CURRENT TOPICS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1815, 14 April 1888, Page 4

CURRENT TOPICS.

Our Christchurch morning contemporaries have been at it harumer-and-tongs lately with respect to the exodus going on from New Zealand to Victoria and elsewhere — Victoria especially. It was stated, for example, that one particular steamer took avray from the Bluff on a recent trip no less than 400. At once this was contradicted, and it was alleged that the number of passengers was only 150. Then this was contradicted again, and it was shown on the authority of a passenger that the Bteamer had really between 300 and 400 passengers aboard. What are the public to infer from all this? Is it that the newspapers — one or other, or both — are twisting facts to suit their political views and predilections ? Not at all, we think. Probably each considers its information perfectly accurate and reliable. But it will be asked how it comes about that gach widely differing figures are supplied j from different sources. The explanation is doubtless simply that m the one case the number of" passengers given has been that of those aboard the steamer, and m the other the number who booked their passages ashore. And here it may bs remarked that it would serve a uesefal purpose if the Press Association's Agents at Melbourne, Sydney, and other colonial ports would telegraph to New Zealand the number of passengers arriving at those ports by each steamer, as it would then be possible to keep something like an accurate record of emigration. The amount of immigration to New Zealand is always to be 'orrectly obtained, but the record of is altogether misleading, inasmuch as no account is taken of the Very large proportion who do not book ashore but pay their passages aboard. If an exact account had been kept during the past four months, we believe that it would have been shown that the emigration was very much larger than appears m the Government statistics. Yet even these, incomplete and misleading as they are, suffice to prove that there is a very large exodus going on, the figures published m another column showing a balance of 1520 against the colony during the month of March,

Of the large number of people who have daring the past few months been leaving our shores, by far the greater proportion have been bound for Victoria and New South Wales ; out of 2437 registered departures during March 1048 hiving booked for the first- named, and 854 for the last-named colony. The arrivals from New South Wales during the Bame month were also m excess of those from Victoria, the figures being respectively Kew fc'outh Wales 331, Victoria 291. The balance of emigration over immigration against New Zealand, and m favor of those *two colonies, was thus Victoria 757, New South Wales, 523. Victoria has thus evidently received the preference, ar>.d as m view of the depression existing m these islands, it is not improbable that others are thinking of following suit, it may be gu te worth while to point out that there is every reason to believe thr.t the rush to Victoria has been already overdone. Eecent information goes to show that for every bttlet which offers ' there are scores or hundreds of applicants, and that m all trades there are more available workmen than work. The same thing is true of New South Wales, indeed it is Eaid that there are thousands m Sydney m great straits. Under these circumstances then, bad as times are m New Zealand, we would strongly counsel those who can get a living at all to stick to such employment as they have, lest m going farther they fare worse. It is only three weeks next Thursday to the meeting of Parliament, and yet, although Ministers have been running to and fro m the land as actively as a certain mischievous and unnamable personage is reputed to do, not a scintilla of information has any one of them vouchsafed (except Mr Mitchelson's hints as to the Kative policy) as to their views with regard to the future, or the lines of policy they intend to submit. Never before that we remember has a recess passed over without a single speech from a Minister, and yet it seems that that is to be the case this time. For we note that the Premier has intimated that he does not intend to address a CuriStchurch audience, and putting this together with a previous announcement that if he did speak at all, it would be at Christchurch, we infer that he is going back to Wellington without opening his lips m public. Mr Hislop (the 1 Colonial Secretary) was among his constituents m Oamaru reccutly, but he took care not to address them, and is now again m Wellington, while the Minister for Lands now m Southland rushos back Nurtli m a day or two, and has so far given no sign of an intention on his part to break this profound silence. What dees it all mean ? Have Ministers got nothing to say ; are their plan? so unready, is their mutual understanding so incomplete that they are afraid to open their months ; or have they prepared such schemes as they fear to submit to the public verdict ? Is it a mixture of all these things, or is it none of them which influences them and keeps them dumb ?