IMMIGRATION.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 20, 10 June 1871, Page 2

IMMIGRATION.

As there was no representative in the late Parliament who more cordially supported the Government policy than Mr Fitzherbert, or more “ prepared to lend his earnest aid to the Government to turn out the scheme in the best manner possibleso it would appear from the immigration advertisement printed elsewhere o that there is no Superintendent in the Colony more ready to take advantage of measures which, as he hopefully predicted, “ will be the means of giving new life to the colony.” The objections of Mr Fitzherbert to the Financial Statement were made in no carping spirit, and the successful launching of the loan in the London money market shows that “ the great disadvantage under which we shall go to the British capitalists, which they all went to prove, has (if felt at all) been removed by the explanations of the Colonial Treasurer in London. No one, we believe, will rejoice more sincerely at Mr Vogel’s success or be more ready to accord him the tribute of praise which is most justly due to him. Ever an earnest advocate of immigration, Mr Fitzherbert eloquently stated last session in his speech on the Financial Statement (which the publication of “ Hansard,” as we lately showed, has prevented, from being so generally known as it ' should be), “ I now pass on to the consideration of the characteristic features of the financial statement —I refer to immigration and public works. With respect to this question of immigration, I do not hesitate to say, that it is one of the greatest problems of the present day, than which them is no question of peace or war, starvation or plenty, civilisation or barbarism, of larger or more profound interest.” The sincerity of his convictions is fully attested by the promptitude and zeal he has, in the short time he has held office, displayed in re-commencing the work of colonisation, by providing for a perennial stream of suitable immigrants, Adopting pretty much the same regulations as have worked so well in the province of Otago, he has dovetailed them, as it were, into the Government policy, leaving the administration of them at home to the Agent-General for the Colony. The arrangements are so liberal, that it may be said now to be in the power of all the settlers in the province, to send home for their friends, bravely but unsuccessfully struggling against the fearful competition in every market at home. Many a poor farmer whose best energies for the best portion of his life have only enabled him to pay a rack-rent for land, that he never dares to hope to call his own, may thus be brought to a country where the same industry and frugality will in half the time enable him to secure for his family a more fertile farm, which he can bequeath as a freehold unburdened to his children. It is sad to think of those we have left behind us plodding on year after year, keeping their heads with difficulty above water, and liable from any disturbing cause at any moment to be thrown out of employment, a life-long pursuit of which has all but incapacitated them for engaging in any other. When we read over, on the arrival of each home mail, the reports of strikes, the statistics of pauperism, and the census returns of the ever-growing centres of population, we cannot but think that there is something fearfully wrong--that Great Britain, with all its boasted prosperity, is year by year adding to its exceedingly great army of paupers and criminals; and that unless its Government awakes to a better sense of its responsibilities and duties, the congested and deteriorating population in its cities and towns, that might be advantageously employed in developing the illimitable resources of its colonies, and thereby adding to the greatness and the security of the Empire, will become a festering sore in the body politic, eating like a canker into its very vitals. Such, at least, appears to be the opinion of the more thoughtful. “ A persuasion,” says Mr Carlyle, “ is rapidly spreading that pauperism absolutely must be dealt with in some more conclusive way before long, and the .general outlook is towards waste lands and colonies for that object. It must be done, whether before we have 4 Red Republic* and universal social dissolution, or after it. That is now the practical question, and one of the most important the English nation ever had

before it. To see such a problem fairly in any form begun would be an unspeakable relief; like the first emergence of solid land again amid these universal deluges of revolution rnd delirium.” The “ dismal science” of political economy, as the same writer happily phrases it, which lays down as an immutable law that “ labour should be left to flow in its own natural channels,” is the dreaful Moloch to which so many human sacrifices are offered. We shall examine the returns of the recent census with much interest; for unless we greatly mistake, we shall find that the increase of the towns will far exceed that of the rural districts, and that the population is more and more driven from healthful callings in the open air connected with the cultivation of the soil, and living as freeholders on their “ few acres,” to huddle together in wretched and dear tenements in towns, destructive alike to their physical, and their moral well-being. Like Samson in his prison-house, deprived of the light of Heaven, they work away at employments unworthy of the gifts that have been given them, and they may, unless more prevision is shown by the Government, rise up one day like him, and pull down the pillars on which the social edifice rests, content, if need be, to perish with the classes above them in one common ruin. We have not space to enlarge further on this question from its home aspect, and hasten to make a bare enumeration of the advantages of immigration to the colony itself. We have been lately advocating boiling down and meat preserving establishments, and a small duty on imported cereals in order that stock and agricultural produce may find a better market. These are wise temporary expedients, but there is a way of effecting this end, which in the long run is the most effectual, viz , to bring in people to consume their articles here. We have been examining lately the causes of the prosperity,of that great nation now more closely connected with us by the new postal service ; but as Mr Fitzherbert said in last session it is “ the millions of immigrants that have gone to the United States that are their glory and their wealth.” The Immigration Commissioners at New York keep an accurate account of the property brought by each immigrant, and they have found that each German immigrant brings with him on an average £2O. The number of German immigrants annually is 100,000, and that implies an influx of two millions sterling per annum, not t© speak of the wealth they afterwards produce. We have also been lately discussing the subject of railways ; but what will be the use of opening up lands for the people unless we bring and settle people on the land ? The subject of education we have also discussed in recent issues, but here again immigration is most useful. “If you want to have education advance,” says Mr Fitzherbert, ‘‘you must bring in people ; you will not without it educate your children as they ought to be educated. Your children cannot learn, and never will learn as they should and could, because there is not a sufficient momentum of learning.” Two other important advantages may be noticed, which we cannot express more tersely than His Honor did in the House. —“ Until you increase your population you cannot expect taxation to be reduced; nor will native wars entirely cease until you have added largely to the number of the Europeans.” In short, the whole of the Government policy presupposes and implies an extensive system of immigration. . The purchase of lands in the North Island, the development of our gold fields, the encouragement of native industries, and every other distinctive feature of it, are all preparations for receiving and usefully employing immigrants from all countries where their producing power is less than here. It is a matter of just pride and thankfulness to see that the Province of Wellington has actually re-commenced the noble work of colonisation, and we trust that the Provincial Council, which begins its session to-morrow, will appreciate andj3upport this energetic action of the Provincial Executive.