The Immigration Vote.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XVIII, Issue 1737, 23 September 1885, Page 2

The Immigration Vote.

It will be observed from our “ Parliamentary Notes ” that a vote of £30,373 was recently proposed in Parliament for “ Immigration." This vote included a sum of £IO,OOO for the introduction of Highland Crofters but that item was struck out and the Immigration Vote to the amount of £20,373 was adopted. It is to be hoped that Mr Maoandrews, plan of bringing out Highland Crofters and placing them on Special Settlement blocks of land has not been finally abandoned. These Highland Crofters would make valuable settlers, as they are good both aa agriculturists and fishermen. Perhaps, when the financial condition of the colony has improved, the scheme for the introduction of the Crofters will once more be brought forward. A portion of the vote is to be applied to " Nominated Immigration,” so that people in the colony will be able to bring out their friends by paying a portion of the passage money. The nominated system of immigration is a good one, if the right sort of people are introduced under it. Laborers for country work, and a limited number of respeciable girls for employment as domestic servants, are required in the colony. But should clerks and young men trained to no special avocation or trade be introduced under the nominated system, they will simply swell the ranks of a olass already far too numerous in the colony. It is to be hoped that the Government will regulate the nominated system very carefully so as to prevent unsuitable persons being brought out to the colony. We notice, with satisfaction, that the Government propose to hold out special inducements to immigrants belonging to the Small Farm Class. Thus a small farmer possessing a capital of £IOO would have half the cost of his passage paid. It will be highly advisable to secure the introduction to the colony of this olass of settlers. Practical farmers possessing from £IOO to £IOOO each could take up land in the colony and become most valuable settlers, both as producers and employers of labor. Sir F. Dillon Bell, the Agent-General, recently pointed out to the Government the desirability of paying part of the passage money of such immigrants, and it is satisfactory to find that his suggestion is being acted upon. So far, the immigration proposals of the Government appear to be reasonable enough, bat the utmost care and prudence will require to be exercised in the matter. The state of the labor market in the colony will need to be watched very closely, lest by bringing out more people, the ranks of the unemployed might he added to. The “ drawing in ” system with respect to Public Works which will be necessitated by the re duotion of the sum voted for that purpose by £500,000, will cause employment to become to a certain extent scarcer—not immediately, but some months hence, as existing contracts become completed. The men liberated from those works will of course seek other employment, and should the demand for work be temporarily in excess of the supply, it would not do at such a time to have many immigrants coming in to compete against the people already in the colony seeking work. The introduction ol a Small Farm Class possessed ol moderate capital, would in a little time add to the sources of the employment ofiered. Good agricultural laborers also aan usually find work in some parts of the colony, and there are nearly always openings for respectable girls in domestic service, anything outside of that in the way of immigrants would, in the present state of the colony, prove hurtful and dangerous. The colony has already abundance of tradesmen and artisans of every kind. If there is over abundance of work for these in one locality, there is scarcely in another, and so the labor market in the colony soon adjusts itself. So far as those classes of tradesmen are concerned there is no need to encourage immigration, as the ordinary influx of immigrants will always keep up the supply &f such skilled labor.