THE LINCOLN DELEGATES.

Manawatu Times, Volume IV, Issue 68, 4 September 1880, Page 3

THE LINCOLN DELEGATES.

Messrs. Grant and "^oMterhave given ,to< the world their impre»iiibhs : of" New Zea'-' Jand, and m the opening preface tbe object of their journej^i'thui'itafed :^J- • "A great' deal of attention- hat been drawn of late to New Zealand, as a field ot emigration for^English tenant farmers, - who are probably suffering more hopi?les*ljf thtu any other clas^J pp ..society' fjoui.the prevailing depression. *'' arid- 'glowing accounts have reached us of the present condition nnd hope* for. the i future i of agriculture m that country,"' but 'none',' so far" as We' "know, have com« from any r practicol farmer with tlie time 'and "opportunity'' to' see and judge of the slate of facts, for himself.. .It, was to remedy this that, m thesuoinier of last year ■.memorial was presented to us.;: signed by some hundreds of farmers, chiefly from Lincolnshire, Yorkshiro, and .JJSTorfolk, pud asking us to make an inspection of the Colony, and .report tp them pur views as to the condition and prospects of the farming interests there.' : After some/ hesitation irt accepted the task; we have been to New Zealand, and inspected, mbreA-or less piinutely, the chief agricultural districts of both Islands,. and theJTpreiehtj lit tleJ work is> intended to describe what we have seen, and to show the opiuious to which our visit has : .}ed us." A : #j.z\r*-$< vvM.&swcx To judge by the contents of the hook, the object has' been thorougly Well attained / The account of our " practi. al farmers" will we way observe here, be read not the lew appreeiat.velyrbxTfasori'pf tb^Tofferjof/las: fUtence'with which |! c p.eface closes. '-' We shall be happy. y (iay the delegate*^ to give such advice and I'sli-tuhce as may lie m m our power to any farmers .and capitali-ts ■who may f tnl^k ij bf %a : k'i% i: Ne'w^ Zealand their future liome, and will communicate irith.us. They, ; may resfcassured ibja-r what-; ever we say wifli iVgaru to ourearitlid' aria Unbiassed opinion, and that we will do our Vest to direct them to wliab we" believe will be most for th.eir benefit." Their (favorable Opinion of 's.e v-2«»l.»nd air a field for inrest nient is here'mahifestj J'J ' "In our'eifperiericß.the' ioil-lsj as a rule, .^Mieblightcr.thun-farrneriJ m England are . accustomed to work, and-ihany of them on arriving m the Colony are disappointed at Ending the" loil'so'loose "tftfd' light"," "Tn "the" "Waikato, foy instance, soils do not \\>Jk. to English'eyias ifikeHy Vo'pJnoSuci'the; mag : 5 riifieent grass crops which, as a matter of fact, ,we saw.po;lhein ;„and the wheat-grow-ing land in f *tfce -Bo^th Isfaiid was not m general anything like so heavy as that on which we are accustomed to see the best grown wheat at HbfrieT Ihdrf (,we s w T«yJlit»leTreal|y heavy clay-jland m. the Colony, ana such soil, where it does ociur, Till not be .worth cultivating' far some time to come. The lahor required to work tis far too great, and there are no frosts m winter sufficient to pulverise it, while.it is perfectly possible to consolidate any ' soil which may be a little too light by stocking \b sufficiently heavily. JBut of one. thing we are certain," 1 - thafc( whatever the quality f the soil, eiiiere were »plendid ci'ops on it vi almost eVery part of the country that wel saw." And not content with tbeir opinion, they mention having -seen at Sydney some pf the agrioultural-prizie exhibits -from' the New Zealand. •*Xt""uiay 'tif -Iftefes'liiigJ to know the prises gained by- New Zealand for samples of grain at the New South Wales Exhibition, m competition with the, other. Colonies; we had 'm opp6itun,ity^*J>rhilt waiting/ atMjydueyi" to. sj?e %hese * sam plei* which certainly could only he called magnificent. Thejb^eft ; barley especially, though possibly a shade; Smaller;, than ; our b^t. English barley x vrtu pjerf tot m shape r %nd colour; but 'we Tierer- saw anj{ ";'ajs good iii New Zealand, but we never hj^l the/chance pf getting to Neleoh where th^s p^i<;ul*r sample, was; grown." QJ tjhe nj^^ts, th»t at whsaJi an.4 vrooU

being European, is of course not discussed. /.Those for meat, oats, potatoes, and -other j produce, being local, the readers are informed are fluctuating and generally low, and; requiring for their development the establishment of local industries. That these will he established the delegates are certain, quoting m support of their opinion Dr. Sector's statistics of the very rapid progress of the New Zealand industries during the last decade. Tlie labor queitiori as-repre-senting dear labor is; set down at a much. overrated bug-bear. - . The ; verdict; ; it 'that wages are certainly high**!' than m EiiglauJ, but that, firstly they must come down, and secondly, that the. high rate does not mean' a proportionate difference m the coal of production, the lands being more easily worked* the system of farming being les* : artificial, and the labor-saving appliances very much greater. : . ; ; Having His-ussed these four considerations, the Delegates proceeded to decide m favor of. the Colony thus :— .■-■'-: " -.v j. " But after all, the question Jttill remains unanswered ; Is New Zealand a good field ; of Emigration for British tenant farmers ? "Will they be -ablb' there to establish -tlie home which an Englishman m whatever" partofthe world he lives wishes to.pdssess P r Wejkuiwer yes to "all J theseA We believe that an English -farmer,- of J' indust ry J and perseverance, possessing a little capital,' and' a good knowledge of his business, may make a very; good living for himself an J. his .fauiilv, and will, have better opportunities of settling his children. than be would m a f conntry.like ours, which, after centuries, of 'occupation, is crowded m every eerrier with; J'meriiners of every. 'trade,' J profestivn ■.-. and; calling. V", TAaJJAAT ■'' ,i; W« wish to be; understood;: lie,: must not think that, by going JU> New Zealand he is stepping into a fortunV; steadiness and industry are necessary. Jelementt of success ithere as here, but are more sure of their reward j. to have made the fortunes and •massed the large lauded estates, which he will tee. around him, he ihoui 1 have been 'there years ago, when the swamps were undrained, aud the roads unmade, when lie must have crossed ererv torrent that flows from the Southern Alps at the risk of being swept away, or slept nt night m fear of having -his, throat cut by" the Maoris before morning, v These dangers are practically .gone no w: every river is not bridged, ,but mkriy are, thelNaiives, 'where they exist m any numbers m districts settled by Engliihmen, are rather usful, bhun. other.yrise, . 'and the Waimate JPlaihs Jwaa^lia' only place through which we' passed where there was the'slightest likelihood of .adisturbance. - . isa more dilftcnlt matter 1 -to advise a settler where to. go to; it is a mistake, into whicli people at Home not uncommonly fail, to think that New Zealand is all alike, and that 'it does not much matter to what pftH they direct their step?, as the same tort Of country . and occupation will meet them at all places." . 1 '" To' those .who prefer a warm climate arid mild winters, and who want to devote themselves to cattle-breeding, the North Island is recommended, particularly;, the Waikato district, where " this can be done to perfection. * * * "The south- wett also of the North Island contains districts of land us fine as any -man need wish to farm; which~will grow almost anything, a* .*, f > We'saw some first-class "occupations offered , on Isase^at a very reasonable rent of 9s or 10s per acre. ■■ '. y> • • A " B ut, for th'e ; greater . part of ■ .English t enant farmers,)'; jsay/jbhe delegat es, " with the capital that the present bad times have left them, we cannot resist a very strong impression that the South Inland is; the place. There is now very; little. land fit for agrieulr . tufal- purposes left therein the hands of the Government, aud that meant that whatever laud a man wants' must be got at second hand. But it means also that there is no Jecaiio be eradicated, that at any rate^some. fencing has ; been do'ne^ and more or less improvements made ; m fact, that the soil is ready:^f or J profitable occupation at once. "Our idea_ is that a man with a capiital of £1000 or £2000 would do best by going to Canterbury or Otago, and. taking a farm of such aisize,- in the case supposed, 300 to .600 acres, that' lie would have m. his, pocket aboutr'£3 per acre to start -with, on a' lease, with a purchasing clause, if possible, , There , are'plenty of farms to be had, on the conditions given-6n;a L previout paJge, at 10s 'to 12s 6d perjacre a year, and to the majority we tnink a purchasing cluu*e would be given. Or if 'the settler prefers he willfindcheaper land, with; a pro portionately lower purchasing clause, and m a less forward state, m Southland; ,In this, way we believe that. he will get a much better return for his outlay, and live much,mpre, cjomfortablyj from v the ; first, than he would by aiming at once at possessing his own freehold;, In the parts we have mentioned an all-round system of farming is what is wanted, -a syttetri similar to, though perhaps »ot exactly the same as that known as. the ' fourfield' at VJHouie. On such land as we saw, two white crops might probably be taken without at allhurting it. At the rent we have named; some of the best land ought to. be obtained, i - end- from what we. saw of thecrpp^sJthiV year, compared'with the averagesof Uanter"bury, |Otago, iand:- Southland for, previous years,* we think-that four quarters of wheat might be; reckoned upon, unless the season" turned out 'exceptionally unfavorable; T>On ; ' such •;_.' farm,, Engliih farming experience; and a knowledge of .English J". methods J would be of 'the i greatest ser-vioe. We have 'quoted , prictsj-bpth of land : anjd. produce. to a sufficient exteut to enable anyone to have tome idea of the n tura - w hich sucl . a system of farming, would give; we believe bnrselves. that, a return of twenty per cent, clear profit on the capital' invented might be looked • for. ■ The prices given of land are those current at the time of our visit, but it- must ..hot be forgotton th t in tliese, as m" the prices of produce, fluctuations occur sumrtwhat rasudly m the Colony.". ;/, After giving tome excellent advice about vtlie "e^xpe'rience Jrequiwdi, pd tta'J»g that i mplements of all kinds are' Jto Be had .of Ihe best kindjs are to be^had of the beet kind', •m tlie Colony at fair "' prices, the' delegates enter on a great.Squestioa. " There, is yet another point," they say, "on which we have not: touched.;; ; An intending settler will naturally 7 want to know theT^ocial" stale of the'eountry to which he is getf g. It is m t! is respect that' New Zealand .seems to have the greatest advantage over most new 'countries.; If a man's tole desire it to get' good land; arid plenty of it, at a -•• small J rate, it would be idle ito argue thai JNewZealand is the best place. The whole couhtfry vcorapared with th# broad arid fertile prainet of r Oinffda would: be a dro. > m {the, 0.-eanjland .though the people of New Zealand can-, -not understand how a man can be found who' Villi voluntarily endure two Canadian winters, 'the Canadians- themselves, as a of fact, look forward' with more 1 pie isiire ' than (freed to -their long season .of but clear; dry, bracing to st But Ihe great boast of New 2*.ealarid is, that iti«» a place where an Englishman may make an English honje, „an.d prodwse everything -he requires to -make -his ftfe comfortable. And, certainly, if a man. willlook through the country, especially" the most settled parts of it, ho will 'fifld'thpi the boast is not an idle one. (There are, many Eii^tsh homes scattered up and do-iijn the country, as comfortable .;a*. man iujed-wish to have,; most probably not -he Jmanj; jpi^Bt ; f ; rom ,. .a : church of some sort ; it rixight riot ' be hit own nartiquiait f«.ucj v hub people learn

there not to be over fastidious, m their choice of dootrine. If he be away up the country m a theep run, he still might, per'.ha.pe,- be near a church, or if not, a parson would probacy pay a visit to his neighborhood about once a month. The doctor, too, would probably not be far off ; his fees would most likely be pretty high, but m that fine ylimato a man of ordinnrv health, living nl'moit out of doow, ought not to _to p'ty nviriy. Owing to the on narrow shape of the islands there is i:arJcelycany place m which a -journey to some out of the larger towns is a very serious matter, if there be any need to undertake it. A Yankee coach is not the most comfortable of vtsuicles, and New Zealand railway trains do not travel like the ' Flying Scot chman ,' but if necessity has driven- a man out of one England, he must not expect to find -another moulded ready to his hands. He must try by industry and Derseyerancie to reproduce or improve upon it. ;." Aboveall, New Zealand is a country of law and order; life arid property'are tafe there, arid, strange to say, m all our wanderings, through it, we found scarcely a house, even m the loneliest spots, where. the door? or windows were fastened, at night. This no doubt, is; partly owing to the fact that all wages, even small sums of 10s. or 15*., are 'paid by; cheque, and no large sum of money is, m consequence, ever kept m a houfe, but we; hare seen a dining-room-with viiluable plate on the sidebo.ird, w 1 er the door, opening on to the verand. h, was not even shut at .night. This speaks volumes for l^tlre^comf ort of living m th country, and it does seem strange, to us tl a men Tcan; be found m numbertfto -l^^ r « their Queen rind. country";? fpr' <B'ver*". !^pfe: f j fer to the oath of alle»'anee to the tJiiited Stato3, which every settler fiere must take before he can : exercise any . civic rights) whm there are ciuritries under British-^ rule ;of bouml'e s extent and of cv r • variity of plimute and soil, where thjy will have the same flag to protect them, and be able ;to Jive under the same principles of freedom, law and ordir which have always been, and we hope will continue to be, dear to every Englishman."