The Nelson Evening Mail. MONDAY, JUNE 12, 1831.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VI, Issue 137, 12 June 1871, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. MONDAY, JUNE 12, 1831.

We have recently devoted two or three articles to the question of the settlement of our back country, and, consequently, are disposed to look with peculiar interest upon the discussion of a similar topic in another colony. In a late number of the Australasian we find that the indisposition of the young men to penetrate into the wilds, and. the want of some pressure whereby they should be compelle^sq* to do, is attracting attention in Victoria^ as well as here. r l*ne article to which we allude, relates^- specially to the large proportion on the tota| numbeft of^ininhabitants that is to beTound in tfie town, but the remarks contained thereih are equally applicable to a country that is peopled to a larger extent than nre producing powers can profitably beat, and therefore!, we commend the extract quoted below to the notice of. our readers* Within the last two or three day's we

have received fuller information with regard to the suitability of some of our up-country districts for agricultural pursuits than we were in possession of before, aud are now more than ever convinced of the great want that exists of " machinery for driving the unemployed, or half-employed, out into the wilderness, which is not a barren wilderness." The number of agricultural leases that have recently been issued Bhows that country in the Upper Buller is gradually being taken up by some of the most useful class of settlers, and we venture to hope that ere long we may be able to report a considerable exodus of young men from our already settled districts in that direction. The following is the extract to which we have referred, aud which will be fouud to contain some very sound arguments, and to conclude with a very excellent piece of advice : — " There is a most feature in the approximate ictfpaus returns. Of the entire population of the colony of Victoria more than a fourth (193,694) is clustered in Melbourne and its suburbs. The pyramid is balanced on its apex instead of securely resting on its base. We are not producers in Melbourne. We merely transmute and barter. Gold, wool, and corn, our main material resources, are not raised or grown iv Collins-street. Is it not absurd that it should occupy oue man in every four to perform the work of importation and distribution? It must be remembered, too, that of the remaining three-fourths many are women, many are themselves country shopkeepers, so that the actual Dumber of producers upon whose labors the rest of the population live is a preposterously small proportion of the whole. Imagiue the absolute stoppage of the gold and wool yield, aud we can then realise how grave a matter is the unnatural distribution of population between town and country. We want machinery for driving the unemployed or half employed out into the wilderness, which is not a barren wilderness. % The seed must be sown broadcast before it can vigorously fructify. To empty a sack in a corner of the field will accomplish nothing but unwholesome fermentation. We lack bold peasantry — their country's pride. The cartoon designers represent Victoria as gracefully-formed and classically draped. In future, if they would be truthful, let them depict her with a fashionably hydrocephalous head, unnaturally swollen, and utterly disproportioned to her puny body and weak legs. We want more stout yeomen and fewer shopkeepers. We want the statesman who can effectively deal with the superabundant population of the metropolis, as old Throck did with the cricketers in the first muff-match he captained, when he issued the Napoleonic decree, • Scatter 'round boys.' "

Waimea Farmers' Club. — The first fortnightly meeting of this Club will be held at the Richmond Institute, to-rr.orro\v evening, at 7 o'clock. Education Committees. — The election of members to fill the vacancies in the local Committees of Education throughout the Province takes place in the several districts to-morrow, at noon. The Caledonian Mine. — The latest telegraphic news from this "TomTfddler's ground " is that the last week's dividends amounted to £96,000, being at the rate of £40 per rihare. St.Makt's School. — We are requested to remind the ratepayers in connection with this school that a meeting will take place to-morrow evening, at 7 o'clock, for the election of members to fill the vacancies in the Educational Committee. Volunteer Inspection Parade. — An alteration has taken place in the time of the Inspection Parade which will take place at the Oddfellows' Hall, to-morrow evening, at half-past six. The parade will be attended by the Cadets as well as the City Company. Concert. — We remind our readers of the concert to be given at the Assembly Room this evening by Mr. and Mrs. Hilton (Miss Liddle). The programme comprises some excellent songs and ballads as well as two or three comic dueta which will be rendered in character. Local Manufactures. — We were much surprised and pleased to-day, on visiting the shop of Mr. Jackson, saddler, in Trafalgar-street, to see the numerous articles of every-day use exhibited there by Messrs. Simons and Malcolm, flaxdressers, of Richmond. We may safely venture to assert that cocoa-nut matting will shortly be entirely superseded by flax-matting such as that turned out at the Richmond manufactory, which is to all appearance quite as durable while it has the advantage of being much cheaper than its foreign rival. We are glad to find that it has been laid down throughout the Government Buildings so that the pubjie will have; a good opportunity of seeing it and forming their

own opinion as to its durability. There are also some excellent door mats of all sizes, and when once it becomes known that they are obtainable. here at a less price than those of English manufacture there can be no doubt that there will be a perceptible falling ofF in the importation of such articles. Plough reins at a little more than half the English price are also on show, as well as every other rope required for ordinary purposes. We are quite sure that all who visit the shop will be equally surprised with ourselves at the excellent quality and moderate prioes of the various articles exposed for sale, and will feel convinced that local enterprise such that displayed by Messrs. Simons a'h'd^ Malcolm is deserving of every encouragement.