NEW SETTLERS

New Zealand Mail, 29 January 1902, Page 55

NEW SETTLERS

MR COURTNEY'S IMMIGRATION SCHEME.

Mr W. Courtney, of Taranaki, wellknown for his efforts on behalf of immigration to this colony, was a passenger by the -Ruapehu, which arrived on the 2ist from London, and brought with him fiftyfour additional settlers for the Taranaki district When interviewed by a representative of the “New Zealand Times,” Mr Courtney stated that the new settlers hailed from various parts of England and Scotland. New Zealand, he said, was attracting a great deal of attention just now in the Old Country, and he had received inquiries on all sides from persons who were interesting themselves in this colony. Some members of the Ruapehu party bring with them sufficient means to enable them to fake up land, and it is the intention of the whole of the settlers to leave for New Plymouth with Mr Courtney this evening. "We have with us,” said Mr Courtney, "representatives of various classes in this party. There are also a number of governesses and a hospital nurse.” ; i "Are there any general servants?” 1 j “No,” replied Mr Courtney. "General ' I servants are very difficult to obtain. ' ! There is as greao a demand for them at | Rome as there is here. . Furthermore, 1 they have no money to pay their pasj sages/’ j Farm labourers also are without money . to pay their passages, and hence very few jof this class come to the colony. Anj other reason for this, Mr Courtney states, I is that farm labourers, as a rule, are 1 conservative, and do not care to seek I fresh fields. "There are not many of the party who I have an expert knowledge of land,” said | Mr Courtney, in answer to another ques.i tion. "But though it is argued that peoj pie ought not to be brought here unless they know something about the land, it ; is a fact that the results of our scheme j prove the contrary to be the case. I)o : you- know that amongst the very best j settlers we have are men who were j Scotch weavers before they came out j here? 1 ’ Mr Courtney' quoted a couple of _j cases in point. One was that of a very successful settler, new a judge at agricul- ! tural shows, who was a clerk in one of the ■ English towns before he took up land in New Zealand. "What we want,” said he, "are men of resource, who are not afraid of work.” : "Our settlers have done well,” he added. “Of course there have been excep- , tions, just as there are exceptions in every j case; but there is plenty of opportunity : here for a man to do®well, and there is i plenty of land, especially in the Taranaki district.” I Mr Courtney undertakes to find his seti tiers employment, or put those who have i money in the way of investing it to the best advantage. He has now completed his twelfth trip Home, and has introi duced over a thousand settlers into New Zealand. In this work he receives no 1 assistance from the Government. "I have not received a single penny from the Government. In fact, they will not give J me even a railway pass.” I Mr Courtney and his party are to leave 1 for New Plymouth by the Takapuna this evening. A further contingent of settlers, who have been, attracted to the colony by Mr Courtney, will arrive by the i iyakanui.