SETTLEMENT OF IMMIGRANTS

New Zealand Mail, Issue 49, 30 December 1871, Page 13

SETTLEMENT OF IMMIGRANTS

fINDEPENDENT.] A great step in the direction of promoting immigration to this province has been taken by the disposal of 100,000 acres of land in the Manawatu district to the " Emigrant and Colonists Aid Coporation" of London, through their agent, Colonel the Hon. W. Fielding. The terms upon which the transaction has been concluded are of a very favorable character. The land has been sold on reasonable terms and the purchasers are bound to bring out and settle upon the land two thousand immigrants within seven years. We indicated generally a few days ago what was the status and what were the objects of the Association that has purchased this land, but we are now able to state more fully the scope and intention of the operations of this company. " The Emigrant and Colonist's Aid Corporation" has a capital of £250,000 ; is incorporated under the Companies Acts, 1862-1867; and is under the management of an influential directory pre sided over by the Duke of Manchester, who with Messrs R. R. Torrens, M.P., and R. N. Fowler, Esq., M.P.,constitute the Trustees.of the 'Corporation. The objects of the association are,stated to beethe provision of facilities to deserving,' emigrants without making them recipients of charity. The Corporation employ "capital on their 'behalf, and ekjpct "to obtain a fair return for The 'plan proposed *b/ which to secure the objects aimed at by the Association is as follows : *. By obtaining concessions of land, <by purchase or otherwise, on terms which will enable the Corporation to subdivide it, and make grants of intermediate proportions thereof to settlers, either gratutiously or on easy terms; By providing passages for approved persons and their families, and advancing, money for that purpose ; By procuring for the settlei*s . a suitable I reception in the colony they may select; forwarding them from the port to their homesteads ; advising them as to the best mode ■ of procedure ; giving them such aid towards social organisation as shall be best calculated to secure to them a successful career in their new home; and assisting them in money and kind towards erecting their dwellings and cultivating their land; By assisting emigrant colonists of vocations other than agricultural to obtain employment suited to their respective capacities ; By making arrangements between colonial employers and mechanics and laborers, for their mutual advantage. .In apportioning the land it is proposed to reserve, temporarily, the intermediate allotments between the locations of the different settlers—the idea, no, doubt, being that these reserves would achieve in time an extra "position value" through the settlement of the adjoining blocks of land. The Directors conclude that" opportunities will thus be afforded to the prosperous settler of extending his borders, and to the Corporation of realizing profit," and they add that " a strong inducement will thus be presented to capitalists to settle on the unoccupied land of the Corporation, since families with capital desiring to settle thereon can calculate on agricultural assistance in its immediate vicinity among the emigrants sent out by means of the Corporation itself." The Corporation also proposes to insure the life of every head of the families emigrating for the amount of advances made, and we understand that probably the insurances will be effected with the General Government office. The'general plan of the Corporation is to acquire land, then to send out emigrants to occupy it, giving them either advances of capital or Jand, and faking

mortgages over the land as security for repayment, or insuring the lives of the emigrants for the same purpose. If this scheme be vigorously and intelligently carried out, it will, no doubt, result profitably to the shareholders and advantageously to those colonies to which the operations of the Ooporatioh may be extended.