THE SOUTH ISLAND.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 8544, 26 March 1908, Page 8

THE SOUTH ISLAND.

DOLEFUL TALES

AUCKLAND, March 25. That the exodus of population from the South to the North Island is proceeding apace is demonstrates by the fact that each steamer arriving from South Island: ports always brings a number of Southerners, who intend to take up their residence here, either' in town or country. The arrival of the VVimmera from Dunedin was, in this respect, no exception to the rule • her passengers including quite a number of South Islanders, who are determined upon casting their lot in this more favoured part of the Dominion. Among their number was a stron°able : bodied young man of about 25 years of age, who is a native of Dunedin, and has been resident in Christchurch for the past three years. In conversation with a Herald representative he spoke in doleful terms of the condition of affairs in the South and particularly as regards Dunedin' ' I recently paid a visit to the capital," h^said, "and much as I regret it, I must confess that I neversaw the old place in such a state before. "You mean that the place was stagnant?" queried the press representative. "Stagnant!" was the reply; "whv stagnant is not the name for it i is going back, and what the youmr fellows seem to desire down there is to get out of it. No matter where you go m the Dominion, you are bound to crop up against a whole host of old Dunedin acquaintances, all of whom have had to get out of it for their own advancement. Why, there is quite a colony of old Duncdinites in Christchurch, and also in Wellington and the same, I believe, applies here " "Yes," chipped in a former Dunedin resident, who has been for five years in Auckland. "It is quite true If a young fellow in Dunedin wants advancement, what' he's got to do is to get out of it, and in illustra-

I iton of this I could quote you dozens fof instances; Why, during the five ! years that I have- been in Auckland, no less than seventeen people who formerly/ -resided in the same street as I did have come to live in Auckland, and are now all residing here. If the same ratio applies to other streets, you can calculate how many Dunedinitos have come to reside m Auckland during that time. Besides the seventeen I have mentioned, I know of fully a dozen others myself .—Post. _______ —— : —