OAMARU AND IMMIGRATION.

Evening Star, Issue 3895, 18 August 1875, Page 3

OAMARU AND IMMIGRATION.

The ‘ N. O. Times’ has an article referring to th i class of immigrants forwarded to the Oamaru district, which says " Qurnadeis will remember that in answer to a question put by Mr Steward, in the House of Repre sentatives, a few days ago, Ministers replied that instructions went to the Agent-General by last mail to send a shipment of immigrants direct to Oamaru. At first sight the advantage of having them direct, instead of viA Dunedin, may not be apparent to all, but a little consideration will convince the most sceptical that, supposing the ordinary care in selection st Home be taken, the arrival of the immigrants direct makes to us all the difference between having a desirable or an undesirable addition to our population. Hitherto, with the exception of the last arrivals, the immigrants we have received have been porti ns of shipments to Dunedin. The whole shipments have been placed in barracks there, and after the most eligible have been sorted out the balance have been drafted away, part being sent here. In this way we have been receiving those immigrants who could find no employment in Dunedin, such as the ‘unmarried single girl ’of sixty years of age. It has been also noticeable that the authorities have sent up a very large proportion of child ren : —of married people with large families—and these naturally find a difficulty in obtaining employment. After a few months we i£ay hope, however, that this will be changed, and that we shall no longer have to complain of receiving only refuse lots ”