The Nelson Evening Mail. MONDAY, JULY 8, 1867.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume II, Issue 157, 8 July 1867, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. MONDAY, JULY 8, 1867.

It seems that an article in favor of immigration which lately appeared in our columns has given umbrage to some of our readers. We are itold that immigration will only make wages lowers and therefore that we must not have immigration. We are to keep our land and our labor all to ourselves, and as there is hot enough of either at present, we must not still further spoil the market by importing people from home. With a marvellous inconsistency, the very same persons who join in this cry, are those who cry out loudly for protection, 'as- the debate in the Council on Thursday night very plainly showed us. The burden of their complaint is, that our local trades have not sufficient support. The universal grievance is, that those who have to sell can - find no buyers. More than half the shops in Nelson are suffering from the paucity of customers. The one great cause of the prevailing depression is, that there are not enough to consume the commodities in which we deal. This being our condition, it is almost incredible that any sane persons should argue against offering encouragement to the increase of population. Is there any one amongst us who would not be better off a year hence, were our population to double itself in that time ? The main fallacy of those who oppose immigration seems to us to reside in the supposition that it would only give us competitors for labor and for wages. There is not work enough already, we are told, and why should there be more laborers ? The answer is that every fresh immigrant increases the demaftd as well as the supply of labor, and the larger our circle of demand and supply the greater becomes our relative Wealth and the higher our rauk among the nations. Everyone who comes here brings another mouth to be . fed, another back to be clothed, another pair of feet to be shod. The great colonial interests, therefore, which are devoted to the production of foodj of clothing, and of shoesj are benefited by every new arrival. The working classes are thus the first to profit by immigration, for they cannot but profit by anything which creates employment. And even could we believe that immigration would lower the rate of wages, it wouid not follow that the working man would be any worse off. The present rates of wages are fictitious and illussoryj and cannot be riiaintained, when the prices of other things have fallen to a more reasonable standard. Ten or twelve shillings a day in this province do not equal five shillings a day in England. The reason is, that the' cost of most of the necessaries of life is much greater in the colonies than at home. But if the cost be reduced^ as it would certainly be reduced, by any large accession to our present population, wages might be lowered, and still the condition of the working man would not be the worse. It is not that we grudge the working man the highest rate of wages his labor can command, for the interests of the working man are indissolubly connected with. those of every class in the province. Everything that serves to create a brisk demand for labor cannot be otherwise than good for the whole population: At the same time we would protest against any arbitrary fixing of a minimum rate of wages as injurious mainly to the working classes themselves. There is no doubt that the working man

has a perfect riglrfc "to put his own valuation ; upon his labor 1 , and there is no one but would wish tne laborer to obtain the utmost that he can for his one commodity in the open market. But we must protest against any tampering with th'e sources of demand and supply. There - is, in our opinion, one thing more important id the community than even high wages; and that is-, a full and steady supply of immigration — more important to the laborer himself as well as to everybody else. It is impossible but that, in a young colony like this, the interests of labor will always be fairly maintained; but labor must submit to be ruled by the same principles of value as affect all rithqr commodities, and we cannot but believe that there can be no policy more stupidly suicidal than one which seeks to maintain labor at a high demand by checking population. Without population there is no consumption, and without consumption, no industry. Whatever tends to the increase of population is directly in favor of the producing class, even though the increase be only in the lowest orders; We say nothing now of the indirect benefits which would accrue to the resident population from every fresh accession to their numbers — of the improvement which would necessarily be made in every man's position^ and the Btep upward which every class would gain by every incoming swarm of adventurers. , We would have it distinctly understood that we would not advocate the introduction of that class of people only who cannot come here of their own means. On broad grounds, it is desirable that as many as possible should come of any class; but the special need of the province is of the better sort of settlers — the practical agriculturists, the more respectable artisans, and the capitalists, great and small. We want those who will not only be customers to our native industry, but who will be employers and founders of labor.