The Feilding Star. SATURDAY, APRIL 7, 1883. IMPORTATION OF PAUPERS.

Feilding Star, Volume III, Issue 88, 7 April 1883, Page 2

The Feilding Star. SATURDAY, APRIL 7, 1883. IMPORTATION OF PAUPERS.

Whi'.k Major Atkinson is attempting- to grapple with the question of the prevention of pauperism in New Zealand, the members of the Charity Organization Society of England are endeavoring to relieve themselves o^ some of their burdens by transfering them to the colonies. Kecer.t telegrams inform ns that this socie.y waited upon Hr Charles Dilt.e to urge upon him the necessity of recommending the Government to vote j a sum of money for the assistance ol persons de-irons ot emigrai ing to tlie British colonics; and it was pointed out that persons so assisted could be made to repay the outiav on their becomingset lied in their new homes. I his proposition means neither more nor le- s than that this so-c.lkd charitable so cieSy would like to Transfer its sef assumed responsibilities to the colo uies, by sending out " the lame, tha halt, and the blind," accompanied '>v the thriftless and lazy portions or 'he various parishes where this sind charitable society rules. The class of persons wbo would permit themselves to be torwarded to the cuionies as acknowledged paupers, would be very undesirable additions to the colonial populations who have considerably enlarged ideas on the subject ol independence, and who, consequently, would not be likely to afford paupers a very hearty welcome to their shores. The idea that persons oi' this class would ever repay the Government for the outlay is patently absurd. Not one in a thousand would ever dream ol doing so ; and from a variety ol causes obvious enough to the experienced colonist, they would seldom o^ ] I never acquire sufficient property for any Government io distrain upon io,- 1 payment of arrears of passage money. The thing has been tried before, and ! proved a miserable failure. Jt is j doubtful whether i he Governments ot j any ot the. colonies would be a party to such un arrangement with the Mother Country. Lord Fitzroy, in | a letter to the London Times, discusses the proposals made as above. He naturally objects to any money being voted out of rates for the assistance of emigration, and thinks j •' that the colonies shou'd vote immi- [ gration taxes. The colonies, however, i should impose two conditions, viz , thai immigrants should pay a portion I oftheir own passage money, and that oniv those should be assisted who possess vigorous health and are fitted for manual labor." Whatever may be tbe case in the other colonies, the i plan as proposed by Lord Fitzroy has been in force for years in New ; | Zealand, nnd has mainly assisted in ' keeping up the standard of the New Zealand colonists. This is not what ; the Charitable Organisation wants in any degree. They wish, naturally enough perhaps, to keep " the young, , the strong, and the adventurous" at home, because they are the ''backbone and sinew of the country," aud on such does its prosperity and honor depend. They desire to get rid of the poor and needy, and so reduce the taxes they have to pay towards rheir support, 'i he pretence that they desire to ouly assist; " emigrants to British colonics" is only a snare, aud one that the colouy of New Zealand is not likely to fall into.