The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 1878.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5411, 31 July 1878, Page 2

The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 1878.

Ilf the papers relative to immigration just presented to Parliament we find a letter from the Agent-General, Sir Julius Vogel, in which is propounded in some detail a scheme, of settlement which cannot be called special, in the usual acceptation of that term, but which is rather a new mode of selling land on deferred payments. The novelty lays in the sale of the land being made in England, in the addition of the cost of passage of the selector to the price of the land, and in tho distribution of the payments for both land and passage over a term of years, with, wo presume, the usual conditions of residence on the land, and the making of improvements to a definite extent.

We are not admirers, in general, of patent processes for the promotion, of settlement, whether they be named “special” or other; there is a mode of healthy natural growth which is sounder and better than can be attained by a forcing system; but as the forcing process is recognised by law and in practice, it appears to us that (Sir Julius Vogel’s plan of disposing land on deferred payments, and at tho same time securing an accession of suitable immigrants having the capacity to utilise it, is as good, at least, if not greatly bettor than any of those ndw in vogue. As the question is ono of some interest, we desire to give it prominence, and we reprint the ’letter, together with the reply of the Hon. the Minister for Immigration :

Tho Agent-General to tho Hon. tho Minister tor Immigration. 7 Westminster Chambers, London, S.W., May 21,1878.

Sir,—l do myself the honor of renewing tho representation which I have more than once previously made as to tho expediency and practicability of promoting from this country tho emigration of a most useful bUm of colonists—persons possessed of moderate capital and of a knowledge of farming, and prepared to devote both their capital and ability to agricultural pursuit*. I am convinced that, If facilities wore offered to persons of this class to obtain land before they leave, on easy terms of payment, end to procure passages to the colon/ ot a somewhat more comfortable nature than those provided to ordinary emigrants, numbers would avail themselves of tho opportunity. There is another class of persons, of whom tho number is very lance, to whom the colony might bo a favored homo, I allude to tho growing youths of tills country whore Barents are unable to bud for thorn a career here. Persons of moderate capital, or with fixed incomes of even a considerable extent, are unable to know what to do with their sons, for.tlio demand for employment hero la almost every class of life ia tas than the supply. Besides, to tho manly youth* of Groat Britain outdoor life, such as that of fanning Now Zealand, possesses Incomparably more attraction than , sedentary occupations. I do not.see why tho Govern* ment should leave to private speculators the profiM of special settlements when it might Itself do all that |S A« wliaX thavo written More may not have been sufficiently orectae, i now venture to submit a more detailed plan. Let the Government put apart a tract of good agricultural bind of from 50,000 -te 50,000 acres In extent-it need«oU)o blocks would answer' equally well. Lot the land bo surveyed, and

emigrants of ft desirable character, I feel sure I could procure suitable emigrants. In fairness to the people already In the colony, I am of opinion that a larger price should bo paid for this land by purchasers here, than they would Jiavo to do if they risked a visit to the colony before purchasing. I think so much an acre should bo added to the price which would have to be paid in the colony. These payments-should be deferred, on the usual rates of interest, and the terms, might I>e made to Include passage money. For example, a family <leelres to emlgato, and wants 200 acres. The cost of the land, with deferred payments, let us a sents X. and the cost of the passage, say, Y. These added together, after deducting the cash payments, could be divided over a term of yeaas, or it might bo required that the passage bo paid in full, and a less cash deposit bo required on the land. As the possession of capital to work the land would be a necessity, It might be stipulated that the emigrant should remit through the Government a certain amount, to be available for his use after his arrival. Under these terms some young men might be allowed to emigrate. To meet the case of young men possessing strength and capital, but wanting experience and knowledge*! venture to suggest, as an expetiment, that a few, say twenty, be received at the Agricultural School which la, I 1 believe, to be formed at Canterbury, on terms which will comprise a payment for their education and for a piece of land at the end of the time, when they may have gained suliicient knowledge to practically deal with it. I should be glad to bo placed in a position to carry out those views, because 1 am sure that I should-be able by their fulfilment to benefit the colony.—l have, &c., • , . Julius Voobl, Agent-General. The Hon. the Minister for Immigration, Wellington. No. 26. The Hon. the Minister for Immigration to the Aobnt-Gbneral. Immigation Office, Wellington, July 12,1878. Sir.—l have the honor to acknowledge receipt of your letter of 2lst May, in which you recommend the setting aside and surveying of blocks, of land which might be disposed of In England as a moans of attracting to Now Zealand emigrants of the class to which you refer. In reply, I have to say that my colleagues and myself have fully considered the matter in question, ami have arrived at the conclusion that in many respects the adoption of your suggestions would bo to give an unfair advantage to people in England over tbe people in the colony as respects the acquisition of land—a result which, I feel assured, did nob present itsslf to you. I need scarcely say that land in New Zealand is a limited quantity, and that the demand for its acquisition by those who are daily finding their way to the colony, as well as by the families of old settlors, is so steadily on the Increase that there is no need for the Government to stimulate such demand by extraordinary means. , , ’ I quite agree with you that there is in the colony a splendid field for the man’y youth of Great Britain, who may have the energy and the disposition to betake themselves to farming pursuits. I think,'however, it would be much better for them to find their way to New Zealand as others have done j they could then select land on the same terms as others, and, if need bo, acquire a modicum of colonial experience before doing So. . I would point out, as I have previously done, that, to the practical farmer, with largo or small capital, never did the colony present a more extensively available field for settlement than It docs at the present moment. The extension of branch railways into the interior of the Middle Island, the breaking up of several immense estates into farms of large and small dimensions, together with the certainty wliich now exists asto the vast native territory in the North Island being shortly opened up for settlement by railway communication, all combine In bearing out what I have just stated, and cannot foil to attract a largo population to our shores in the ordinary coqjse. As regards the proposed agricultural school at Canterbury, I am not aware as to how far it has yet assumed a practical existence. I believe, however, that it might most advantageously meet the case of young men such as those to whom you refer, and 1 shall take care that your suggestion is communicated to the promoters of the proposed school.—l have, &c., . J. Macandrbw. The Agent-Gsneral for New Zealand, London.

Mr. Macandrbw appears to have missed the point, of the Agent-General’s proposal, which has for its real object promotion of the immigration of a desirable class of settlers—farmers with capital, and young men with money and a willingness to work—who may desire to find a better outlet for their energy and capital than they can discover at Home. The mere sale of the land is subordinate evidently in Sir Julius Vogel's mind to the more important points of the accession to the population and the occupation of the land. But even upon the one-sided view which the Minister for Immigration takes of the proposal, viz., “that its adoption would give an unfair advantage to people in England over the people in the colony as respects the acquisition of land,” the reason for its rejection is not sound, inasmuch as it would be quite easy to have such a price fixed as-would remove all possibility or suspicion of unfairness. The statement that the land remaining undisposed of in New Zealand is scarcely sufficient for the use of the handful of people composing the families of old settlers, .and for the other handfuls who are now finding their way here, is a verythoughtless one, to say the least of it. If we are already getting “crowded” for land, the prospect for Sir George Grey’s countless millions of the future must be a very bad one. Sometimes it would appear that even Homer nods.