The Evening Post. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 1865.

Evening Post, Issue 205, 4 October 1865, Page 2

The Evening Post. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 1865.

**JThe woeful state into which the province of Auckland has been plunged through the gross misrule and ca elessness of its government is every day becoming more — employment has for sitne tim<j past been very scarce, and is becoming more sn. Business is much depressed, and money is not to be had, while the distress amongst the working classes is something fearful to contemplate. Hundreds, if not thousands, of strung men, willing to work, are seen wandering about the streets daily, or besieging the Superintendent's office for employment. The effect of this state of things for evil must be very great, and its influence felt for some time to come. Where employment or means of honest maintenance is not to be had, dishonesty and other vices thrive; and this state of things is likely to increase, unless indeed the General Government steps in to the assistance of the government of the provinceT^lt will be recollected that during the past fifteen months the General Government introduced to the province about five thousand j immigrants for settlement in the Waikato country ; but, as batches of them arrived, the provincial executive thought proper to , quarrel with the Government respecting their location. These differences were disagreeable, and once led the General Government to declare its intention of removing the immigrants to other provinces unless chauged. It was, however, finally agreed that the province should take the responsibility of locating the immigrants on their land, and in consideration of which the General Government

promised to hand over to the province the Tuakau block of land, said to be worth twenty-five thousand pounds, and fifteen thousand pounds' worth of colonial debentures. This arrangement was considered advantageous, and hoth governments entered into it heartily. The General Government without delay fulfilled its part of the agreement, but the provincial government has utterly failed in the performance of its part. Meanwhile the funds provided by the General Government have been squandered in doing what Mr. Robert Graham is pleased to call opening up the country, but really in cutting roads through forest country that will be of no earthly use for many years to come. In this work the immigrants have been employed since their arrival four days out of six, at rates of wages varying from 2s 6d to 4s per diem, and upon such earnings t many of them have had to support large families. About two-thirds of them are n.iw on their land — ten acre sections— but without means of tilling it or of supporting their families, more than described. The area of land under cultivation in the neighbourhood of the various settlements is small, and not likely to increase rapidly. The services of the immigrants will not be required to any great extent, and the piece of land given to each is not sufficient to maintain a family ; therefore, when the Government pay ceases, the immigrants will either be obliged to leave their land or turn to dishonest means of living. This certai nly ia a very unhappy state of things, and goes to illustrate the culpable bad management of the government. Instead of wasting the money provided by the General Government in so called 11 road making," it ought to have been expended in providing the immigrants with agricultural implements, seeds, &c, and thereby with a means not only of obtaining an honest livelihood, but of adding to the produce of the province and the wealth of the colony.