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capable of absorbing as great a number of labour immigrants as any other portion of the Colony of the same population ; but these would require to be introduced with greater care, and more gradually than to other Provinces, otherwise a glut of the labour market, with its attendant evil consequences, would result. Of female servants, both town and country, a large immediate number and a continuous stream could be absorbed. Of first-class agricultural labourers, also, several hundred would find immediate employment, as well as a steadily increasing number. A small number of experienced miners would find ready employment on the gold fields, coal mines, and other similar industries; whilst a few labourers having a knowledge of special trades, such as vine, tobacco, hop, beet &c. culture, and their further processes, would meet with ready employment. Ordinary mechanical artisans are not much required, though good hands will always find employment, especially those who have a knowledge of peculiar branches of their respective trades. I would respectfully urge upon the Government the necessity for greater care being taken than hitherto in the selection of the special classes of immigrant:-', suitable for special localities, and for maintaining a continuous stream to this Province, rather than furnishing large numbers at irregular periods. Some attention should also be paid to providing for their arrival iv the spring and summer months in greater numbers than at other periods, labour being then in more request. The supervision of single women on board ship should also be specially attended to. The arrangements on board the last arrival here, the " Warwick," were anything but conducive to morality. I shall not further detain you by pointing out the capabilities of the Province as a field for capitalists, as that class are generally able to judge for themselves. Should you desire my views more in detail on any particular point, I shall bo glad to furnish them. I have, &c, T. B. Gillies, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Wellington. , Superintendent.

Enclosure 2 in No. 78. The Hon. G. M. O'Eoeke to His Honor the Superintendent of Auckland. Sic, — Immigration Office, Wellington, 14th April, 1873. I have the honor to inform you that I have forwarded to the Agent-General copy of your remarks on the class of immigrants that your Honor deems most suitable for the Province of Auckland, and I have directed him, in pursuance of those remarks, to give the preference, in selecting immigrants for your Province, to the small-farmer classes. At the same time I thought it right to inform him that, if he could not obtain the particular class of immigrants you desired, he was to make up the number ordered (3,500) out of the ordinary class of emigrants which he distributes throughout the rest of the Colony. In regard to immigrant labourers to Auckland, your observations appear to me contradictory. First, you state, " These considerations account for the fact that a large quantity of mere labour cannot be rapidly absorbed. A small quantity, i.e. a few hundreds, could be at once absorbed in the settled districts extending from Auckland to and including the Waikato." Second, A little further on your language is, " I have no doubt that this Province is capable of absorbing as great a number of labour immigrants as any other portion of the Colony of the same population." I have acted on this latter opinion, and requested the Agent-General not to let the Province of Auckland fall short of the number of immigrants previously ordered. With regard to the labour market being glutted, I think it would be the duty of the General Government, on being requested to do so by the Provincial authorities, to stop emigration to Auckland, in order to prevent such evil consequences arising as you apprehend. This, of course, can be done much more'speedily now by cable than it could a short time ago. I have, &c., His Honor the Superintendent, Auckland. G. Maurice O'Koeke.

No. 79. Memorandum No. 72, 1873, for the Agent-General, London. Hating addressed various Memoranda to you by the outgoing mail on particular subjects, I now desire to address you on general subjects relating to the present state of immigration to this Colony. I regret to have to state that a feeling of very great; uneasiness pervades not only the Government but the public at large at the paucity of immigrants arriving in comparison with the number ordered. lam very loth to have to make such frequent complaints on this head, but it is only right that you should be apprised of the difficulties which the Government foresee impending over the Colony unless it receives a largo accession to its population by means of immigration during the present year. It is the opinion of the Minister of Public Works, as you will learn from a Memorandum drawn up by him and approved of by the Cabinet, that unless something like the number of immigrants ordered are landed here this year, a stoppage of the public works will probably ensue, and you have been requested to acquaint the Government, by cablegram, whether you are of opinion that you will be able to land the requisite number in the Colony during the year. In order that there may be no doubt as to the number expected, I place it before you, with the distribution among the Provinces. I think it also requisite to do this as the number has been considerably increased since it was originally fixed at 8,000. It now nearly reaches 13,000, as follows: — 11—D. 1.

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