The Otago Witness. DUNEDIN, SATURDAY, SEPT. 19.

Otago Witness, Issue 1190, 19 September 1874, Page 13

The Otago Witness. DUNEDIN, SATURDAY, SEPT. 19.

It is not to he wondered at if the' introduction of emigrants into the Pro.vince has produced results which the, wisest of-, us . were unable to predict. .To violate the natural laws of increase, < and by a sudden, exercise of power to bring thousands of living human .beings into a settled cpmmnnityj is quite certain to effect' us in an. unexpected way. When Mr Vogel prates of the wonderful pow.er of absorption shown by Canterbury and Otago, he speaks as it were from the outside, and without any complete knowledge of the difficulties we labour under. The laws of demand and supply, concerning which economist s talk, .require a certain extended time for their operation ; demand here has far more than overtaken supply, it has passed it, left it many lengths behind, distanced it, with a result which is simply disastrous to the moral wellbeing .of the people. It is impossible to go among the working classes of Dunedinat the present time, without noticing that 'they are compelled to live in quarters uuendurably close. One instance, which came under our. notice

but lately, may stand for many, does indeed stand for many, viz., a sick husband, a wife and six children, crowde.d together into one baok room, not 12 feet square. We all know a little of what this means, it means a moral and physical deterioration, as certain as it is sad. No matter how excellent the class of immigrants may be, no matter how sturdy and well-nurtured is their moral health, it cannot stand long against causes which entail swift destruction on all within their reach. Various remedies have been suggested for the evil • we are told that a company must be started to build houses in Dunedin ; we are told that Government must build houses in Dunedin. To the latter course there are objections which caunot be gainsaid ; to the former is simply opposed the vis inertice of capitalists. The cry, however, is <• Still they come ; " and he must have a heart hardened to the troubles c£ his fellow-colonists who does not breathe a sigh at least, over the sorrows of a new-chum father. We cannot but think that the horizon of those who have discussed this question hitherto has been far too limited. It will be an ill day for Otago when the temptations to a town residence are unduly increased, by fictitious advantages ; that Colony must surely suffer in the long run which tempts her sons to hang about her centres, and which does not, with a little wholesome severity, try to drive them further afield than the wharfs and streets of her metropolis. We have great faith, indeed, that the inducement of remunerative employment will, as the summer draws on, take many into the country. But, after all, this is only taking the evil one &tcp further. Unless the little centres of population scattered up and down throughout the land, take steps to house the strangers, the overcrowding evil will in no way be lessened, and the surplus population will be found to gravitate towards Dunedin again as soon aa the immediate demand for workmen has slackened. We cannot but think that the country settlers are hardly alive to their responsibilities and their opportunities. After, all, one great object on their part who fostered this stream of immigration was, such a reduction of the price of labour as would enable certain useful works to be undertaken at a remunerative price. In order, however, to ensure a steadysupply of workmen at anything like a reasonable figure, it is absolutely essential that the labourer and his task should be in immediate contiguity. To secure this, there must be residences for the working classes erected, where, they want them most. No permanent reduction is likely to take place in, the price of labour in those districts which cannot house the- new-comers. Just when they are most wanted they will be absent, and but little will have been 1 gained to the enterprising in reproduc-i tive works.

For every reason, selfish as well aa 1 philanthropic, it seems most desirable to us that labourers' cottages should he erected, not merely at Kensington and Pelichet Bay, but throughout the length and breadth of the Province. Of course a matter of this kind must at last come back to, the question — will it pay? It is not to be supposed that in the ordit nary course of their business capitalists will be inclined to invest their funds unremuneratively. It seems to us .then j that the new .corners must live some-, where, and (unless they leave the coun-: try), whatever may decline in price, the one' thing' that will keep up is house rent. Although there may be certain inconveniences in having a surplus population at the door, we cannot but think that it would be wise for farmers' and other employers of labour in outly-l ing communities to band themselves together to supply a roof to the newlyarrived immigrants. At present Dunedin is the only place which affords any prospect of shelter, and many men are kept on here loafing* just because they ; find it hopeless to take their families up-J country. Only experience of actual fact! will persuade our readers of the shifts: that immigrants have been put to since landing. The stories told us of the over-crowded state of the worst parts of London or Glasgow by no means exceed some of the melancholy sights in • Walker and Stafford streets. We do ' trust that something will ere long be done to distribute population throughout the country.

The well timed remonstrances of the Port Chalmers people respecting the apathy displayed by the Government in appointing a Resident Magistrate for the Port has had the desired effect, and Mr Mansford, who formerly occupied the position, has been again eleoted to it. He resumed the duties of the office for the first time on Tuislay, and disposed' of the light business that figured on the charge sheet and cause list.