IWNa 16,

4

REPORT BY

Messrs. Knorr and Co., of Hamburg, for 2,000 German and Scandinavian immigrants—l,ooo -at least to be sent before the end of March, 1872. Messrs. Winge and Co., of Christiania, for 3,000 adults from Norway and Sweden. Messrs. Horneman and Co., of Copenhagen, for 1,000 Danish immigrants. The distribution of these immigrants among the various Provinces of the Colony has yet to be decided from time to time; but as the following shipments for the North Island have already been notified by the Agent-General, it may be expected that a supply sufficient to meet the North Island requirements is likely to be maintained. The shipments are — " England," London to Wellington, arrived 9 March ... ... 90 adults. " Celestial Queen," London to Auckland, sailed 17 April ... ... 90 „ " Halcione," London to Wellington, „ 26 „ ... ... 200 „ " Hodvig," Christiania to Napier, „ 1 June ... ... 325 „ A ship, Glasgow to Napier, to sail ... ~ ... (about) 250 „ A ship, Hamburg to Napier, to sail ... „ ... „ 250 „ The nominated immigration up to 30th June, 1872, has resulted in applications for 613| statute adults, distributed as follows: — Auckland ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 326| adults. Napier ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 123 Taranaki ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 10^ „ Wellington ... ... ... ... ... ... 153| „ I will now briefly refer to the following special settlement arrangements, which form an important part of the immigration work of the North Island: — (1.) Wellington. —Colonel Eeilding's Purchase, Manawatu. At the close of the year 1871, the Hon. Colonel Eeilding, as representative of the Emigrant and Colonist's Aid Corporation, a colonizing society in England presided over by the Duke of Manchester, entered into negotiations with the Government for the purchase of a block of land for colonizing purposes. A portion of the Manawatu Block was suggested as suitable to the requirements of the Corporation, and I was ordered to accompany Colonel Eeilding through this block and the adjacent country. The result of the visit was the purchase on behalf of the Corporation of 100,000 acres of land, at 15s. per acre, and an undertaking to place on it 2,000 immigrants within the next five years, the cost of whose passage would be defrayed by the Colony. I am informed that the Corporation is already actively engaged in carrying out its part of the contract; and as the quality of the land selected is exceptionally good, and its position is especially advantageous in many respects, I have little doubt that as a colonizing operation this arrangement will ultimately prove a great success. (2.) Dutch or Scotch Settlement, Pitzherbert Town, Manawatu. The Provincial authorities of Wellington have made arrangements with Mr. Engels, a settler of Manawatu, for the sale and occupation by immigrants from Holland, or from Scotland, of blocks of bush land in the township of Eitzherbert, Manawatu ; and the General Government has agreed to contribute a sum equal to £7 10s. a head for every statute adult for the introduction of 50 families under this arrangement. (3.) Nova Scotian or Canadian Settlement, Seventy-Mile Bush. The Provincial Government of Wellington has also arranged for the sale and settlement of a fine block of 40,000 acres of rich lightly-timbered land in the Seventy-Mile Bush, with immigrants from Nova Scotia or Canada. The details of this arrangement have not yet been finally agreed on. (3a.) Scandinavian Eoadmen's Settlements, Seventy-Mile Bush. The Government has decided to plant villages of Scandinavians, probably six in number, on the main road line through the Seventy-Mile Bush from the Buataniwha Plains to Masterton. Of these villages three will be on the Napier side and three on. the Wellington side of the Manawatu Gorge, and will consist of from 50 to 70 families each. About 200 families will probably bo located during the present year, the immigrants being placed on 40-acre sections of land, which they will purchase at £1 per acre. A further reference to the terms of settlement, &c, will be found below. (4.) Special Scotch Settlement, by Buataniwha Plains, Napier. The Provincial Government of Napier has reserved a block of 10,000 acres of bush land abutting on the Buataniwha Plains, for a special settlement, and instructions have been sent to the AgentGeneral to send out 100 families of Highlanders to take up the block. (5.) Small Capitalist Banners' Settlements, Tauranga and Patea. The necessity of encouraging immigration of a higher class than labourers only having been recognized by the Government, instructions have been forwarded to the Agent-General to offer blocks of land, from 100 to 500 acres, at Tauranga and at Patea, on the West Coast, on easy terms of deferred payment, to small farmers of sufficient capital to occupy them with profit to themselves and the Colony. Tho lands to be set apart for this purpose are portions of the confiscated lands at Tauranga, and of those within the Taranaki Province. They offer special advantages for agricultural operations ; and if the terms proposed by the Government are at all largely availed of, a most valuable addition to the agricultural population of the North Island will be made, with every prospect of the continuance of such an immigration, as new blocks of land, presenting similar inducements to the same class of settlers, are falling into the hands of the Government by purchase from the Natives. The tracing accompanying this report shows roughly the position of all the special settlements to which reference has been made. 3. Action of the Bepartment. Having received the appointment of Immigration Officer, on the 15th December, 1871, the first action taken after visiting the Manawatu District with the Hon. Colonel Eeilding, to which reference