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New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4455, 30 June 1875, Page 2

Perhaps the greatest drawback to the immigration policy in this colony has been the want of house accommodation. In centres of population, like Dunedin, this want was greatly felt, and has only been partially remedied ; but in the country districts there was little done, except by the Government, to render habitation possible by a considerable laboring population. This remark is more especially applicable to the Southern provinces, in one of which, “ the bothy “system,” in its most objectionable form, is in operation. Large proprietors there have made no provision whatever for the accommodation of married laborers; hence the demand for single men and women, who are expected to live in such a rude way that it is impossible for them to preserve even the outward appearance of the decencies of life. An attempt was made, in the Otago Provincial Council, tocompel theemployers of labor to provide proper accommodation for their servants, but in vain. The Dunedin Star has the following comments on this abortive motion:— Mr, Stout could not get any sympathy with his motion, which had for Its object the compelling of farmers, pastoral and agricultural, and other employers of labor, by Act of Parliament, to provide sufficient and proper house accommodation for their employes. Mr. Reid scoffed at the idea, and extolled the bothy system as unequalled in producing happy results. Mr. Tolmie thought the idea was excellent, hut Utopian. Nothing disheartened, Mr. Stout returned to the attack, said any Scotchman should be ashamed to talk of the bothy system, and launched into statistics to prove its utterly demoralising tendency, as proved in tho largo percentage of bastard children where it is in force. After all said and done, there can bo no doubt should any general check occur to the large public works now in progress, the entire absence of decent accommodation on tho farms will become practically conspicuous. Such a check to work would at onco reduce the price of labor, and fanners would find themselves In a position to undertake many works they cannot now attempt. The tendency of farmingoperationsat present la to give employment to«a minimum of labor for ten months out of tho twelve, while for tho remaining two months hands cannot be too numerous. The consequence is a crowding together in all sorts of rough sheds and even stables, that Is utterly demoralising to those employed. Whether any arbitrary rule can bo laid down by law to meet with sufficient elasticity the different circumstances of tho case, may well bo doubted. Such a law might easily be more Injurious than beneficial. Unquestionably It is to the benefit of tho employers to house their permanent hands decently, but there is no groat advantage evident in being very caring for tho occasional labor employed in the busy season. On tho motion, as a whole, no one could bo prepared to say that it was not right

that employers should provide sufficient and proper house accommodation, and so far the Council could not have gone far wrong in assenting to the proposition. Mr. Moody thought there were too many Councillors who neglected their duty in this respect to assent to such a motion. Perhaps Mr. Moody was right. We regret that public opinion in Otago is not ripe for the social improvement contemplated in Mr. Stout’s motion. Now that free immigration has been stopped, employers of labor may have reason to regret their selfishness. Unquestionably it is the interest of the country to introduce married persons with families. Unless this is done there will always be an outcry for suitable domestic servants, because all respectable girls very soon get married, as the single men, who are deemed essential on farms and stations, become disgusted with the discomforts and indecencies of their unmarried life. We think this is a branch of the immigration question which should engage the attention of the Government.