The Evening Star WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21, 1875.

Evening Star, Issue 3793, 21 April 1875, Page 2

The Evening Star WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21, 1875.

Sia J. D. Bill appears to hare a singularly good natured constituency, who display n« j,eal«nsy whatever that he woos them at second-hand. Whether there is any place in the Mataura district in which he could air his eloquence to listening doiens we do not know; but if there is he has a funny way of making love to his clients through their neighbors of Invercargill. Meat probably Mr Cuthiebtson and he understand one another, and as a stranger Sir F. D. Bell can say what Mr Cuthbertson would not like ts hint at. But why on earth the people of Invercargill should be privileged to express the opinion that the worthy knight is a fit and proper person to represent Mataura is a thing pawing wonder. One conclusion is inevitable, and that is that the men of Invercargill and the representative of the Mataura district are of one mind. Possibly at the next election they may vote for the same man. Who knows 1 He has felt their pulse, measured the length of their foot, and suited his sayings to their wishes. We hare already expressed our opinion of his treatment of Provincial abolition. Theie was nothing very mightily to find fault with in it, although, taking into consideration that the honorable gentleman sets up for a political philosopher, and charges the Press with not treating the matter philosophically, he threw marvellously little light upon it himself. Perhaps he, like the Press, did not choose to fight with a shadow. For our own parte, we want to have the definite propositions before us before deciding either for or against the Government. We have less need of hesitation respecting Sir F. D. Bell’s toadyism respecting transmission direct of immigrants to Invercargill, and of his monstrous proposition to conserve agricultural land and sell the pastoral runs at 10s per acre. The petty jealousy of port agaiust port that the Southland people entertain is very natural to those who hold property there; but the inflated boastings of onr southern neighbors of the character of Bluff harbor are simply ridiculous. We have no objectien whatever to as many immigrants landing at Invercargill as the Southland men want, provided that they cost mo more to bring to the country than if they landed at Dunedin. But this cannot be. Although the Southland papers and Southland politicians write and talk about the injustice of sending immigrants to Dunedin instead of there, the trrue injustice to the country and the immigrants weuld be to require them to be landed at fcne bluff. First, because freight and insurance are higher to the Bluff than te Port Chalmers; and naturally so, for, notwithstanding the glaring self-interest that claims for Bluff harbor equality in convenience and safety with our own port shipping firms are net se easily duped! It may do for an eleetion cry, but the bluster will have no effect at Lloyd’s. The chart of the harbor, the nature of the channel, and the seundings are more closely examined than the claptrap of candidates and constituencies. Not only are freight and insurance higher, but there is comparatively no oonvenh ence for receiving immigrants at the Bluff; nor would the General or Provincial Government be justified in going to the expense of constructing barracks and a quarantine station. Ome difficulty every Government has to deal with in New Zealand is the number of large port* of import and export. This has both its conveniences and drawbacks. The convenience is the imady means of communication with each

Previnee j the drawback is, that for the am« amount of trade, the eost of collecting import duties is very rnueh increased as eompared with luch ports as Melbourne or Sydney-—the ports of the Colonies—and freight is increased through the diffusion of goods for different ports, delay in loading at Home, and diminishing the chance of return cargoes. Just the same is it with immigration. If there were only one port, one staff, one suite of buildings, only one supervision would be necessary. Enough inconvenience is felt already through heavy freights and insurances, without still further dividing the imports. If Invercargill is to have direct cargoes, why not Oamaru,or Timaru, or Hokitika, or a dozen, other places with equally plausiblei claims. Nor would it be just to tho immigrants themselves. They have no right to be plumped down in some outlandish place like the Bluff, where tho labor market might soon be overstocked, and they forced to take whatever work or wages might ba offered to them. If Southland wants laborers, there is no difficulty in communicating with the Immigration Agent here, who is bound to give immediate attention to the request. It is cheaper to send them as they are needed, than te pay the extra freight and charges upon a whole cargo, as well as for temporary accommodation and supervision. We do not wish the people of Southland to imagine that we are advocating the interests of Dunedin against theirs.. We should be only too glad if Invercargill deserved all the commendations that imaginative writers and speakers have showered upon it. Our remarks are not special, they are general, and would apply equally were the names Dunedin and Invercargill changed to unknown terms such as A and B. The Colony has a right to expect the utmost economy on the part of tlie Government in carrying out the immigration scheme, and unless the industries of Southland are willing to pay the extra cost to the country, •very man not interested in having vessels direct to the Bluff, whether in Southland or throughout the Colony, has fairly a right to protest against the waste of money.