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No. 6. The Hon. the Minister of Immigration to the Agent-C-eneral. Wellington, 30th January, 1884. The accompanying copies of circulars, relative to the acceptance of nominations, which have been, gent to all Immigration Officers in the colony, are transmitted for your information. W. RoLLBSTON.
Enclosure 1 in No. 6. (Circular telegram to Immigration Officers.) Government Buildings, Bth January, 1884. Give preference to country nominations, and sift all applications carefully so as to eliminate any doubtful ones. Inform nominators that Government cannot pledge itself as to the time when passages will be provided, and they should warn their friends whom they nominate not to take any action to break up their homes until definitely advised to do so by the Agent-General. H. J. H. Eliott.
Enclosure 2 in No. 6. Memorandum for Immigbation Officebs. (Circular No. 2.) In continuation of my telegram of yesterday, with reference to the acceptance of nominations, you are requested to take care that the following words are inserted on all applications for nominated passages : " and that the fixing of the date at which passages will be provided rests entirely with the Agent-General." I enclose for your guidance a copy of the nomination form, with the above words added in manuscript; and it will be necessary for you to send instructions to all local officers who accept nominations directing them in future to act in accordance with the instructions contained in my telegram and this circular. H. J. H. Eliott, Immigration Office, Wellington, 9th January, 1884. Under-Seeretary.
No. 7. The Hon. the Minister of Immigbation to the Agent-General. Sib,— Immigration Office, Wellington, 2nd February, 1884. On the Bth January the words " reduce immigrants " were telegraphed to you by the Hon. the Premier, which it was understood you would take as an instruction to confine your operations in future to sending nominated immigrants only, ceasing, unless in very special cases, to send unnominated single women. The number of men who have been sent without nomination has been very few; but, considering the extent to which the vote has been drawn upon, it will be advisable to send no more at present. My letter of the 12th August, 1882 (No. 2, D.-4a., 1883), informed you that the proposal of the Government was that the sum of £200,000 should be distributed over a period of three years for the purpose of immigration; and, if that sum is to be fairly expended within the limits proposed, it will not admit of the continuance of the rate afc which Immigrants have been arriving during the past few months. It is satisfactory to observe that your arrangements have been such that, up to the present time, the immigrants have been of such suitable classes and have arrived at such a time of year as has enabled them to be readily absorbed in the colony. It will, however, now be necessary, owing to the approach of the winter months, to reduce your operations as much as possible, so as to insure that the limits of the original proposal with regard to funds shall not be exceeded, and that none but nominated immigrants of the most suitable classes shall be sent out. So far as can be estimated at present, the proportion of the £200,000 which will be available, after providing for commitments to the end of the present financial year, will be about £60,000. It will therefore be necessary for you so to regulate your operations for the year 1884-85 as not to exceed that sum. ■ In order to provide as far as possible that none but desirable nominations should be accepted in the colony, instructions were sent to the local immigration officers to give preference to country nominations, so as to avoid contributing to the excessive proportion of the town as compared, with the country population, and to sift all applications carefully. They were also instructed to take care that it should be stated on each nomination form that the fixing of the dates at which passages would be provided would rest entirely with you. Copies of these instructions are forwarded to you with my memorandum of the 30th ultimo. As indicated in my letter of the sth January (No. 29, F.-2, 1884), it will probably be found that, if you confine your future operations so as not to exceed the funds which will be available, sufficient accommodation can be provided by the monthly steamers for the number of immigrants you will require to send out during the next twelve months. I have, &c, W. ROLLESTON, The Agent-General for New Zealand, London. Minister of Immigration,
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