CURIOUS IMMIGRATION

Hawke's Bay Times, Issue 1560, 20 March 1874, Page 156

CURIOUS IMMIGRATION

Southern Gross, ! Dr FVatberston hail better look to his | laurels ami look well after his agents. If the late French contingent which arrived in Auckland by the Wave Queen is a sample of selection it is so unnatural as respects the wants of the colony, -that it had better not be repeated, and it displays such extraordinary laxity, or j

tather total want of supervision that it, demantis iiiv'es igation both here*and at home. Four French men and four French women, all of-whom we understand, declare they came from Paris, obtained Government passages as qualified immigrant's,''the men professing to be tradesmen and the women entered as their wives. Their names are as entered on the list of passengers : —Eugene Froidure, blacksmith, and Florance, his wife; Edward Duret. bootmaker, and Celino, his wife ; Auguste Hugurs, bricklayer, and Rose, his wife; Theodore Francois, engineer, and Valentine, his wife. After the arrival of this party, and their lodgment in the Immigration Barracks, it was given out that they were vine-dressers, and visits of inquiry were made to the Barracks by persons anxious to promote the cultivation of the vine and the manufacture of wine. The Barrack master, we believe, states that the inen do not desire employment at their professed trades, but have stated that they purposed from the first to take up the ballet business, and that business accordingly the party have taken up. It is further reported that they are further engaged to, go to Australia as soon as the present ballet season terminates. If so, what becomes of the system of immigration as managed in England ? We suggest to the Immigration Department here to. make strict inquiry so as to ascertain whether the reports pn which the passages were obtained are in accordance with truth. Certainly, it was never intended that public mouey should be spent to import performers of an indecent dance, nor is it to be suffered that persons representing themselves as practical tradesmen, who get their passages on condition that they shall stay in the colony and pursue their trades iu it, should bring out balletdancing, and avoid working at their callings and follow theatricals for a livelihood. A clear breach of the conditions of our immigration system appears to have been made, and a searching investigation ought to follow. Ii is bad enough that public murals should be tainted by indecent dancing, without our having to pay over ,£IOO lor the importation of the performers and their follow ing. We recommend the attention of the magis'rites and the other authorities concerned to both the performances and the c mditions under which the performers obtained their passages.