New Zealand Times. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1874.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4265, 20 November 1874, Page 2

New Zealand Times. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1874.

We are induced to make further remarks on the fears expressed by the leading newspaper of Nelson of the too great influx of immigrants to that province, believing as we do that that paper fairly represents the opinions of the people of that city. The expression, "Nelson is " not a very largo place," gives a key to the mode of thought which prevails there. The city, in the eyes of its inhabitants, is the province; until very recently it was without civic powers; its chief wantswater and gas—were provided from provincial revenue; and tho views of the few who controlled the province were limited by the hills which surround thoir city. Yet timorous and unprogressivo Nelson was almost tho first settlement in tho colony. Its people had but slight difficulties to contend with; the land was known to be rich in minerals; and it boasted of being tho home of the leading men of tho colony. But with these advantages, provincialism parcelled out its lands amongst a few, whose object was not to open the country to immigrants, but to secure quiet possession of their sheep-farms ; and thus its bright promise was blighted. The result is shown in the fact that, if the goldfiolds' population wore taken away, there would bo only half as many people in tho province, in proportion to its area, as in the whole colony. There is no unfairness in omitting tho goldfiolds' population, as they thrust themselves into tho province, and

have never been encouraged by the authorities, who, on the contrary, carried off their revenues to the' quiet township at the head of Blind Bay, and gave them little or nothing in return. The miners wanted roads, but had to ■wait till the colony supplied them. They wanted steam communication along the coast, but had to submit to tho indifferent and inadequate service supplied by private enterprise. They asked for liberal land la its, which at length are granted, but so badly administered as to be almost useless. Of these, our contemporary Bays that the immigrants who are now arriving cannot avail themselves. He attributes their inability to want of funds, and thinks " the case would be different if " the immigrants brought money with " them." No doubt others besides Nelson immigrants would find a difference between having, and not having, money; but as far as Nelson is concerned, it would be found, judging from experience, that those immigrants who had money would differ chiefly from those without, in their superior ability to remove themselves to more profitable fields of enterprise. The Nelson goldfields show this abundantly. There, have been acquired by numbers ; who, in order to invest their money, have had to go elsewhere, and who may be found in all parts of the colonies, devoting their wealth and energies to the utilisation of natural products which abounded in the district they left, but which were locked against them by the worse than neglect of the provincial authorities. It was not by supinely secluding themselves in the chief towns, and waiting for Jupiter to give their waggon a push, that the rulers of the progressive provinces made them what they are. They had faith, and feared not to introduce labor and capital wherewith to make their treasures accessible ; and as the Premier once told Nelson people, Bimilar measures would have advanced their province at a like rate. It is satisfactory that only from Nelson comes any sound of fear of too many emigrants, when even Marlborough, formerly a part of that province, and a sufferer from its misgovernment, is glad to welcome its recent arrivals, and asks for more.

On a former occasion we referred to the open part of the province, which has been appropriated by a few stock farmers. If that were the whole of the provincial estate, there might be cause for the fear of too many immigrants ; but fortunately the whole western part of the province is still in the hands of Government. This district contains the best coal in the Southern seas, and is accessible by rivers at every ten miles. It is covered with timber of good quality, and if it had regular communication would support a large gold mining population ; but although a small subsidy was voted for a steam service, we are not aware of any effort having been made by Government to establish it; and this fine district, containing in profusion the very products which the colony is most in need of, is left unproductive, and so will remain till regular communication is established. Possibly a change for the better is about to commence, and the intended settlement of immigrants at Karamea may begin a new era. We trust it may, and that Nelson province may remove the stigma which attaches to it, of being almost retrogressive. The experiment, if wisely conducted, should lead to great results, and remove all fears of overcrowding with new arrivals. The western half of Nelson is nrohahLv-thft most. .ricHljr x.*i-k or the colony ; but its development will depend on the way that settlement is established and aided. It is not sufficient to shoot a lot of raw immigrants on an unpeopled shore, to shift for themselves. Those who are now arriving are not of the metal our first settlers were made of, nor are they in any way prepared for such a reception. They must be aided and cheered by frequent communication, which will induce others with colonial experience to join and direct them. Any settlement that is to prosper on the West Coast must have regular steam communication ; and it is the neglect of this, more than anything else, which has hitherto prevented the settlement of the district. The experiment of special settlements now being made by Westland, as well as Nelson, will be watched with great interest. The difficulties to be overcome are far less than those which have been mastered at Westport, Greymouth, and Hokitika; and the rewards, though less fascinating, are as solid now as then. It is not many years since the whole of the West Coast of" the Middle Island was deemed worthless and inaccessible, but it now adds one million pounds sterling to our exports, besides supplying largo quantities of coal and timber to other parts of tho colony. These products are not tithes of what the district would yield, if only settlements were established and maintained at the various rivers. The one thing needful is regular steam communication. With that established and maintained, the West Coast would absorb, and profitably employ, a large population, and very soori revolutionise the affairs of Nelson and Westland.