Correspondence.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume XXXI, Issue 21, 13 April 1872, Page 10

Correspondence.

SCANDINAVIAN IMMIGRATION. To the Editor op the 'Nelson Examinee.' Sib — Knowing you to have taken a deep interest in the welfare and progress of this province since its commencement up to the present time, I wish to elicit your opinion on a somewhat important subject. We have now been here some thirty years. On our arrival the country was a ■wilderness, and what is it now? Our first pioneers were most of them thorough Englishmen, and went to work as only Englishmen do go to work. They battled manfully with every difficulty until they conquered, and the fruits of their first aud severe struggles are patent to all. But you will be ready to say, " What is the man driving at ?" Simply this : when we left the old country, where we had witnessed much pauperism, we fondly dreamed that by coming out to these far ends of the earth we had left that great evil behind us, and that here we should be enabled to provide, not only for ourselves as parents, but also for our children, and in due time to place them in tolerably comfortable circumstances on homesteads of their own. Unhappily our dream has not been realized. Our sons strong and hale, able and willing to work, and also to battle with difficulties where there was any prospect of a satisfactory result, have many of them been compelled to emigrate to other lands seeing no prospect here of providing homes for themselves, of marrying and settling down for life, and are now aeparated wide as the poles apart from the adopted home of their fathers, and the country vrhich gave them birth ; thus the best bone and muscle of the province have been obliged to seek a home elsewhere. Hearing that the surveyors are out in the Inangahua district, surveying a block of land for intended emigrants and pondering over this, I have come to the conclusion that the sons of our first pioneers, ■who, as yet, have had no opportunity of providing homes for themselves, ought to have the first chance given them of settling the back country, or any other. Say there are a hundred or more of these, whose lives are now all but aimless, "without a prospect of providing homes for themselves, these, I contend, are entitled to the first chance that opens. It would not cost more, probably not so much as it will cost to import the same number from home, and doubtless they would prove themselyes to be not a whit behind their fathers before them, only give them the opportunity of obtaining a freehold for themselves and they will do it. After having surmounted the first difficulties, each and all will want a wife as an helpmate to superintend household affairs and make him happy and comfortable, and thus a goodly numher of as fine healthy and strong young women as any country can boast will find their legitimate place as wives of the sons of our first pioneers and become mothers of a stalwart race, ■who would transform our back wilderness into fruitful fields. Give I would say to the sons and daughters of your settlers the first chance, and doubtless they will prove themselves as worthy as the same number of men and women ■which can be imported either from England, Scandinavia, or any other avia. Next arises the money question ; how is this difficulty to be surmounted? In the first place, Government intend to bring out say — 100 married, couples— and to place them on land at the Inangahua or elsewhere, their passage out together with agencies in England costing a good sum of money. On their arrival here that Bum would be largely increased ere you could get them settled on their lands, and even then they will require further assistance to enable them to make homesteads, to cultivate the land, and also for seed, &c. Now, take the gross amount which it would cost the Government to place 100 couples from home on the land, (you have your men here to your hands, aye, and women too, in plenty) let the Government advance thin amount on loan to your own sons and daughters, to be paid back say in three years, or, as it might be otherwise proTided, for the money to be held as a lien on the land until paid back in full ; provide them with sections of land on deferred payments so as to make it easier for them to surmount first difficulties, this done the rest will naturally follow. A freehold is the talisman to place within reach of a labouring Englishman ; with this in prospect he will not rest until he wins the p?'ize, or should the land be given to them the Government in the end would be gainers. Tours, &c, Old Settieb.

A young man named Janvidren has been drowned while out snipe shooting in the Papanui inlet, Otago. He was overtaken by the tide and swam till he was exhausted. His companion, Harris, was saved by swimming. The following is from the Post, of the 16th ultimo :—": — " The Government appears to be thoroughly determined to demoralise tho public service. It is reported, Bays the Wanganui Herald, that Major Edwards has received orders to discharge the duties of Eesident Magistrate at Patea, vice Major Noako. Major Edwards was the Commissioner appointed to investigate the charges against Major Noako, and having, it is to be presumed, reported unfavourably, he steps into the office vacated by the person upon whom he has been sitting iv judice. The Herald adds : — 'There will soon be no honour left in the public service* As we have shown, the Defence Minister 1 has been encouraging a system of espionage at Patea, Captains Blake and Forster having been proved to be corresponding privately ■with the Government. We now find that one servant of the Government is conßituted judge over another, and a 9 the result of the judgment the office of the accused is filled by the Judge.' » The Governor and the Hon. Mr. M'Lean left Wellington for Napier on the 2nd instant, in the Luna. They will travel overland to Aucklaud.