ANNUAL REPORT OF THE IMMIGRATION OFFICER, WELLINGTON.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 4803, 14 August 1876, Page 3

ANNUAL REPORT OF THE IMMIGRATION OFFICER, WELLINGTON.

The following report has with others been laid upon the table of the Houses of Parliament :

Immigration Office, Wellington, 3rd July, 1876,

Srß, —I have the honor to forward a report upon immigration to this port for the year ending the 30th ultimo. During this period I find that twelve vessels arrived, with 3326 souls: 1047 of these were, however, transhipped to other provinces, having embarked for this port on the understanding that they would be forwarded to whatever part of the colony they wished to be sent to. Six hundred and fifteen nominations have been received and forwarded to the AgentGeneral during the year, and 211 persons have availed themselves of nominated passageorders; 95 souls arrived for tho Colonist's Aid Corporation, and were forwarded to the new township of Halcombe Town, which has been formed in the Manchester, block. There has been no serious delay in disposing of the immigrants during the past year, notwithstanding the largo proportion of foreigners there were amongst them; of course, the latter class had to be kept on rations for a longer period than the British immigrants, but those who showed any disposition to work were after a short time able to provide for themselves. At the present time there are some thirty-seven Prussians who are to he forwarded at their own request to Jackßon Bay, so soon as opportunity offers. Although I speak so favourably of tho foreigners, I do not recommend that any more should be introduced for some time to come, for there is no disguising the fact that there is not nearly the general demand for labor that, there was last year; this being the case, the foreigners are not nearly so readily absorbed and provided for as tho British. Above all, I would strongly urge that on no account should any more Italians be introduced. Some few, I must own, have looked after themselves, and have been of; little or no trouble, but the

majority who have, arrived here havo shown not the_slightest disposition to work, and seemed to think that it was the duty of the Government to provide for them for the rest of their .lives. The disfavor into which tho Italians have fallen generally throughout the colony is attributable, I believe, in a great measure, to their injudicious selection. There is a steady demand for a limited number of artisans of all descriptions connected with the buildingtrades, and wages generally are no lower than they were last year, but employers will only have good men, as they are now in a position to select for themselves, the consequence is, that that there are a number of inferior men of all classes out of employment, and who feel themselves aggrieved if they are offered less wages than the best workmen. Agricultural laborers, who are really such, can readily find employment if their families are not too large, as the accommodation employers in the country are generally able to provide is very limited. Female domestic servants seem to be in greater demand than ever. I have not the slightest doubt that 500 would readily find employment during the ensuing twelve months, if they are respectable girls willing to do general housework, at wages from Bs. to £1 per week and found. Owing to the large contracts now goiDg on in the vicinity of Wellington, I do not anticipate any difficulty in providing employment for all persons who are willing to work, during the winter months.

The buildings at the depot, Mount Cook, are very old and dilapidated, having been erected many years ago for military barracks. Should a large number of immigrants be introduced to this port it would be necessary to have new buildings erected, which should be more conveniently arranged. The quarantine station is in a thorough state of repair, and well provided with every requisite for cleansing and disinfecting immigrants and vessels placed in quarantine. During the past year three vessels with 1047 souls have been quarantined, two of these having typhoid fever of a virulent tpye ; but I am pleased to be able to report that the disease was in each ease effectually stamped out at the quarantine station. The depots in the country districts are all in good repair, and ready for the reception of immigrants. I attach a report from the sub-itamigration office, at Wanganui; and, so soon as reports are received from the officers in charge at the Wairarapa and Seventy-mile Bush districts, they will be transmitted to you. —I have, &c, H. J. H. Eliott, Immigration Officer. His Honor the Superintendent Wellington. Enclosed are reports from the sub-collectors. One of these from Mr. Munro, who reports of the Scandinavian settlement, is interesting. He says: I take great pleasure in stating that the two settlements, Mauriceville and Eketahuna, situated in this end of tho Seventy-mile-Bush, in the Wellington Province, have made considerable and satisfactory progress during the last year. The settlement of Mauriceville, situated about four miles in the bush—that is, four miles from the-edge of the Seventy-mile Bush, and extending five miles towards the interior—comprises 4000 acres or eighty-nine sections, and of these sections seventy-six are occupied by bona fide Bettlers, embracing 3327 acres. All the occupants of sections in this settlement have more than fulfilled the conditions imposed upon them, in the way of clearing a certain quantity of land and laying it down in grass. The total extent cleared and laid in grass is about 750 acres, making an average of ten acres for each settler. But this is only given as an average, as some of the settlers have as many as twenty acres felled and cleared.

Every settler occupies a good-sized, comfortable, and neatly-constructed cottage, the appearance of which indicates a strong and laudable eagerness on their part to establish themselves and families in comfortable and permanent homes.

They grow sufficient crops for their own consumption for tho whole year, and, with extraneous assistance, they can sustain themselves and families in a favorable comparison with any settlers in the country, and provide themselves against any possible exigencies that may arise in an infant settlement in the centre of a forest. ,

They all possess from three to ten head of cattle besides a few sheep and horses, and I have observed that they never lose an opportunity of addingto their stockwhen their circumstances, pecuniarily, allow. I find that each neighber vies with the other as to who can make the moat improvements on his land, and the same praiseworthy spirit of emulation appears to actuate the majority of them ; so that the result of Bnch rivalry cannot but result satisfactorily, not only to themselves, but to the advance and progress of the settlement. Before referring to the settlement of Eketahuna and its progress, I must allude to the employment on the public works of the Mauriceville settlers. These settlers had most favorable opportunities of benefitting themselves pecuniarily, and a great many availed themselves of these opportunities ; although, on the other hand, some of them devoted too much time to their land, instead of takjng advantage of the works carried on in their district. Hence the inability of those to payup their indebtedness to the Government. I must also state that for the laßt eight months the work carried on in the district has not been commensurate with the number of men dependent upon public works. They had therefore to seek work in other districts. Tho state of education is very backward, and the absence of a school is very much felt by the children, who are very numerous and will number over eighty.

The Board of Education has authorised the erection of a schoolhouse in the settlement ; but the contractor has not proceeded with the work, but I hope will do so forthwith. The settlement of Eketahuna, or Mollenskov, eighteen miles from the edge of the bush, comprises over 1100 acres, divided into 24 sections, all of which are occupied by a very superior class of settlers. An extent of 300 acres has been cleared, making an average of nearly 13 acres per each settler. Like the settlement of Mauriceville, the land is of good quality, and the settlement itself occupies a very important position on the main line of road which runs through it. These settlers have taken unerring advantage of the public works carried on in the district, and have thereby been enabled to pay up in full their indebtedness to the Government, and also instalments on account of their land. It will be unnecessary for me to state anything further as regards the progress of this settlement ; by doing so I should only give a repetition of what I have already stated with regard to the settlement of Mauriceville. As no donbt district roads will be opened up in the course of a few montha, affording these settlers employment, I have no hesitation in stating that thoso settlements will be the moat thriving and successful'in the North Island. Before concluding, I.jvish to draw the attention of the Government to the difficulties the Mauriceville settlers have to experience in consequence of the bad roads through the settlement. In this matter they are not in such a good position as the Eketahuna settlers, although they are nearer Mastcrton. They have to go off the main road and travel a bad by-road, whereas the Eketahuna settlers can follow the main road to their very homes. They could construct the road cheaply, and the moneys earned would, as far as they could afford, go towards paying their liabilities.