IMMIGRATION TO THE COLONIES.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXII, Issue 240, 11 October 1888, Page 3

IMMIGRATION TO THE COLONIES.

SUGGESTIONS BY MR, WESTGARTH. MelboUKne, October 2. The President of the Old Colonists' Association of Victoria (Mr Francis iiemy) gave a farewell dinoer to Mr Wilii->m Wostgarth in the Governor's room in the Centennial Exhibition last evening. The toast of the guest of the evening- was proposed by Mr Jamea Service. Mr Wesigartb, in responding said :—Somo thice years ago Mr Servico ventured upon a prediction that the nest generation would wi.ness in Australia a population equal to that; which now exists in onr great Mot/her Country — that the three or four millions here would expand to 30 or 40 millions. That was rather questioned by more than one Home writer. As to our venerable Mother, although her progress is by no means slow, she cannot keep paco with tome of her Australasian daughters. The important question of tho numerical progress of the colonies may arise out of ft aubjeet of serious ooncern at Home, namely, the . possibility of emigrating considerable numbers of poor but reputable persons by means of small pecuniary advances, to give a passage and some outfit, in the expectation of repayment out of after prosperity. In some Buoh way you will be able to get the very pick of the people suit* able for the colony, because, first, those only who are active and enterprising go abroad, and next, because only the well conducted will secure the advance. One possible branch, of this emigration is as interesting as ib i 3 urgent. It is that of school , boys and girls, who, on loaving school at ', about 13, have to pass through an interval or ordeal of two to three years ere they are strong and old enough to enter on men or women's work. Multitudes of the children who have poor or disorderly hopes are literally chucked into the streets during this i interval, and are thus liable to lose all the good they go at school. To provide for these boys and girls just when they leave the school is one of the most momentous works of modern society, and it requires no small pre-arrangement with selected colonies,