HINDRANCES TO NEW ZEALAND'S PROSPERITY.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume IX, Issue 1697, 9 August 1887, Page 2

HINDRANCES TO NEW ZEALAND'S PROSPERITY.

To Ike Editor of the Star.

Sin, — Mr. McGuire very wisely remarked, in one of his addresses,' thai, failing better chances of success, lie could scarcely soe the wisdom of increasing tbe number of settlers. I quite agree with him on that score, and cannot help wondering whether we have, among our politicians, any who recognise where all this experimenting in land legislation is leading us to ; or if they know what effect 60 much tinkering and uncertainty, in reference to what should be our most stable attraction as a colony, bears at Home, whence every Government alike wish to attract population. Kindly give your renders the benefit of the followin? remarks, which come to me from a relative in the Old Country, who has had many y ears' experiencein emigration work, aod who has had more than once earned the thanks of the New Zealand Government for the class of men he has been the means of sending hither :—: — " The very emigration of agricultural laborers is daily hindered by reports cf disappointed men of other and lesß likely callings, and by the lack of colonial attention to absorption and settlement on land or farms of those who, in spite of all odJs, come ovit to you. I may &&y I view witb disruay the public ovinion, which is more and more contracted, short-sighted, and selfish on this great question. If the new world is not to be the sphere of enterprise for the teeming millions here, the premature grave and the civilised honor of battle will be the probable vortex. I am 86 firmly convinced as ever that emigration is the only possible and real remedy for tbe crowd of the peopie here. The longer it is delayed the less fitted are our people for it. Force of circumstances is diminishing our agriculture, and rendering us more and more an effeminate and artificial people. All instincts, interests, prejudices, and miscarriages in tbe process of exodus combine to shut us in, and to count it better to starve, sink, and die here than to encounter difficulty, disaster, and disappoiutment in the forthgoiog to subdue the earth." Should not New Zealand place her land under such regulations an should secure the bonajide agricultural immigrant a lair chauce of success ? As it is, it seems to me that our multitudinous and conflicting laws re* lating to tbe holding and purchase of land, with tbe uncertainty as to burdens which may bo placed on it to meet the fluctuating aud accidental political or fiaaaccal cstgeacies of whatever pttrty toay be in pewev, i» to blame for much tbat comes under tbe head of "difficulty, disaster, disappointment." as experienced by new chums. Verily, our bnah settler and our plain-dweller has need of exceptional capital and patience to enable him to pull safely through tbe first years of settlement. Would it not be well for New Zealand if assured of tbe agricultural knowledge and capacity of newcomers, to ease tbe first years, or at least protect from extortionate taxation or burden, so that tbey might buve a fair chance of a good -start. Until something of this kind is done, I do not think any number of small capitalist farmers will mk their money, even though offered well-nigh free passages. — Yonrs, Ac, Pro Bono Publico.