THE AGENT-GENERAL AND THE OTAGO IMMIGRATION AGENCY.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 118, 19 July 1873, Page 4

THE AGENT-GENERAL AND THE OTAGO IMMIGRATION AGENCY.

Writing to his Honor the Superintendent of Otago on the 6th March last, Mr Auld, the Horae Agent of the province, says :—“ I yeaterday received from Dr Featherson a copy of a memorandum, dated December 20, 1872, from the Hon the Minister of Immigration at Wellington, in which he trusts that the instructions formerly sent to the Agent-General have resulted in his taking over the agency, as conducted by me here, but if he had not, done so, instructing him to take this course* and authorising him to pay me any moneys I may have advanced, as well as to provide for any liabilities I may have incurred, in connection with the resumption of emigration to Otago on behalf of the Provincial Government. I beg to enclose a copy of the memorandum in question. In the letter which accompanies this memorandum, Dr Featherston states that he is unwilling, or rather not in a position, in any way to interfere with my arrangements until he has seen me, and asks me to continue to act on his responsibility. I believe Dr Featherston, hy this remark, refers to the state of his health, which, I am very sorry to say, is far from good, and he is at present quite incapacitated from attending to business. Of course I continue to carry on emigration as before, not so much on account of the abovementioned request, but because having received my instructions entirely from your Honor, it appears to me very questionable whether I am at liberty, on the call of any other party whatever, to demit the duties entrusted to me without the express sanction of your Honor. At the same time it is quite plain emigration on the part of the province must be carried on on equally favorable terms with those offered by the Agent-General, and he informs me that he has all but made up his mind that it is necessary to grant absolute free passages to the classes required, as the only means of meeting the competition in emigration. If, as I rather believe, the Agent-General has issued instructions to his subagents to this effect, I must act upon the same principle, but in doing so will act in the meantime on the responsibility of the AgentGeneral. I shall be glad to hear from your Honor on the whole of this subject, and with reference also to the position I shall occupy in the matter of emigration in the event of Dr Featherston’s instructions being approved of by your Honor.” Writing on April 13, Mr Auld further says :—“ I beg to refer your Honor to my letter of the 6th ult. Since that time I have not heard again from the Agent-General, but in obtaining emigrants for the J. N. Fleming I have given passages upon the conditions in regard to free and assisted passages laid down by the AgentGeneral and contained in a printed statement issued by him on the 3rd of March last, and of which I enclose herein a copy, from which you will see that free passages are granted to ma.-ried agricultural laborers and female domestic servants and certain other parties. These terms have proved successful, and the J. N. Fleming wiil sail to-morrow for Otago, having on board about 200 adults, assisted emigrants. Of course, it is distinctly understood that these passages have been granted on the responsibility of the Agent-General. He has, however, altered the terms above - mentioned and come back to bis former regulations, whereby assisted passages only are granted to married laborers and others of that class on their granting promissory notes for £lO, or paying £5 in cash per adult, and he has altered the payment to be made by single men, from whom he new requires a payment in cash of £B, or £4 in cash, and a promissory note for £B. I fear these alterations may operate injuriously upon future emigration, as I am informed that Mr Seaton and Mr Birch had made the more liberal terms very extensively known by circulars, advertisements, and meetings, so that it will be extremely difficult to induce those to whom free passage ß were offered to emigrate upon the terms contained in the altered terms; but in regard to this matter I shall put myself in communication with the Agent-General, who, no doubt, has good reasons for his change of conduct, though it is to be regretted that he had ever published the more favorable terms. These terms, of course, could not be altered as regards the J. N. Fleming, and the alterations can only, if adhered to, come into operation in the case of succeeding ships.” On the 31th June the Superintendent wrmfl to Mr Auld :—“ I note your remarks as to tho future position of the agency. I find on communication with the General Governmen that it was not intended that the AgenGeneral was to take over the agency in “W sense of suspending, or in any way interfering with your operations. The instruction Wj that the Otago agency is to be continued m every respect upon its former footing, t Agent-General to provide the fundi W

Immigration Loan. The term ‘to take oyer’ seems to have been intended to apply to the contracts entered into by you with Messrs P. Henderson and Co. You will, no doubt, understand from this the real position of the agency, that is to say, that while the AgentGeneral furnishes the supplies, you are in no •way under his control, but are to act under instructions from the Provincial Government, by whom, in case of need, you will be placed in funds. At the same time, you will, of course, see the expediency of working in harmony with the Agent-General, so long as that can be done consistently with the position of the agency.” '