IMMIGRATION.

Evening Star, Issue 3443, 5 March 1874, Page 3

IMMIGRATION.

. . To the Editor. r «: .' gain the yellow flag floats over one 1 ■ °, u !; imm ig r ant ships. Once; more those fearful scourges of juvenile life are reported abroad. Already twenty-six souls have gone to their long homes ; others stand a great probability, of following. Those that recover from these fevers may be counted among the infirm in, some cases their constitutions are hopelessly shattered, their health destroyed, and their usefulness to their fellow creatures lessened. Deafness, inflamed and ulcerated eyes, abscesses of the glands, sore throats, weak lungs, and assimulating organs, are among the common legacies these dire diseases'bequeath to their victims. Each ship brings the same sad story—the tale is repeated as batch after batch of our immigrants arrive—and rio steps seem to be taken to prevent its recurrence. Who, that has seen embarkations, can wonder ? Do yon call that a medical inspection of human beings ? Why, our domestic animals are subjected to a more rigorous examination. Let steps at once be taken to ensure a more careful examination of those human beings our Agent-General sends to us. They have to undergo no ordinary-dangers in a voyage of so great a distance. It is not like a trans-atlantic-voyage, where the interval that elapses between port and port is not suffi: emtit to display the development of disease. Should the present system of indiscriminate immigration be pursued, the Colcny will sooner or later feel its effects. The laws of nature in regard to population, like all her laws, are not to be disregarded, and 1 negligence of them is certain to be treated with retribution. Numbers rather than quality seems to be the rule j to-day not to morrow the principle.

W«iuld it not be better to pause in this policy of “ All’s grist comes to the mill” ? Is it most economical in the end to import indifferent material or bone and sinew ? That New Zealand does not get the best of Great Britain’s children is a fact patent to everyone who has watched embarkations and disembarkations, arid in my next letter will appear a leaf from my note-book regarding the physical and social characters of our immigrants, from which it will be seen thatwhile we receive very many worthy persons, we also get others whom we could rather do without.

But to return to zymotic diseases, my note-book reminds me of an occurence, only too common I am afraid, -which may have something to do with the acquirement of such diseases on board ship It relates to the pop-observance of section 8 of the charter between the New Zealand Government and the shipping firm, whoever it may be ‘ ; oection 8. The ship shall be ready m all respects for the reception of passengers in , before noon of the J a y 18 »” etc. Again section 9. “ The ’tween decks cleared and the ;ship in all respects ready for the reception of the passengers twenty-four hours before noon of the day named as the embarkation day.” And section 10 fixes the demurrage rate in case the ship is not prepared at the appointed time. Now it is not uncommon to see infractions to a greater or less extent of these portions of the contract. Indeed, to mention a mild instance, not eight Ppaths ago, the embarkation day of a certain ship chaitered for tbo New Zealand Governnaent was notified. The emigrants assembled at the appropriated rendezvous at the stated ime. Many of them had come for the first ime to ‘ The Big City,” several of them long distances; and BO me of these had large farfrnm etc, of the ship were r ■ m read y—-indeed, the hunks had only OT 2 meaC , e f that morning; and so the S °T ld ,* ot b ® received on board. Vi fho d ,e P.^ ace<^ la adjacent lodging houses by the shipping fi rm wLo were % % of the second part” in this contract; ami T h ai r iJ, 0 ?ff? eXpen? / 8 P aid by that firm Late m the evening of the second day they were, embarkea, and the ship loosed her neSfht ' 7 7 all the , To any one conversant with the emigrants’ boarding houses, situated generally in the harrow close streets of the large seaport towns, as Liverpool, Glasgow, and London it is not to be wondered at that should appear among those who have resided

m them; especially is this the case when.such places possess so unenviable-a notoriety for sickness, and only too frequently these nights ashore are spent by some of the emigrants in some neighboring public house. I am &c, Observer. Dunedin, March 5.