THE EMIGRATION AGENT.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2133, 8 March 1870, Page 2

THE EMIGRATION AGENT.

(To the Editor of the Evening Star.) Sir,— The Emigration Agency for Otago forms the subject of to-day’s Daily Times leader. A certain Mr Robertson, who is well known in this City, has been undertaking a !ai ge amount of gratuitous labor, in order to push the interests of the Colony in Great Britain, and to induce more emigrants to seek a home on these hospitable shores. As Mr Robertson has so generously used his time and talents in the cause of the Colony, T wonder whether he would have any objection to being appointed agent in Mr Auld’s place ? It is a'so a matter open to conjecture, whether the thought (shall I say hope) of such an appointment has ever found place

in Mr Robertson’s calculations. He is surely entitled to some remuneration for his incidental expenses, such as paper, envelopes, and postage stamps. In considering this point, it is well to leave the item of his own valuable time and talents out of the question, as it is more than probable that on these points various opinions and estimates mieht be formed by different persons. The case stands thus: Mr Robertson’s letser implies that Mr Auld is conducting the business intrusted to him in a slovenly and careless maimer altogether regardless of the interests of the Colony from which he is the, recipient of such a substantial income. On the strength of these statements the Timet leader is based. Permit me through the medium of your columns to present a few facts to the notice of the public of Dunedin. It is now three years since I left Scotland and before doing so I repeatedly called on Mr Auld. What could have been the matter with Mr Robertson when he tried to discover Mr Auld’s whereabouts ? I can only surmise that after having such a t me in the colonies, he must have felt like a tish out of water when landed in the streets of Edinburgh. St. Andrews square is surely easily enough found ; for my own part I never had any difficulty in steering my way thitherwards. Edinburgh must have changed wonderfully sin e I left if this locality can now with any justice be styled “an unfrequented part of the city;’’in my day it formed oneof theprincipalbusines s thoroughfares. As well as I remember th ere was a prominent brass plate exhibited outside Mr Auld’s offices, the eiranc% to which was at the top of three or 1 ant"broad stone steps. With regard to Mr Auld himself, during the few conversations I had with him I found him most communicative on Colonial topics ; he furnished me with a fund of information on the subject, and spared neither time nor trouble in explaining the peculiar advantages and facilities offered in this Colony to settlers. It is a matter of opinion whether, at the present day, any honest man could advocate the cause of emigration to Otago. This is, however, an extraneous matter which I do not now intend to discuss. I believe there are many here who could (if they would) endorse my testimony as to the way in which Mr Auld’s agency is conducted ; and in the eyes of a large proportion of the community I do not believe that much blame will be attached to that gentleman if he does not for the present push the cause of emigration to any extreme point.— I am, &c., East Lothiax. March 5, 1870.