D— No. 3

4

PAPERS RELATING TO IMMIGRATION.

I would also draw your Honor's attention to the 17th and 20th sections of the Immigration and Public Works Act, which respectively authorize the Superintendents and Provincial Councils to recommend the Governor to reserve waste lands of the Crown within each Province for the construction of railways, and also to agree with the Governor, subject to the approval of the General Assembly, that waste lauds shall be accepted in place of money chargeable to the Province for the construction of railways. Your Honor will perceive by the 2-Ith section, that the Act contemplates that 2,500,000 acres of land should be contributed towards the cost of the construction of railways, and that that teritorial contribution forms a part of the fund available for that purpose. Under these circumstances, I feel assured that you will see the necessity of adequate reserves being made, and thus sufficient provision secured for the completion of the great works now in progress. As unnecessary loss of time in this important matter will be prejudicial to public interests, I shall be glad to learn from your Honor that every expedition will be used in the reservation of suitable blocks of land, and in the other preparations for the attainment of the very important objects to which I have called attention. I have, &c, His Honor the Superintendent. W. Gisborne. [This letter was addressed to all the Superintendents of Provinces and the Chairman of the County Council of Weetland.] .^^^^^_^_^^^___^__

No. 3. Circular from the Colonial Secretary's Office to their Honors the Superintendents of Provinces and Chairman of the County Council, Westland. Sir,— Colonial Secretary's Office, Wellington, 28th June, 1871. With a view to placing the Agent-General for the Colony in possession of authentic information relative to certain topics of inquiry amongst those classes of immigrants to be from time to time introduced,under the Immigration and Public Works Act,into New Zealand, I shall feel obliged if your Honor will favour me with the statistics of the demand for, and wages of, labour, the retail cost of the necessaries of life, and such other particulars concerning the Province of as you may think desirable for that object. The annexed sketch will serve to indicate what is wanted, and as it will be convenient that the information obtained from the various Provinces should bear the same date, the first of July proximo is suggested as a convenient one. I shall be happy to receive from your Honor any information which, in your opinion, may be of service to the Agent-General in reference to immigration. I have, &c, W. GISBORNE.

Enclosure in No. 3. Demand for Labour. Farm labourers ,, female servants Mechanics Labourers Domestic servants Mechanics, &c, continued: — Shoemakers Tailors Labourers Female cooks Domestic servants Wages of Labour. Retail Prices of Provisions. Farm labour, viz : — Married couples Single men Bread (-1 lb loaf) Beef, mutton, pork, bacon Butter, cheese Tea, coffee, sugar (good brown), milk Potatoes Coals, firewood Soap Beer (qrt.), tobacco (lb.) Retail Price of Clotliing. Per cent, over English prices. „ women Mechanics, viz:— Blacksmiths Bricklayers Carpenters Coopers Painters Eopemakers [This letter was addressed to all the Superi: County Council of Wcstlancl] itendents of Provinces and the Chairman of the