The Manawatu Times. SATURDAY, JANUARY 25, 1879.

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 25, 25 January 1879, Page 2

The Manawatu Times. SATURDAY, JANUARY 25, 1879.

PsaijAP- one of the very healthiest evideuce.*- of the prosperous condition of New Zealand is its capacity of _;bsbrbiiig all the labour which is iiriporVed, without by any meansi supplying the demand.; Virile not only the Mo! her country, but. the varioiis Australian Colonies are reutrisiinder by disastri>us strikes, an I agitated by struggles Between capital, a iid .labor for ami against the reduction of wages, m this colony agricultural laborers', .to use a happy expression* cannot be procured "for love or moneyi" and it is asserted, on the very best riuthoniy that no less than -"d6_ per week and found, have been offered and refused. This must m a great measure be attributed to the worthless elas*. of immigrants which is being despatched from the London Agency,. not the slightest care or judi.;c"ousue>s being expended on the st-lec-tioni. The uiost clamorous "advocate ; -for' immigration must be compelled to ■admit tliftt a great many of those who have bceti. sei.it to our shores at tlie expense of the "Colony are not of niaterial •i- ale iila. ted to uia.k- a new country great Irind u:o.-:|-enms;aridfhtttfhe,injudicio^ "rind lndiscVitiiinate selection at. present ,'ni Jorce is open to the strongest reproi)Htjp*i".. We do not hold with those iournais which fear the inability of the *olo:»y to absorb the -amount- of immigrants which are being fprwrirded by its agents ; but w«* do strenuously protest against it being eoinpelled to .pay for arid -receive the "quality which ha* been Lii Hotted to it. We have m a former issac strongly pondfinried - t he practice .Of msvking jN.v.w Zcntaiid the receptacle .■or:thus..''unf6--tnimt'e*--who'-e-cxpei'ienpes--have manrfd.iti a work- house ; and we did: so- for the three-fold"-- reasons of its -:**t»ing au iajiisi-ice to ourseive.-*;, a gros-"-of the immigration l^tolftliJe s__ia- :t«_3 ?.t_;*_it i si i

cruelty and inhumanity to those deported. Those who may be doubtful of the capacity of New Zealand to furnish homes and employment to the comparatively few that we h'ai'e received, can have no adequate conception of the almost illimitable resources of the Colony, for we question if there be on the face of the globe a land more favoured by nature. With an area arid space fur a population eqiial to that of Great Britain, every square mile of which is rich m mineral wealth, a soil which "even on the high ranges is equal to that of the Old World, and a climate almost without parallel, great, glorious, and prosperous is the future m store for -New Zealand. But it must not be forgotten that we are as yet only m a rough state, and our future prosperity will m a'great measure depend on' the means employed m our development. vViiat we require are strong aruKand willing hearts which are not afraid to tackle ihe tough work which lies before us ; and if we are to achieve the greatness wnich uiay yet he the lot of the Britain of the South, it must be with difdiffereiit niaterial from of that which we liave been receiving. According to the present system of selection there appears to be no test -physically or otherwise — as to the adaptability of the camuuiuvs to their new sphere of labor, and the natural consequence is that many persons forwarded find' themselves m false positions, and the C >lony orico.ues burdened with the most undesirable acquisitions. The practice o' :illowitigsuu-agenis,of the Mrs Howard •stamp. Unlimited powers, and giving a percentage on those chosen, is open to vie greatest abuses. It has also been a matter of su'prise to us why the Government should fritter away the funds ot Uie Slate iv paying high salaries to lecturers to induce pers-m*-oy glowing accounts to give our land the preference of Canada or America, when we nave a tar more desirable rlns** of immigrants so near our own doors. At the -.resent time unfor unatelv. owing to the decline of her goldrield*, Victoria is not m the prosperous Stat-.-she was a dozen of years since, and the sturdy sinews and strong anns which developed her resources, and built up lie r former greatness, are now m a great measure at a discount. We, on the contrary, are only m our infancy, and possess, m addition to our gold mines, aelds of coal and other mineral.*-, whie'.t .\ ul ia_.e y«-ai.s and years to work, not o i-pea-- oi our superior ag.i.-ultura! resources. It cannot he denied that the men who have fought the battle ol (Jolonial lite, and are inured to the hardships and inconveniences which are part and parcel of every-day experiences m the Colonies, should be far more preferable and better adapted Jo i-oiitribit:*---to the piusperiiy bl a land sucli as ours, iuttu uii-ii new and unused to the cusco sof the country. The slate of trade m tue sisier colonies is m a mo«*t deplorable condition, where one hand is wanted there are fifty applicants; aud we feel convinced tlitt if the sii n» lUvlluies were held out fo.' transmission inther, as are given to the English cmiBy such a course this" Colnny would not uiily secure an incrca.-e of population, but would also have a superior ••lass of colonists at one-half tin* cost .>f the -tiglish article. Du. ing the lani■laid War tnis Government stivrigthcneo its ligiiling force by raising a Voluneer C«'iiiiiis.ent iv Victoria, and how hey acquitted themselves m the tiny of need and necessity are now matter** of New Zealand history.. Wiiy no: again have recourse to the same means, .>nly that tlie sword has been turned mo the pi "ighshare, and the services of recruits would be waned m hewin_ uutm loresus instead of foes. W>* recommend the idea to the cousid -ration ■>f Sir Geokge Gubv and his confreres.