D.—6

2

FACILITIES FOE ACQUIEING INFOEMATION. Perhaps no one individual ever before had afforded to him such rare opportunities for acquiring a general knowledge of the colony as myself. No expense was spared by either the General or Provincial Governments. All my movements were arranged and carried out under the direction of either the General or Provincial Governments. But while they provided the means, to their honour, I may say, they never sought unduly to influence my mind in favour of any particular province, but left me unfettered and free, and from my own observations draw my own conclusions and form my own opinions. I mixed pretty freely with all classes of the community —from the Hon. J. A^ogel (Premier) down to the lowest settler; from the intelligent and brave warrior chief down to the meanest and most ignorant Native occupying the rudest Maori whare. I have associated with the great landed proprietor, and with the less affluent settler, who is steadily advancing upward to a more prosperous position. I have met with the employer of labour and the employed, with the prosperous aud the unsuccessful, and I have come to the conclusion that any of our labourers, gifted with temperate habits, such as sobriety, industry, frugality, and perseverance, may, in the course of a few years, become occupiers of land themselves, and have placed to their account at the bankers a considerable sum for times of sickness and old age. Indeed, gentlemen, I feel convinced that New Zealand, with its fine, healthy climate, its salubrious air, its fertile soil, its mild winter, its temperate summers, its liberal land laws, its fine educational system, its freedom from State-Churchism, and its civil and religious privileges, is secondary to no other colony in point of the advantages and privileges it has to offer to intending emigrants of the proper class. WOEK AND WAGES. The work and wages question is, probably, the most important which can be brought before the attention of those who think of making New Zealand their home. The colony of New Zealand is very Erosperous —never more so. The demand for labour is great; notwithstanding the large numbers who ave recently emigrated to its shores, the demand still continues ; and now that large tracts of country are being opened up by railways and other reproductive works, the colony for some years will be prepared to absorb annually a large number of our sober and industrious labourers, together with a fair sprinkling of tradesmen and men with small capital. All the emigrants who go out to this fine colony with the intention of working their way upward can find ready employment at good wages. This is evident to all, in the immense number of letters which reach our shores by every mail, giving glowing and encouraging accounts of the success that attends their industrious efforts in their newlyadopted country. New Zealand is no country for the idle, improvident, and dissolute ; they had better stay at home. Men do not pick up gold in the streets in the colony ; and the ne'er-to-do-well man in this country, who has fallen out with work, and is too fond of his drops, had better not emigrate to New Zealand ; but for the energetic, pushing, self-reliant, and persevering man there is no lack of employment —good work, hard work too, but the men out there have something to keep them up to it. Then, they only work eight hours a day —an admirable system this, as it gives the labourer time for recreation and for mental improvement. (This system might, if adopted, prove a great advantage to our labourers at home ; here is a hint for them anyhow.) Then they work with a will, because in many parts they are paid eight shillings for eight hours' work. In travelling through the various provinces I found that the rate of wages for general labourers varied from 6s. to Bs. per day, without board, and with board from 18s. to 225. 6d. per week; ploughmen, from 20s. to 255. per week and found ; shepherds, from £35 to £70 per annum and found ; married couples (without family), from £60 to £80 per annum and found; female domestic servants, from £25 to £50 per annum aud. found. Artizans' wages —Carpenters, from Bs. to 12s. per day ; masons, 9s. to 12s. per day; bricklayers, Bs. to 14s. per day; smiths, from 10s. to 12s. per day; miners, 7s. 6d. to 12s. per day ; and for stonebreaking upon the roads, from 3s. to 4s. 3d. per cubic yard. This would bring me to notice the price of PEOVISIONS. Beef, from 3d. to 6d. per lb.; mutton, 2d. to sd. per lb.; pork, 3d. to 6d. per lb.; bread, 6d. to 9d. per 4lb. loaf; butter, fresh, Bd. to ls. 6d. per lb. ; butter, salt, from 6d. to ls. per lb. ; cheese, 6d. to lOd. per lb.; coffee, ls. 3d. to ls. lOd. per lb.; tea, from 2s. 3d. to 3s. 6d. per lb.; sugar, s|d. to 6d. per lb.; tobacco, 4s. to 6s. per lb. ; and sheep's heads are thought nothing of. When in Southland I actually saw a number being thrown along with wood upon the fire to help to get up steam. CLOTHING AND HOUSE BENT. As clothing and house rent forms such an important item in housekeeping, I may here say that clothing is rather dearer in the colony than in England —say from 10 to 20 per cent, dearer. But this is an evil which, in a fine wool-producing country like New Zealand, will soon right itself. As manufactories increase, they will in time be able to compete with the home market. House rent, too, is higher than at home, especially in towns; but it is advisable for emigrants, as a rule, not to settle down in the thickly-populated towns, but push their way up into the interior of the country, where labour is in greater demand, and where it is much easier to secure a piece of freehold, and run up a neat wooden cot of their own. I had the pleasure of welcoming friend Leggett to the very prosperous Province of Canterbury last . He spent his first night on arrival with me, and on the following morning I procured him a situation at 12s. per day. A few days ago I was informed upon good authority that he was making his way, and getting on very comfortably, and that he had already built a house of his own. A noble testimony this to the success which invariably attends the settlement of the right class of men in New Zealand. Then comes FIEING. In most parts of New Zealand wood is abundant, and is easy of access, but, in addition to this, New Zealand abounds in mineral wealth, in the shape of gold, coals, copper, ironstone, Ac, so that