D.—s.

1879. NEW ZEALAND.

IMMIGRATION. REPORTS OF IMMIGRATION OFFICERS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30TH JUNE, 1879.

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

No. 1. The Immigbation Offices, Auckland, to the Under Seceetaey for Immigration. Sic, — Immigration Office, Auckland, 12th July, 1879. I have the honor to report that during the year ended 30th Juno, 1879, 633 immigrants, equal to 553 statute adults, arrived in Auckland. Of these 406 were assisted ; the remaining 227 were nominated immigrants. Six hundred and ten came in vessels direct, and 23 coastwise. I attach a return of arrivals, marked A. Five births and eight deaths occurred while the immigrants were at sea, and one birth at the depot a few days after landing. The deaths wero all those of children under two years, and no infectious disease existed. The immigrants found little difficulty in obtaining employment. They appeared an average class, and mostly suited for colonial life. One hundred and thirtyeight were young women suitable for domestic service, 159 were farm labourers ; and for both of thesa classes the demand was much greater than the supply. This unsatisfied demand may be accounted for by the fact that most of the single women get married within a year of arrival; while many of the young men who emigrate as farm labourers are either not strictly so, or prefer to remain in town at higher wages, doing ordinary labourers' work. A great demand still exists for single women suitable for domestic service, dairymaids, good cooks of either sex, ploughmen, farm labourers, and good farm hands ; but for mechanics, more particularly of the iron and wood trades, there is no demand. I enclose scale of current wages and provisions, marked B. The nominated system is much more beneficial than the assisted. The immigrants coming out under the former almost invariably find homes and employment on landing, while the assisted are not always so fortunate ; and iv the case of married men with large families many difficulties present themselves. Taken as a whole the assisted immigrants are inferior, both physically and morally, to the nominated. The nominations made during the year amounted to 1,219 souls, equal to 1,019$ statute adults ; as against 578, equal to 496, of the previous year. The sum of £201 7s. 6d. in cash has been deposited as payment in advance for outfit and passages of the persons nominated. The amount received on this account during the previous year was £45 10s. This shows the increasing prosperity of this district, and also the eagerness of the public to avail themselves of the advantages of the nomination system. Many of the nominators have not been more than six years in the colony, but are possessed of considerable property. Among these may be found a number of Government immigrants who are now hotelkeepers, farmers, country storekeepers, master mechanics, aud in Government employ. The bills given by assisted immigrants are in most cases worthless, and many of them are now of five or six years' standing. The collector states that the bulk of these people are in poor circumstances, with large families. Many have left the district, others are dead, and the remainder are so scattered over the couutry that the collector says it is impossible for him to visit them unless he is provided with a free passage on the railways and local steamboats, or a higher rate of commission. The sum of £52 has been collected on account of immigrants' promissory notes during the year; but as the Government now intend to institute summary proceedings for the recovery of these moneys, a much larger sum will bo realized during the ensuing financial year. The unpaid promissory notes on hand on the 30th June, 1879, represented £8,123 6s. lOd. Tho immigrants' cottages having been all disposed of, no revenue has been derived from this source. The gross revenue received amounted to £313 9s. 6d. D. 5.—1.