THE Manawatu Times. SATURDAY, MAY 14, 1881. FREE IMMIGATION.

Manawatu Times, Volume V, Issue 140, 14 May 1881, Page 2

THE Manawatu Times.

SATURDAY, MAY 14, 1881. FREE IMMIGATION.

v Wdfda'ar*' thihgs,i»nd a drop of ink falling Ukt ' dew upon a thought, preducM that which Makes thousands, perhaps MUions think."

WHEwYCabine* Minister addresses his' consti tueiitfi and indulges m preI JSessidnal utterances, I* is 'very good presumptiye,^^ ence tnat his coni g^^f,Jes 'represent the metaphorical r straw,audindicatetbedirection of the approaching wind. In other words, the spe'ecTies/of We varioM mbmbers 6f theiQ-dverrtnierit "which^ annually precede Parliament with unerring regjila'trfyj are riothin^gcmore nor less tllan Vsynbpsis "of" the Ministerial . programme k which will be placed b'efbre the representatives of the peo*ple during "the sitting of Parliament. Amongst the inspired utterances JaieljL^eliyemd. - w era. those ..of the lion, member for Egmont, the Hon. tblfr-Ifreasurer, who t while taking his constituents into bis confidence ex--pressed-ra,. regrpfcat .enfprced discontinuance off free itnniigfatiqn to. the. colony, indicating a hope that i ere long it would be again resumed. "Wlefarejbjjanojjmeans belonging io toat class who have no faith m New Zealand. On the contrary, we consider, -.thereJp ample room for millions where there now but tens of thou-sands-that its resources are bound--less 5 -and the real- wealth of its mineral treasures unknown ov undreamt |of ; but we also hold that an influx lof population promoted by free im--1 migration is by no^neanis the most desirable materiaZtq/constitute those miyions, or d,e^To|f i S"vast mineral which^is tiidd^n the bowels of Jihe<, earth. It. has been asserted by? tlse, advocates of immigration thjifeeve.ry immigrant impoi'ted into the Jountr^represents an .annual /.yaltt'e^orißibmo dozen pounds to_We ColouYj.that-isj, :that, by th'e advent of eachlimmigrarit.the^^"wealth of the Colony irannualiy^increased to that amount. While fully ad'.mitting>'th*"at^T¥d. fy'dfieffl- country population is an invaluable motive power toward prosperity, we would ialsft'poinfrftut tliaf to contribute tip the progress of a new country it is necessary that the pioneer should be ■of .thejng.h't HsorbJi^here is-ai prejrailing_opinion_at Jiome.- that any- , t.li|ug ( j.is, t gP.od, { enough, for the C!bionfes, and no^ only do we receive their "placed, out fashions " secondhrattd/ bnt'ariicies which 1 are unsaleable at home, are supposed to find a .rea^yj-market at, ..the , An^ipod es. It is very much, the same m the matter of in^migratidnr. - iThe- incapables, the ne'er-do-weel's are deported to the colonies, and the result : is l only what might fairl/be" expected — they do no good,fQri\the,mselves, and be.cpme, a. 4^ag^upon the country which is* ourdehed'with them. Free and unrestricted imtnigration is nothing ■mdre' nor'i le^'ihif^ a^meaKs'ol enabling Great Brilain to get rid of a, useless surplus populatiQn at' the expe\W6me < p l e6p\e v 6f T thls Colony i-4aWe#peMding aT>large'sUm:fdt th^e introduction,— in-^ the -first place, of \jm>o undesiilable jiettlers;)- and expense of keeping them m thlo isecon'd. u-Butii rsupposing that the re^umptio.n of .freeimmigration could be commended from many points, there is one argument against it, which we imagine should out-weigh those m its favor. At the present! time the Colony haß a chain round its neck to the extent of some or of bor-

rowed capital, and without going again into the money market cannot to any very great extent recommend the prosecution of any public works. New South "Wales on the contrary, has already some £9,000,000 at its command; with which it is proposed to immediately commence a network of railway construction, and there can be no doubt that such an inducement will exercise a magnetic influence upon the laboring classes m this Colony, as already there has been a considerable exodus m that direction. What the Colony wants is settlers with capital, even though the amount be small, not a mass of 'humanity "notable for no other, qualification than their uselessness who May be taken to some sequestered spot, And there, with other rubbish, may be shot. If the colony has to pay for immigration, it should be on the assisted or nominated system. By the adopted of that course, and that alone, a double guarantee would be given to the State on behalf of the immigrants — their bona fides would be unimpeachable, and as their nomination would be made here, they would, unless m very rare caaco, find positions already prepared for them upon their arrival, and consequently not, as m most cases, become a prey to disappointment and betake themselves elsewhere, after burdening the colony with the expense of their passage money.