magnitude, will be opened up. Then we have the squatting interest, the agricultural interest, and the saw-milling interest, all extensive labor consuming operations, which must be looked to. In one word, no place could be better siruated for the establishment of an immigration depot than the town of Balclutha is at the present moment. It is true that Tokomairiro, with its immigration barracks is only some eighteen miles or so distant, but Tokomairiro cannot be made to serve the Clutha in that respect. If employers are compelled to go to Tokomairiro, it is just as easy for them when they are at it to go on to Dunedin, to head-quarters, whtre they are bound to find a larger and much more varied assortment than they could reasonably expect to meet with at a sub-district like that of Milton. The suggestion is one entitled to the earnest consideration of the Government, and the exigencies of the labor market demand that that consideration should not be delayed. In the meantime we shall ask the local Municipal Council to take the matter in hand. A firm representation from that body to the Executive Council would be the means of drawing out the Government on the subject.

Shearing operations are in full swing at the station ol Mr B, Campbell, Kai-iku, hut we are not informed as to the probable number of sheep that wiil be shorn on this station this year. A really splendid sample of a thoroughbred filly, by Will-o'-the- Wr«p, out of a thorough-bred mare, may be seen at Mr R. Farquahar's Ro^ebank Partn, Warepa. The heaps of metal that are now lying on the South Molyneux Road, preparatory to being put thereon, are obtained from a quarry at Warepa, at the rear of Mr Johnston's store; Wa r epa being the nearest available locality where met.il suitable for the purpose can be obtained. Mr R. Farquahar, of Ros-bank Farm* Warepa, informs us that he will out in ten t^ays or thereabouts f-ome eightetn acres' of winter-sown oats of a very superior quality. A large quantity of these oats hive been sown tuis year in Warepa and Kaihiku. A Maori relic, in the shape of a chisel composed of greenstone, was r* centJy fdoughed up by Mr T. Smith, of Rosem-ath Farm, whilst breaking up some new land on hi* property. Amongst those of the Warepa and Kaihiku farmers who are deserting of note for the quantities of land bruken up and under crop on thtir properties as being the largest farmers this year in these districts may be mtnti< ned the names of Messrs Yo nfjson, Moffa't, W. Newson, and W, Callcnder, of Kaihiku ; and Messrs W t'h'istie, R. Fntquahar, Jas. M'Neil, and J. Stewart, of Warepa. Our Tapanui correspondent writes: — In no up-country township perhaps have «-o many improvements been i fleeted in less than one year. Twelve months since we had no bank, coach, telegraph sta : ion, or bi-weekly mail — ail of which we have now, and the day is not far distant when vre will have a railway running through this splendid agricultural district. Last month a Good Templars* L>d_e was established through the <xenions of Mr Kinnear, assisted by Mr JTonth. That it was much needtd cannot be denied. Mr Kinnear urged the claims of the ciuse so effectually that at the close of his lecture thirty gentleman signed the pledge, but as yet no ladies have j-u'ned. Mr M'Kellar is goiDg to erect a flour mill adjoining Mr Patterson's saw mill. It is to b»- driven by water power, to be had in abundance close to the site. It will be a great boon to the district, and I hope tbe projector will receive that patronage which he deserves. Part of the machinery is on the ground, ard judging from what I saw it seems very >uhsiantial, and bears the name of a firstclass home manufacturer. I noticed in our midst not a few of the Taieri, Tokomairiro, a : id Clutha fa T mt-rs ah anxious to pet a -hare of the land opemd on the 7th J-tnuary. There were a ar^at many ap:>tiean's for this block — as many as nine or ten for each silo ment Mr Alex. Mason has erected premises which are a great ornament to the township. Thf- contjac tors for the building. Rlt-sirs T. aud J Crawford, deserve credit for the way they have done their share of the w>.k. We are about to have two other buidiugs erected — one an hotel, and the other a ?a!e room and offices. " The requieiton to Sir George Grey to stand for Auckland City west has been -iijned by nearly 500 electors. Mr S war. sen, MHR, reports a Dunedin contemporary, ha* t-iken it in hand. A steamer will be hired, and a deputation will go to S;r George this week to present the nq^it-i tion. At the sitting of the W*is f e Land Board on the 6th ins* ; — M^s-rs Connell aud Moodi*\ fir Mr John M'Farlane, apolud m 'ta*e 2 acres for a mill site on block 13. G-enkenicb, with permission to lay do*n a tramway. Mr Loean Wilson, of Mill Farm, Rva' Bu-h, informs one of tbe Southland papers that he has shorn so^ie Leicester ewe ho;?---gretts, many of which clipped over 12 bs •veight of fine lustre wool, and two of the fletces weighed 14'.h and 1741 b respt ctnely. These must be con-iiiered very heavy fleeces, and the wei.hts are more remarkable as the sheep were raised on the ordinary grass of the <arm, with bowevrr, the addition of turnips for about two months in spring. We extract the following from the Oamaru paper: — Major Crc;k-r, wh-> fir some time past was engaged as counterclerk at the Telegraph Offi ie here, hnvim? been removed from that appointment by the Acting Telegraph Commissioner, on the plea that he was too old for tbe duties, a ptition, numerously and influent! >.lly signed, has been forwarded, urging his appointment to some other office. The peri tion or memorial, which was forwa-d d yesterday through Mr Steward, M H.R.. to tbe Hon. W. H. Reynolds, is as follows "We, the undersigned, havin.r been in formed that Major Crobcr has recen'ly left the telegraph office at Oamaru, dtsire herewith to express our perfect eatisfacion with the manner in which he discharged his duties in that office and our regret at his quitting it. We trust, however, that he will shortly obtain an appointment in some other branch of the public service . under the Government." Here follow fi tv sisjnatures. including those of Hi< Worship the May< r, several J.P.s, and most of the It-ading business meu of the town. We ex'ract the following from the ' Wakatip Mail ' : -A (rial regarding the actions of a new Dunedin journalist ha* lrt the public in behind the scenes. Both the •Times' and 'Star' give a hng'tuued account of the proceedings of the case Carrick v. Pyke— breach of contract re tbe ' Southern Mercury.' The plaintiff is v« ry exolirit, states bow the ' Mercnrv ' wa» ushered into existence; how defendant aettd; how the paper was sold to fh^ * Otago Guardian' Company, and the editorial chair of that journal seemed at L 650 per annum for thiee years. It is an expose that should never have been publicly a lowed to take place, and must depreciate the worth of tbe - Guardian ' as an independent journal, if the plaintiff's statements are not contradicted. The subject is one, however, that chiefly concerns the shareholders. The » Guardian ' of to-day is not the * Guardian* Mr Creighton labored to establish. We should not have referred to the subject but that some remarks contained in a Dunedin correspondent's letter in May last were challenged. They are now shown to have been not only substantially true, but alio faithful ia all particulars..

It is anauunced' by* advertisement in "our advertising columns that Mr and Mrs St. Vincent will give one of their celebrated drawing-room entertainment, .. entitled v Sketches of life and character," at Balclutha, on on early date. It if announced by advertisement in anther column that the Allen-May Opera oroupe will pay Balclutha a visit, and perform at Ban's Hall on Saturday evening. The troupe, we are told, have made a most successful tour through the Colony, and judging from the programme advertised, and the acknowledged ability of the artists engaged, a first-cla9B evenit'g's entertainment may be counted upon. In furtherance of the City improvements which have been going on in Dunediu in connection with the Bell Hill rechima'ion, the old established business carried on by Mr W. Fidler, and known as the '* Auld Scotland Hotel," has been removed. The numerous patrons of the Auld Scotland redding in this district will- be phased to learn that the busin^ ss ha's been again re sumed in new and enlarged premises, immediately adjoining the site so long occupied by MrFidleFia Stuart- street. We have much pleasure in direc'ine attention to an announcement in another I'oih'tnn, announcing that Messrs W. C. Philp and J. A Henderson have entered into business as auctioneers, sto^k salesmen estate and general agents, at Tokomairiro. The well-known business capacities of the partners, coupled with their lengtheutd connection with the district, should secure for the new firm a fair* share of patronage, A slight accidtnt occurred on the main line, in tbe vicinity of the Kaitangata crossing. It app ars that on the evening ol Monday last the engine employed hauling ballast, and which at the time was going at the rate of seven or eight miles an hour, got off the rails. Some damage was done to a waggon loaded with shepers, but it was not of a very serious nature. The accident is attributed to a defect in the rails. It is stated that a petition has been forwarded to the Provit>c<al Government praying that part of the Otara run, Toi Tois, may be thrown open for settlement on the deftrred payment system. It is said there are between 15,000 and 20 000 acres of splendid agricultural land in the block indicated. i— »_ _ _ — i »_■_■__ _■___■___