New Zealand Times. (PUBLISHED DAILY.) MONDAY, OCTOBER 18.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4548, 18 October 1875, Page 2

New Zealand Times. (PUBLISHED DAILY.) MONDAY, OCTOBER 18.

Major—Atkinson's immigration statement on Friday night was very satisfactory. It touched upon every point on which the Legislature and country required information. The approval of the House was unanimous; that of the country is certain to be equally so. It is a remarkable fact that during the four years and three months ending September 30th, 1875, 61,000 persons, in round numbers, should have been introduced into the colony by means: of the Government agency ; and it is an equally remarkable fact that this large number of people, nearly all of whom belong to the working and industrial classes, should have been absorbed into the population without any social or economic derangement. Yet so it has been. The policy of the Government, however, in fixing a lower limit than that determined on by Sir Julius Vogel, lor the immigration of this and the following year, is one which allprudent men will approve. We do not doubt the capability of the country to go on absorbing an industrial population at the same rate as it has "done during the last four years, but we doubt whether it would be prudent to put so great a strain upon the labor employing classes, in view of the approaching completion of the public works and consequent displacement of a large body of laborers. The decision of the Government is, on the whole, a wise one. It keeps up a steady supply of immigrants, and enables those who have been previously introduced to settle into the ranks of colonists without too much jostling, for it is essential to the ultimate success of the immigration policy that the people introduced at the public charge should feel that they are not limited in their choice of a permanent settlement, whether it should be to acquire land and make a home, or to pursue some trade or calling. And this result will be accomplishedbytheGovernmentproposals. They will keep, up a constant stream of immigration, and yet not create undue competition in the labor market. With regard to the work of settling the immigrants on the land, Major Atkinson, while admitting that much valuable aid in. that direction had been given by Superintendents, expressed a decided opinion, with which we agree, that the provincial authorities, with whom the local control rested, had not devised any proper plan for this purpose. It would, however, be the duty of the Government, now that provincial institutions.have been abolished, to provide • some means by which peoplecanbe satisfactorily settled on the waste lands, and by which lands should be available for persons of small means. Major Atkinson exonerated the General Government from all blame in this matter. It was the result of that divided responsibility of which so much had been said. But on this point we cannot agree with the Minister for Immigration. The conduct of immigration was taken from the

provinces and given to the General Goverement by the Legislature, because the provincial authorities altogether failed in their duty in that matter ; —this was so done also, at the request of the General Government, a part of whose policy it was. Now, if the General Government voluntarily divested themselves of a large and important part of their duty, (the most important part, to our mind,) and entrusted its discharge to the provincial authorities, without taking precautions that it should be well and efficiently done, the blame clearly rests with the Colonial Government. The Provincial Government did all they, undertook to do ; the General Government deliberately shirked responsibility, in the matter of settling the immigrants on the lands of the colony, by entrusting the work, unfettered by any condition, to the Superintendents. The only wonder, therefore, is that the work has been so well done. But while we say this, we are by no means clear that a better arrangement.could have been made under all the circumstances. The weak part of the Immigration and Public Works scheme has always appeared to us to be that it did not include a Bill abolishing the provinces, and resuming the administration, of the waste. lands of the Crown under a responsible Minister. If that had been done, there would have been little difficulty in the way of doing what Major Atkinson proposes; but as the Government of the day persistently refused to initiate measures essential to the complete success of their colonising policy, there was j nothing for, it but to make the best of the situation. And that was undoubtedly done. It it needless, therefore, to apportion blame. The. real fault lies in the | system, that is, the law. And we very much doubtwhether anydecided improvement need be expected under the Abolition of Provinces Act as it now stands. And for' this reason. The provincial waste lands Acts are continued.' These make no provision for settling immigrants on the land. On the contrary, their policy is altogether opposed to that enunciated by the Minister for Immigration, with a single exception, and in that case the land law is so clogged by conditions as to be next to valueless. Now, so long as the land revenue is local revenue, allocated for the benefit of the district in which it is raised, and so long as provincial districts exist, the separate provincial land laws, which have been a bar to agrarian settlement, must produce the same results as they do at present. Like causes must. produce like results. la. approving, therefore, of Major Atkinson's policy, we' do not anticipate any very striking results from it. He will find arrayed against him all the forces of local prejudice and local cupidity; and he will find - these something more than mere passive elements of resistance, seeing that they are based upon statute law and familiarised by usage. Nevertheless, Major Atkinson -is right. The policy to which the Government is committed is the only one that can make this country permanently prosperous. The declaration was made in an unostentatious, business-like way; and we look forward, with much interest, to its development. Realising, as we do, the opposition Ministers will encounter, we heartily sympathise with them, but we believe they, will honestly and loyally carry out their policy. To temporise would be utter ruin. The policy of the Government, in regard to settlement, must be thorough. '' Men for the land, and land " for the men:" this is the true policy, and it. is a policy in no sense opposed to existing interests. On the contrary, it would largely enhance the value of existing estates. But in any case we must look forward to the occupation of this country by a large producing population. To that end all our efforts must be directed. Should we fail, the public burdens would become intolerable. But .with a„Government pledged to carry out the policy enunciated by Major Atkinson, and with a Legislature alive to the necessity for active colonization, we cannot anticipate failure. ' ■ * With regard to the other points touched on by the Minister for Immigration, we shall only say a few words. We agree with him in thinking that the immigrants, introduced by the Government, prove to be- rather above than below the average standard of morality; we think, all things considered, their health was as good as might reasonably be expected ; and we have no hesitation in saying that the management of the department in England does credit to Dr. Featherston. Nothing is perfect at the beginning, and so it was with this department. But the public expected perfection or something more. And they were consequently disappointed. Experience, however, has been gained, and the mistakes of the past are not likely to be repeated. The Agent-General has had the advantage of Sir Julius Vogel's advice in organising his department, and we think it is at the present time all that could be desired. And here, we must repeat what Mr. Hunter said, that a special merit of the Ministerial statement was this, that it did not attach blame to Dr. Featherston, but fairly recognised that gentleman's services to the colony. On the whole, the statement of Major Atkinson was unusually satisfactory, his enunciation of policy was all that could be desired ; and the country may rest satisfied that in this department of the public service its interests are in proper hands.