New Zealand Times. MONDAY, JANUARY 18, 1875.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4314, 18 January 1875, Page 2

New Zealand Times. MONDAY, JANUARY 18, 1875.

The Canterbury Press had a leading article, in its issue of the 15th instant, upon the want of management, in the disposition of immigrants on arrival. It begins'as follows : Tho somewhat loose arrangement by which the management of immigration was divided between the General and Provincial Governments has worked perhaps as well as could be expected The mishaps that have occurred are principally attributable to the incapacity of the local authorities. Cantdrbury indeed has nothing to complain of. Quito the contrary. The many shiploads of immigrants who have been landed in such rapid succession, often with an amount of sickness among thorn which made the reception of them doubly difficult, have been provided for and distributed throughout the province with a general efficiency of administration most creditable to all concerned. But other provinces have been loss fortunate. In Auckland and iiVolllngton tho Provincial Governments seem to have found tho distribution * of the new arrivals a task beyond their capacity. Tho immigrants, instead of being conveyed into tho country, where their services wore urgently needed, have been allowed to congregate in tho towns, where they could only bo a source of perpetual trouble to the police and a profit to none but the publicans. The samo fault has been manifest In Dunedin, though perhaps to a less extent. Nor have such efforts as have been

made to spread the new arrivals over the country been very successful. We have heard unpleasant stories from -Wellington of 'hardships to which immigrants have been exposed through the imperfect arrangements of the Provincial Government for their conveyance or accommodation. ■ And in Otago there has been neglect of a most disgraceful kind. If we may believe the statements in the Dunedin newspapers (which have not been contradicted), a large number of the immigrants despatched into the interior of the province have endured most frightful sufferings, ending in some instances in loss of life, entirely through the shameful mismanagement or negligence of the provincial authorities. Now, we are certainly not apologists of the Wellington Provincial Government, and therefore when we protest, on their behalf, against the charge of incapacity and neglect, laid at their door by our Christchurch contemporary, we shall not be accused of any wish to screen them. Wo have not been slow to point out thenfaults, but we cannot acquiesce in their unjust condemnation. The Press is altogether wrong in its facta, so far as Wellington is concerned. Here, the Provincial Government have nothing whatever to do with the arrangements for distributing immigrants throughout the country districts. The General Government, by their own officers, do the work, and what is more, do it economically and well. This is the first occasion on which, to our knowledge, a word of complaint has been said regarding them ; and as a matter of fact, wo have long since satisfied ourselves that it was a mistake to associate Provincial Executives with the General Government immigration officers, by reason of the much more satisfactory way the work was done at Wellington than in those places where the local authorities had the control. Wo should, perhaps, except Napier, because Mr. Ormond, being his own Executive, as well as General Government agent, has left nothing to be desired, in his management ; and we understand that Canterbury, in some degree, has likewise reason to be satisfied. But it is too bad altogether to charge failure, through sheer incapacity, against the Provincial Government of Wellington, when in truth there has been no failure, and when, if there had been any such, it should be charged homo to the Minister for Immigration and his department. “We have heard “ unpleasant stories from Wellington of “hardships to which immigrants have “ been exposed through tho imper- “ feqt arrangements of the Provin- “ cial Government for their convey- “ anco or accommodation,” remarks tho Press. We should greatly desire to have something more explicit regarding these “ unpleasant stories.” Who circulated them? In what did the “hardships to “ which immigrants have been exposed” consist ? When did the occurrences take place ? A few details of this kind would enable us to deal with the “ unpleasant “ stories” move specifically than by giving them a general denial, which we now unreservedly do.

Touching the Mount Ida case, to which reference is made, the Guardian explained in a recent issue, on the authority of the district Warden’s report, that the Provincial Government were not to blame ; that the immigrants had been taken up country under engagement by a local contractor, who failed to make due provision for their comfgrt. We give this explanation, because we were very decided in condemning the Otago Government for neglect. But this is another illustration of the Premier’s mistake in dividing the responsibility of the Commissioner for Immigration with the Provincial Governments. Such a thing could not have happened in Wellington, under _ the watchful cate and foresight of the officers of the department, who take pains to see that the immigrants do not suffer any privations while being sent to their respective destinations —it may be in Westland, Marlborough, Taranaki, or the outlying districts of this, province. We cannot speak with any degree of confidence of the Auckland province ; but we have not heard of any serious complaints from it. There is much greater difficulty in disposing of unskilled labor in Auckland than elsewhere, owing to the natural features of the province, and to the mode of settlement, which has been chiefly by a small proprietary class, while skilled labor will always gravitate to the large towns. We are not aware, however, of any overcrowding in Wellington. On the contrary, skilled labor of every kind is highly paid and in demand. There is no indication of an increase in the criminal class anywhere in the colony; and therefore it was unfair as well as unwise of our contemporary, to speak of the immigrants congregating in the towns, “ where they can only be a source of per-petual-trouble to the police, and a “ profit to none but the publicans.” There was a great deal too much overcrowding in Dunedin during the past winter, but this was partly owing to the inclemency of the season, which prevented field work in the interior, and partly to the jealousy of the provincial authorities, who would not on any account part with the immigrants after they had landed in Otago. This may have been wrong from a colonial point of view, but it was right from an Otago stand-point ; —another illustration of the mistake of entrusting the administrative details of a colonial policy to Superintendents, whoso vision is officially limited to the geographical boundaries of their respective provinces. Allusion is made in the Press to the dispute about immigrants, between the Otago Executive and the settlers of Southland. The articles of union have not been strictly carried out as between “ the high contracting parties.” By these, it was provided that every third immigrant ship to Otago should have The Bluff for her destination ; but this was on the assumption that direct immigration would be resumed by the province. This stipulation was not, however, incorporated in the Act of union ; and as the General Government have the solo control in England, the Dunedin authorities say that they are powerless in the matter. Wo do not much care to interfere in a purely local quarrel. Wo are inclined to think, however, that the Otago Executive are censured' without any sufficient reason. The course of trade must largely determine the destination of ships carrying Government emigrants : and as Dunedin, and not The Bluff, is the great centre of trade in Otago, ships carrying freight will bo sent direct to the port for which the largest quantity of cargo is shipped. It is much easier and safer to send immigrants by steamer to The Bluff from Port Chalmers, than it would be for an English ship to put in at The Bluff, land a few immigrants, and take her chance of weather on the coast going thence to Port Chalmers. This would simply double the risk of the voyage, besides incurring useless expense by reason of detention, port charges, and extra insurance. But beyond all this, thn Invercargill immigration barracks has seldom been clear of immigrants, judging by the local newspapers ; and the Superintendent of Otago displayed every solicitude to forward a fair proportion of immigrants to Southland, on their arrival at Dunedin. However that may bo, wo agree with the concluding remarks of the Press It is natural enough that the ‘ ‘ Provincial Executive should think ■ ‘ ‘ chiefly of the interest of the central

“ part of their province, and should wish “ to make Dunedin the only landing port. “ But the General Government ought to “ take a broader view. They should be “ above local prejudices, and should oon- “ suit only the interests of the colony at “ large. It is their duty to see that im- “ migration is conducted so as to ensure “ the introduction of immigrants where- “ ever there is a fair opening for them—- “ that is, wherever there is a demand for “ labor and opportunities for settlement “ —so that the funds contributed by tho “ colony may be expended to the beat “ possible purpose, and as is best calcu- “ lated to assist its permanent growth.”