OF SCANDINAVIAN IMMIGRANTS.

13

D.—No. 3

own account. This can be done by the Government giving lower pay than settlers usually give. They ought also to be encouraged to take Government work by contract. 3. I entirely concur with Mr. Halcombe's proposals about supplying them with rations, tools, &c. 10th February, 1871. I. E. Featheeston.

No. 14. The Provincial Secretary, AVellington, to the Hon. the Colonial Secretary. Sir, — Provincial Secretary's Office, Wellington, 10th February, 1871. I ti.Tve the honor to inform you that the ship " Celceno" arrived in harbour on Sunday last, the sth instant, having on board the Norwegian detachment of the Scandinavian immigrants, embarked by order of the New Zealand Commissioners. The whole of the party appear to be in perfect health, and express themselves .as being well satisfied with their treatment on the outward voyage. These immigrants were landed the day before yesterday, and immediately took up their quarters at the Mount Cook Barracks, where there is ample accommodation for at least twice their number. They number in all fifty-one souls, viz., eighteen married couples aud fifteen very young children. By an arrangement with Mr. R. M. Cleland, contractor, of Te Aro, I am enabled to get them supplied with liberal daily rations at the rate of 7^d. for each adult. The cost of these daily rations, a cord of firewood, a small load of straw to fill their mattresses, and a few shillings for washing materials, is the only expenditure I find it necessary to make on their behalf during their stay in AVellington. Tou will be pleased to learn that these immigrants appear to possess more than ordinary qualifications to insure their success as settlers in New Zealand; and judging from such opportunities as have been afforded me of ascertaining their character, I am of opinion that they will prove to bo as valuable a body of men as has ever been introduced into the Colony. Tho men and women are all young, being of ages varying from twenty-one to thirty-six, apparently of robust constitution, used to hard work and still harder fare, sober and industrious, of cheerful disposition and easily contented, and cautious of incurring liabilities beyond their means. They have very lit!le knowledge of tho English language, but they are intelligent and seem well educated. They are Lutherans by profession, and are careful and regular in their religious observances. Their routine of life in their own country appears to have been as follows:—Six months of the year they have been engaged exclusively in agricultural operations. Then at the commencement of the Norwegian winter, which extends over the other six months, they have migrated to the woods, and been employed in the lumber trade, or in rough carpentering or blacksmith's work. During the long winter months, the women employed themselves in spinning and weaving; and I was assured by them with no little pride, that every article of clothing worn by the men, from the knitted woollen shirt to the warm blue frieze coats, was entirely of home manufacture. Such a previous experience, it will readily be seen, fits these people especially for the work which is before them in a district like the Manawatu, where an acquaintance with the use of the axe and adze is an essential to success, and where bush work is a necesssiry preliminary to agricultural operations. The men, moreover, have some general acquaintance with railway work, most of them having been engaged in Norway in cutting sleepers and laying a railway; they are also used to handle a pit-saw. Coming from a climate so severe as that of Norway, they express unbounded delight on learning that the summer clothing of their own country is sufficiently warm for the New Zealand winter; and that all stock, instead of requiring to be housed and hand-fed for six months in the year, are able in this country to find sufficient grass in the winter, and need no more shelter than the open pastures generally afford. Acting generally upon the plan proposed in the report by Mr. E. Pharazyn and myself of the 24th December, 1870, with the modifications suggested by memorandum of His Honor Dr. Featherston, which, as I understand, have been approved of by the Government, I have proposed, subject to your approval, the following plan for the location of these people, viz.: —■ 1. That they may be moved in a body at once to the township of P<ilmerston, where the Government will employ them on public works for at least twelve months, at day or contract work. 2. That on their arrival at Palmerston each family shall be allowed to squat upon a block of ten acres of ground, whereon they can immediately build their houses ; such land to be reserved from sale for say two years, at any time during which period the occupier of each section shall have the right to purchase it at the price of £1 an acre. 3. That they shall be held liable to the Government for the sum of £7 for each adult, on account of their passage money,;—for the cost of their maintenance while in depot, —and for a sum not exceeding £1 for their removal to Manawatu ; these amounts being deducted from the pay from time to time due to them by the Government. I have also ventured to propose to them that each man should make out a list of articles of food, &c, such as flour, tea, sugar, soap, candles, calico, nails, tools, cooking and washing utensils, absolutely necessary for the supply of his family for the first four or five months, which could be procured here at a very cheap rate, and could be carried without extra cost in the same steamer as conveys these people to their destination. The advantages of this latter proposal, as compared with any system of Government storekeeping, will, I think, be at once apparent. Not only will the Government be saved a troublesome and expensive duty, aud the immigrants be supplied at the cheapest possible rate, but the accounts between them and the Government will be made exceedingly simple, and may be entirely closed before their departure from the depot, and a memorandum of each man's indebtedness be forwfirded to the Paymaster of Public AVorks in the district where they will be employed, who can deduct the amount by such instalments as may be agreed upon. To the immigrants, also, it will be an incalculable advantage that they should be set down on the scene of their labours with a sufficient supply to last them through the greater part of the winter, when locomotion is difficult, and that they Bhould be thus 4