Manawatu Standard (PUBLISHED DAILY.) Suivant la verite. SATURDAY, MARCH 1, 1884. THE UNEMPLOYED AND IMMIGRATION.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IV, Issue 79, 1 March 1884, Page 2

Manawatu Standard (PUBLISHED DAILY.) Suivant la verite. SATURDAY, MARCH 1, 1884. THE UNEMPLOYED AND IMMIGRATION.

An article m the Now Zealand Indus-

trial Gazette for January, respecting the outcry of the , unemployed down. South, fully sustains our views on this ,su3bjeot, ; as ;s.at forth m former issues of theMANAWATU Standard. Oiircontempoiavy begins, by pointing out that the depression lately existing m some parts of the South Island has, of course, been followed by the old ' cry of the unemployed. Meetings huve been held m Chrwtcburch and Dunedin, and organisations have formed by those • " out of employ merit" and m- distressed circumstances." deputies from these organisations have interviewed Ministers, reprp&e.n.ting ,the. desirability :,of : staying: • the tide of immigration, and urging the wisdom, and even, necessity, of provide ing employment by m. earns of railway extension j at the same time being very precise as to whete the railways should be promoted. ■ The particulars to hand respecting the agitators, though meagre, are sufficient to prove iheir lack of

genuineness, and to most amply justify : the consideration and responses given to their appeals. At Qhristchurch 30? • signed the petition for eru pipy men c, Istating that they were destitute. Of this number, seventy-eight have been lip, £f.ew. Zealand, at Jeast twenty years ; fniti'ei^-n've'ft'rfnr lento twenty, -and i ninety from five to ten-years, \vhiie-of i the hundreds of immigrants^ that have 'poared into Canterbury during 1 theMst tive years only forty-fouy rank among • the unemployed. We quite agree } with the Industrial Gazette l^ that ' the | facts carry on the face of them a genuine i testimonial to |lie c.ap:il>ilitiesl of. lour. ! pplony to find employment for all who ' come earnestly m search otic -But what are the results ot these representations'to the Government ? , Did the « Hon. Mr Rolleston agree with his m!- -! terviewers, that, becaube 807 men i were out of employment m- Christ-- ! church, immigration to this colony should be stayed 1 No ! He told them : he held no such opinion, and tested the sjnperity of their cry for work by offer- | ing it to all and sundry at a remunepa : ! tion of 4s 6d per day, or £1 7s per 1 week ', but a large majority Bhowed ; themselves m their 'true colours by re- ; fusing the offer. It is pretty clear that j a pound a week from v benevolent m;- -; stitute and sundry V scorps" \y|th cpn- ' tiding tradesmen would be more congenial to most .of them than hard work ! ;vt.4s,6d a day;,. When it was seen ! tlJ^t tbe-auUHiie of- the Government m i the matter, of railway extension was I determined the agitation died away as i suddenly as it had arisen, t|ie last 'heard of it being toifcheieftect '•* that thei committee had resigned, telling the men to ; accept oi' r reject^ the 4g 6^ a day iisJe^ch-JViight-eiect^^for himself. -Bijtihow will these rumours of .^C4r ; c|ty .. of employment affect intending* emigrants ; atHom«?i Itjis^nptip be ; expected ■ that anything will be lost m transit; it is much more likely the circumstances will be seriously exaggerated. ilt is probable tha't' the effects will be damaging to some extent j not that they should be so. Working people at Home who may. b.e considering their chances of success ■m New Zealand should bo encouraged rather than alarmed l>y these disclosi^res. Thoir line of argument should be this, — " If only forty five of all the immigrants for the last five years .are of emploment, anil the majority of the forty-five m a jiosjtiftn to^fnse RhilUnga a week,' N4w:geplai4JJ hmst-b^ a. yer^ paradise for working fflei).!' Awl so It is. Where U the Govepmofti m the Old World which dare uffei &8d a day indiscriminately to all who care to accept it r t The difference "m the -value of that wage m the Old WortfTand: the ! ■ >!;.■':. Li'l?, YV ' '

New ltaN boen unwarrantably exrtsjgcr> sited, very uiuch to tlic detriment of the colonies. Tito aliened lack of employment if really existing at all, i.-i not only temporary but local. lir llik island quite reverse is the case. Con* tractors m and around Wellington iind i difficulty m securing workmen, while agriculture m Napier is being neglected trom the same cause. Bur, while we set up constant employment at high rate of wages as an attraction for labour, we hold that capital need not take ahum, fox- there is no lack ofc opportunity for the. latter , to profitably employ ihe former, even at the high ratr.s ruling m comparison with Home wages, provided the capitalist possesses a thorough knowledge of the business or trade into which he puts his money, and the enterprise to secure tho assistance of all the labour-saving appliances which the ©resent inventive age has made available.