THE SWEDISH IMMIGRANTS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VI, Issue 33, 8 February 1871, Page 2

THE SWEDISH IMMIGRANTS.

To the Editor op the Nelson Evening Mail. Sir — If it be a fact that a telegram has been received by tbe Provincial Government inquiring whether it is able or willing to take off the hands of the G-eneral Government any of the Norwegian and Swedish immigrants who are the first-fruits of the Commissioners, pleasure visit to the North of Europe, and that the answer has been in the negative, it is a fact which reflects no credit on anyone concerned. Why bring out immigrants at all without arranging beforehand exactly what is to be done with them, or how they are to be provided for ? And this question suggests another ; why is no direct encouragement given to immigrants to come out here by giving them grants of land which is worth literally nothing, until brought under the axe and the plough, and then first becomes profitable to the Government and the occupiers ? When are our land laws to be mad 6 like those of the United States, which secure to any immigrant who lands ground enough, and more than enough, for a homestead and a livelihood. Fancy the Government of New York writing to the Government of any other State of the Union to beg that a cargo of immigrants from Great Britain or Ireland might be taken off its hands ! But no, immigrants are ever welcome in America and so they should be here. These islands are capable of carrying a population equal to that of the British Islands, and it will take hundreds and hundreds of years at any rate that immigrants might be poured into it to fill it up and beneficially to occupy it. It may be laid dowu as an axiom that, provided the laws regulating the disposal of land are Bound and good, the more people who are iuvited to New Zealand, the more remunerative employment will there be for all, and the more prosperity, conteutment and happiness for the greater number. But what do we do ? We attribute the prevailing depression to everything but the proper causft„^ahd we make go secret of our wish to keep everybody else out, co tbat we may keep the country, which God has given for the use of ali, for ourselves and our children, and secure to them, as now, one days work in the week at an exorbitant rate of wages, instead of six at a fair rate. Nowhere is this dog-in-the-manger policy so rampant as in Nelson. Our Superintendent, being the mouth-piece of the sovereign, people, has replied in the negative to the question whether we can take a few of the most industrious, thrifty, and steady immigrants ia tbe world off the hands of a forlorn government in Wellington tbat does not know what to do with tbem. Yet, nowhere in the whole colony are there more complaints of the difficulties in the way of undertaking, or carrying on, or completing, a multitude of things for want of labor at a reasonable price than in this province. How many respectable house-wives, for instance, in this very city, mothers of large families, have to spend their whole* lives in the same dull round of tedious and exhausting work because they cannot afford to employ servants* at impossible wages ? Servants, such as many of us require, are, no doubt, amongst the immigrants just arrived, and yet we may not have them. This ia the true dog-in-the-manger policy which we pursue. We, ourselves, churlishly refuse to enjoy the fruition of the goodly heritage around us, and we are determined not to let anyone else bave a chance, lam, &c, K.