IMMIGRATION.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 223, 13 June 1908, Page 14

IMMIGRATION.

. 'A SERIES OP EECEUB.ES. In February, 1904, the New Zealand Ship* ping Company, Ltd., inaugurated a series of popular lantern lectures ■ entitled, "A Trip to New Zealand," with • the! objeqt of bringing before tho publio in a noral and-at-tractivo manner • the advantages which the. Dominion offers to the hard-working emigrant. These 'lectures are fully' illustrated by photographic. slides, arid have met with considerable success. One hundred and thirty-three lectures have now been given under the direction, of the company at various theatres, public.halls, and institutes in London and the provinces, at which the total attendance has been-59,780;—an > average attendance of 449. ' ■ Between tho months of September, 1907, and March," 1908, 31 lectures were given, the total attendance being 20,750-ran average of 6C9 per lecturo. Lectures. Average' Attend. 1904-5 SO 332 1905-6 30 444 \ ' 1906-7 30 481 • :; ' 1907-8 31 '- ' 669 . Of tho 31 lectures given this. season U were given in London and the suburbs' and 20 in the provinces. The provincial lectures were distributed over the following thirteen countiesßerkshire, Buckingham-, shire, Essex,. Hertfordshire, Hampshire,. Kent, -. Leicestershire,' Northamptonshire,Staffordshire, Suffolk, Susses,' Warwickshire, and "Worcestershire, v • The largest audience in London was at' the Polytechnic, Regent Street (1100). The. Hon. .W. P. Reeves, High Commissionfer for New Zealand, took the chair on this occasion. The largest audiences in the provinces were at the Metropole Theatre, Birmingham (3000), on January 12, ,1908, and - at the Carlton Theatre, Birmingham (2600), on November 17, 1907. ' The' following are extracts received from the secretaries of, some of the institutes: — Carlton Theatre, ... Birmingham-"The building was 'packed to its maximum sitting and standing capacity, whilst quite 500 were' unable to obtain admission:" St. Paul's' Hall, Hornsey:—"Before tho lecture began, wo had to close tho doors, the. hall being packed to its utmost limit. with an audience gathorcd from near and .far. The number of men—especially younger mon—present was a noteworthy feature of the evening:" :■■ 'Great Western Railway Institute, Wolverhampton:—"We never remember our'instil, tuto being so well filled." , Working Men's Institute, Northampton' A great deal of interest is being taken in Now Zealand, and this was exemplified by the crowded audienco." ' Guildhall, Winchester The lecturo proved of very great interest to our members, who attended in large numbers, fespecially the younger men. In spite of a very wet evening, we had a : room full of-interested listeners." «. ■ In addition to , tho distribution of about 15,000, illustrated'pamphlets issued by the New . Zealand Government; : 1847 posters, C 0,850 handbills,<■ and 8000 picture postcards of New Zealand. Shipping Company's steamers have been used'to advertise the lectures dur-. ing tho season. ' . • : ■■ A prominent feature in connection with this season's'lectures has been the hearty .cooperation, of the Company's agents in tho various towns where lectures havo been 'given. In all towns where tho New Zealand Shipping Company fias agents a representative has attended- the lecture at tho invitation, of the Company. On several occasions the Company's lecturer has attended at the . agents' offices prior to the. 1 lecture, for the purpose' pf : seeing intonding emigrants, and giving them tiny information they may -require regarding the Dominion. • .'The lecture has been very favourably re- " ported on in many of tho London and pro- , vjneial papers. Since tho Company inaugurated the lecturesJin; > loO4, nearly 200 reports, of the entertainment .have appeared in the Press, ' and Hho Teports have been- frequently illustrated hy views of New Zealand. By this means, the advantages of tho Dominion, from the emigrant's point of view, have been brought' before many thousands who havo not attended tho lecture. • i The Company has a large selection of lantern slides ■of New. Zealand scenery, industries, etc., and these are lent without chargo for, use at lectures on tho Dominion in suburban and'provincial halls. Applications havo been received for tho use of these* slides from all parts of the l^ingdom.