The Manawatu Standard (PUBLISHED DAILY.) The Oldest Daily Newspaper on the West Coast. SATURDAY, MARCH 20, 1886. POPULATION IN OUR TOWNS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XI, Issue 1663, 20 March 1886, Page 2

Manawatu Standard (PUBLISHED DAILY.) The Oldest Daily Newspaper on the West Coast. SATURDAY, MARCH 20, 1886. POPULATION IN OUR TOWNS.

J$ many previous articles; in jthis journal we have pointed qu£ jfclje jundesirable tendency of our population to flock to the towns, and to prefer city life to the more natural, healthful, and invigorating occupation of obtaining a livelihood from' the land. Mr Fuoude, m the descriptive chapters m his book, referring to the social life of. the working classes m New Zealand, has toppled upon the weak spot m our method ff gQlonijafipn. Tfje nrofesged and ostensible object and intention of all our public works schemes undoubtedly, or any rate presumably, has been to increase the rate of our colonization; but m this direction, to a great extent, Mr J?rqjj£>e seems to think that, pvacjfcic'aily speaking, have failed. We have established ' a ri^g of labourers who look forward,' not; to becoming independent gettJers on the land, but to be constant and steady recipients of 8s a day. They gave nothing, and when one 8s a fllay job, i| finished they agitate for the commencement of ptjiep public works, or clear 9Ujt to another colony, which may haye recently raised a loan and commenced the construction of more railways. Mr Fboude regrets the extravagance of the colony* which may make a Jani tax necessary, " and may overload for many years the energies of the colony." He says, speaking of Auckland, "Here, as elsewhere, the labourers crowd into the town, for the high wages, the music-halls, and the drink shops." He is astonished at the spectacle of crowds of men putting down a hill at Auckland harbour, and majtjng a big dock, while he drives »r a (Jay through rich apres lying untilleq. He predicts that a great nation will never be made thus, and speaks of the land "watting for occupation till the owners choose to sell, and the centrifugal forces, to be looked for hereafter, dispersed the city, crowds." He goes on : — " The re-' suit, so far as a stranger can see, is the soil left waste, and waiting for the ploughman's hand, an enormous debt still fast accumulating, and rich and poor — gentlemen, peasants, ! mechanics— gathering like flocks of

on one side, a beautiful country opening its arms to occupation, holding out m its lap erery blessing which country life can:. offer, and on the other, cities like Auckland, crammed like an over-crowded beehive, the bees neglecting the natural flowers and .feeding on borrowed sugar." 1 ' gulls above the carrion m the big towns." i* It was disgusting to see. The New Zealand Herald endorses the remarks above quoted and observes: — This is terribly true and impressive and it is to be" hoped j our legislators will think over it. ' Auckland is no worse than any other cities m the' colony ; probably it is a good deal better.' In the early days of the colony, to be able to go into the country and possess a farm was the ambition of nearly every man who was working for wages. He saved for that purpose and achieved it. He seldom thought of leaving the colony, and when, wages were low made the best of it, and lived economically. A gentlemau who has had large opportunity of observing tlie labourers who are now employed on. pur public works tells jus that npt_one| m a hundred has an idea of becoming a settler; 8s a day is the goil J their ambition, and vicinity " [of t* town, or sojne>place where they can; " enjoy life." And now ; Sir. Jlilius Yogel has just about persuaded us' that we must borrow, if forno other purpose, to keep this sort of thing going, and to save " enormous misery." Nobody, dreams that the East and West Coast Railway would pay, even if it were finished^ but. at all events it would help to keep up the price or labour. It could not promote settlement m any way, for no settlement is possible m the country through which it runs, but it would prevent men from acquiring the idea that they might do something else besides laboring on public works. If Mr Fuoude's book succeeds m attracting attention to the fact that reckless borrowing retards the progress of settlement to a most' potent 1 fashion, he will have done much good- to New •Zealand. It is all very well to think q| the benefits which his commendations of our climate and soil and scenery mus); be to uss but we must see also that ljis exposure of pur vast borrowing, and maintaining thereby swarms of bees, lecting the natural flowers and feeding on borrowed sugar," must strongly impress the people at home, and deter many from casting m their lot with us.