The Dunstan Times. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1875.

Dunstan Times, Issue 709, 19 November 1875, Page 2

The Dunstan Times.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1875.

Benca'h the ride of men f.xtiruly just the PF.y in MIfJTITTER than the SWORD.

The question of “ the unemployed,” and what to do with them, appears to rather disconcert our Dunedin contemporaries, the morning papers in particular. The matter is one which has, from time to time, been the cause of considerable trouble both in New Zealand as well as the Australian Colonies; nor has the difficulty even been bora of the’ goldfields, as it existed in South Australia and New South Wales years before mining for gold became a recognised pursuit in the Southern Hemisphere. Wheralarge influx of population is being poured into a country, and that population before landing has not been provided lor as to a means of living it, must necessarily follow that the labor marhet becomes frequently deranged. It would be impossible to suppose that immigrants, as soon as they leave shipboard, unless sent for by their friends, could find themselves fitted exaedy into that particular groove they are best adapted to follow, while it may happen that there exists no groove at all suitable to their especial qualifications, consequently considerable delay must ensue before (hey find themselves settled down to something in the shape of a pin suit of the real business of life ; or it may possibly happen that, although admirably adapted for colonists, the newly arrived immigrants may drop in upon ns just when things are dull and evenkind of employment is fully supplied with hands. Such a contingency ap pears to have overtaken ns in Otago just now, and it’s naturally one of the outcomes of free immigration ; hut. considering that out of the many thousands of souls who have landed upon our shores during the last two yeais under the auspices of the Public Woiks’ scheme, and neatly the whole have found employment. It only shows how easy it must be, let alone the many existing opportunities for making a living in New Zealand, when such a vast heterogeneous lior’e has been able so quick'y to accommodate itself in its new found home The t.i mo must come, however, even if it has not come already, whm this halycion slate of thing- can exist no longer, and the present meetings of the unemployed in Dunedin, when tdeen info conjunction with affairs in tb'e conntrv districts point pretty -signifi nntly to the r act that free immigration under (he Public Works scheme has reachrd a limit beyond w ich i( is unwise to proceed furlher, while (bat a little cessation in the matterof our importations of humanity would give time for everyone to be

provided for. Added to. thin it must also lie taken into serious consideration that, as our I’ublio Works are fast verging on towards completion, the supply of labor for other pursuits will bo largely increased from this source alone. Population is essentially necessary to the progress of any country, hub th n it must bo of the right_sort, and judiciously introduced, thedenmnd and supply of labor being as nearly equalised as possible. New Zealand is a country posses-ing many and various natural capabilities, but their development must be the 'work of time. It is of no use whatever attempting to accomplish too much at once ; while all our evperienee goes to prove the peculiarities of the Colony to be such that the high-pressure system, wherever pursued, invariably results in failure. There is, doubtless greatness in store for us, but it must be won by steady app'ication and hard work. The geographical features of the country are opposed to the conduct of most operations upon any scale of great magnitude. There have been but few large enterprises entered into but what, have resulted in disas*ev, when, had the same foen undertaken in America or Australia the projectors would have made fortunes. Our system of Government has also favored this state of things. Provincial ism. by splitting the people up into small communities and narrow-minded centres, lias succeeded in so estranging one portion ot the Colony from another that, interests have become divided, and instead of co operating as a body to achieve one united purpose the Pro. vinees have been engaged pulling one against the other to see who can obtain the largest share of the plunder ; or, as it were, expending their energies in stupid rivalries, when then should hive been developing the natural resources of the counter, and unless Abolition is carried out in its integrity, it must be quite clear to any o’ servant, mind that instead of New Z cat and the Great—as it pleases ns to designate the Colony—we must be content, in spite of Public Works schemes, to remain content with the appellation of New Zealand the I itlle. It mav be all verv well for property holders in Dunedin, or persons interested in squatting i ursnits to advocate the indisciiminate pouring in of an immigrant population upon onr shores. vvHi tire view of increasing tire value of the one, or cheapening the'labor of the other; but the principle is equally unsound, as both the property holder and the employer of labor will find their interests best advanced when the population is prosperous by being in a po-it'on to obtain full employment at remunerative rates of wages. In a political sense precisely the same | views bold good in respect to immigration. It is no use importing people j into tire Colony for tire mere prr-pose j of arr extended division of our national indebtedness, as one person doing well j contributes more in the shape of direct taxation to the revenue of the Co'onv than two doing badly; There is very little donlrt but, that the present state of affairs point to the necessity of finishing some of the Public Works we have in hand, before proceeding to undertake the construction of any more ; while, however, clamorous interested parties may be for free immigration, it is nevertheless that, in this particular matter we should draw in our horns, having gone quite far enough for the present. Were New Zealand one great-continent, and Dunedin its chief port of entry, the difficulty of a large unemployed portion of our population might lie easily met ; but when we come to take onr littleness into account, together with the circumstances and conditions nt situation, the existing state of affairs demand much serious consideration. At, this particular time of the year there should be no unemployed whatever, while if such is the case, and there appears no reason, from the state of things in Dunedin to conclude otherwise, the mnrmnrings of the few now may only be premonitory warnings of something worse to fo'low.