Hawke's Bay Herald. THURSDAY, JULY 24, 1879. THE IMMIGRATION QUESTION.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 5442, 24 July 1879, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Herald. THURSDAY, JULY 24, 1879. THE IMMIGRATION QUESTION.

The papers laid on the table of the House include a voluminous correspondence between the Government and the Agent-General relative to immigration. It appears that very early in the year orders were given to send out none but nominated emigrants, and this order led to considerable confusion. Sir Julius Yogel had, lie says, made .arrangements for the despatch of two ships with a special class ©f emigrants — all fanners. These ships were to be fitted with superior accommodation, and the passage j

money was fixed at from £23 to per head, but Sir Julius did not anticipate that the Government would be asked for any assistance except iv a few exceptional cases, in which £10 per head mighb have to be granted. The receipt of the communication referred to, howevei-, caused Sir Julius to alter

his determination. This . caused Mr Stout, then Minister for Immigration^ to correct the mistaken conclusion to which tho Agent-General had arrived, upon which the latter apologetically says : — "No doubt _ an impression has grown up in my mind that the Government did not wish me

to take any special steps to encourage the emigration of farmers. X did not suppose that they \vislt^d such emigration discouraged, and you are mistaken

in supposing that I have discouraged it, or prevented farmers from emigrating. But the impr&ssidii that I had arrived ab was that f was not to search out farmers and give to them such encouragement as might be supposed to confer on them a claim to ask of the Government \V L hy they wore invited to Gomo Out, and where was the land they were to settle on. On looking through the correspondent I atii not prepared to entirely justify the impression. At times there were references to the desirability of farmers emigrating. But when I first came Home, and on other occasions since, I have asked for permission to print the land laws in full, and asked that a precis of them should be sent to mo for publication, from the colony ; ami, through my not receiving the information and permission, the impassion, perhaps too hurriedly, had grown up in my mind that tho Government thought the demand for land in the colony Was so large that it would hot be safe to specially recommend emigrants to go to tho colony under the conviction that Government land" would be readily opened to them." We may therefore conclude that Sir Julius Yogel renewed his efforts to induce a class of farmers possessing capital to emigrate, for ho adds \ — \' Your letter has given hie great satisfaction, for I feel that it justified me in going to greater lengths in the way of procuring farmers as emigrants; -than I previously supposed I was warranted in doing. I have lost no time in going to work in this direction. I have prepared a pamphlet, which is now beingprinted, which will contain, in addition to a brief introduction by myself, copies of the recent land laws, of the landtenuro, maps, and a mass of other 1 information suitable to persons ' who think of settling on the lands in the colony; 1" have arranged to put on two vessels for formers specially, one for Otago and one for Canterbury, to carry only one class of passengers, to whom superior accommodation will be afforded to that given to ordinary emigrants'." We may hope that the efforts of the Agent-General have met with success, and certainly no time could be more favorable than the present for a special " emigration mission" among farmers.

The appointments of the. Rev. Mr Berry and Mr G. M. Reed appear at first to have been inexplicable to Sir Julius, in the face of the order to send out none but nominated emigrants. lie expresses his surprise in somewhat plain terms ; but he subsequently denotes his approval of the appointments, when he is informed that they were sent out specially to induce farmers and capitalists to emigrate. He proposed to utilise their services in obtaining farmers with capital to fill up the ships he intended to charter, adding " I have every reason to believe that a very useful body of colonists will be introduced into Mew Zealand by these means .... Mr Berry and Mr Buecl heartily approve this stop, and will do their best to fill up the vessels with desirable emigrant h." Mr Reed was, it appears, placed iv charge of the North of Island agency, with a view to his ultimately taking the agency for the whole island. It appears from the correspondence" that several old colonists paying visits to England have offered their gratuitous services to promote the emigration of suitable persons to the colony. The Key. J. Skinner, Messrs Clements, Sutherland, Kimberley, and even a lady — Mrs John Hart — all preferred their services, which were accepted. Mr John Barnes and Mr Julius S. Jeffery required some payment, to be settled by the Agent-General ; and. Mr J. Bathgate placed himself at the disposal of Sir Julius, provided his actual travelling expenses were defrayed by the Government. Mr A. Olayden and his wife received free passages Home in the Stad Haarlem, and Mr Clayden Avas to lecture for one year in the United Kingdom for a salary of £250. Altogether the exexpenses in connection with the AgentGeneral's department appear likely to show a considerable increase this year, despite the attacks of Sir George Grey and his colleagues on the previous administration of the department. Unprejudiced persons will be apt to conclude that the cry of economy was but a cloak to conceal a petty spite against Sir Julius, for the endeavors of the. Government appear to have been directed to cramping him in the matter of funds, in order that Ministers might spend double the amount " saved."^ In moi-3 than one communication Mr Stout drew attention "to thft fact that a large proportion of the emigrants sent out were not of a class suitable for the work of colonization. That there are grounds for this complaint, must be admitted. Many artizans, good in their particular line, might nevertheless be unsuitable colonists, if they were unable or unwilling to turn their hands to other labor, either because their special trade is not in operation in the colony, or because the workmen in that trade exceed the demand. A man might be an excellent cotton-spinner, hard-working and industrious, but he could find no work inthat trade in the colony, and unless he could adapt himself to circumstances his emigration would be of no benefit either to himself or the colony. Sir Julius, in reply, expresses regret that his efforts have not always met with approval, but urges that no human foresight or care could provide against the contingency of some unsuitable emigrants being accepted. There is a considerable amount of justice in the plea of the Agent-General; and when emigrants were difficult to obtain no doubt it was impossible to exorcise that care in selection which might be desirable. Wow, however, that the supply exceeds the demand it will be easier to exercise more discrimination,

and though occasional mistakes must occur the proportion of undesirable emigrants should be largely reduced.