IMMIGRATION.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5638, 25 April 1879, Page 2

IMMIGRATION.

Tub arrival of a considerable shipment of immigrants by the bti)d Haarlem has directed public attention to the question Of immigration once more. In spite of a certain degree of commercial depression here, tho labor market is still but scantily supplied. In agricultural districts complaints are numerous, and during the recent harvests, more especially in the South, the farmers have censured the severe competition for labor which was set up against them by the County Councils. The Wellington correspondent of a Melbourne paper of recent date wrote as follows:—“Wages are high—as high as they “ were 20 years ago, and in some districts “ even higher and our contemporaries on “the other side” say that “New Zea“ land is in the high tide of prosperity, “ labor is in eager demand, and wages “ are very high.” As complaints of the dulness of trade here are general, and as the price of our staple product—wool—is lower than it has been,for years, and grain at present prices leaves hut an insignificant profit to the' grower, the conclusion, deduced by our neighbors from the state of the labor market, can hardly be endorsed by us. At the present moment the rate of wages does not afford a faithful reflex of the state of trade and agricultural prosperity. We know for a fact that. for some months past woolgrowers throughout the land have been cutting down expenses, suspending improvements, and reducing the number of tho hands employed to the lowest working limits. Nevertheless, so far from labor being more plentiful it appears to become even scarcer. Some temporary pressure on the market is doubtless due to the harvest, but this will not in itself account for the scarcity,' and we are driven to seek further enlightenment on the subject from statistical sources.

Turning to the latest volume of New Zealand stafistics, we extract from the table of Immigration and Emigration the following

From the above table it appears that less than half of the immigrants during 1877 wore introduced at the Government expense, the exact numbers being 5344, the remaining 7643 being set down as unassisted. We are not at present in a position to state exactly what number of immigrants may have been introduced during 1878, but the above figures appear to explain the present short supply of labor. Our public works have been pushed on very rapidly since the close of 1876. The amount of land taken into cultivation has increased at a most extraordinary ratio, the land under grain alone in February, 1878, amounting to 436,000 acres, showing an increase of 136,000 acres since the agricultural census of the previous year. In addition to this the work of settlement has progressed very rapidly also. Up to the end of 1877 a total area of 13 million acres of Crown lands had been absolutely disposed of since the settlement of the Colony. During 1877 850,000 acres were alienated from the Crown, including the land sold on deferred payments. Much of this laud would be at once occupied by men who had previously been included ampng the working classes. While public works are progressing a considerable influx of immigrants is absolutely necessary, if the supply of labor is to keep pace with the demand ; because, besides those actually employed upon the new works, a quantity of labor is absorbed and locked up in the works completed—(the army of mainten-ance-men on the railways, both in the workshops and along the line, and the large staff of guards, pointsmen, and other officials, may be instanced). The rapid increase in the amount of land under tillage must also have absorbed great numbers, and the demand for small blocks of land, as at Fielding lately, is a further sign that numbers of men must be constantly deserting the ranks of the laborers and becoming freeholders and settlers. A consideration of the table given above will show that whereas during 1874 and 1875 more than 75,000 immigrants entered New Zealand, in 1876-77 only 31,000 arrived. In the first two years 12,326 left our shores, during the next two years 13,070 departed. That is to say, that while the influx during the latter period was considerably less than half of what it had been, the outflow- was much greater. We have no reason to suppose that the increase in the number of persons leaving our shores need cause any alarm ; the majority of those who leave are persons who have come as visitors, either on business or pleasure, and the increase in

their number is probably chiefly duo to tho greater facilities of intercommunication which are offered, and as these are multiplied, the number of birds of passage among us is sure to increase. Nevertheless it is necessary to bear in mind that their presence, though it swells the immigration list, does not materially affect the resident population. The most important point in the above figures Is the rapid diminution shown by them in the number of free immigrants, which sank from 20,360 in 3875 to 0677 in 1876, and to 5344 in 1877. It is certainly not a matter of surprise that this sudden stoppage in the supply of labor should have caused a great tightness in the labor market. The promoters of the public works policy always insisted that immigration should be regarded as an absolutely inseparable part of tho scheme, and our recent experience shows that they were right. Had our agricultural and pastoral industries been now as flourishing as they were in 1876 there would certainly have been a most grievous want of labor. When ordinary pick and shovel men are earning from 9s. to 12s. a day, and harvesters refuse to undertake the work for less than 155., as was reported from Masterfcon a month or two ago, the pressure must be injurious to the farmer, and through him to the consumer.

While our New Zealand labor market was thus understocked, in England the very reverse was the case, and some of tho trade unions were offering a premium of £ll or £l2 to every member who would emigrate to the Australian colonies. It does not appear that very many members availed themselves of the offer by securing a passage to New Zealand, otherwise free immigration at the expense of the colony might well have been suspended. But with the harrowing tales of suffering caused by a dearth of employment in the mother country still ringing in our ears, wo may well prepare to welcome a large number of our afflicted countrymen with their wives and daughters and sisters, and will gladly pay the cost of their passage. This influx of population must, however, bo limited by the requirements of the market. We have shown above that at the present moment the staple industry of the colony is suffering grievously through the state of the wool market. Landowners are not at present in a position to employ any more labor than is absolutely necessary for carrying on tho routine work. The sales of Crown land are comparatively so few and so insignificant, and the prices paid for labor are so very tempting, that the progress of actual settlement is small, and the consequent desertions from the laboring class duo to that cause must be few. It would appear, therefore, that at-the present time any great or sudden influx of labor would be rash and ill-advised, unless there is a prospect of tho public works within the colony being rapidly pushed on. Wo have heard it rumored that it is the intention of tho Government to place another large loan of several millions upon the London market, with the object of completing the main lines of railway ; and if this loan were floated we should be in favor of a considerably increased immigration. But this will hardly bo attempted unless the Maori difficulty is peacefully, arranged, after which the consent of Parliament to tho loan will have to be obtained. Until these matters are settled it would be well to keep up a steady and moderate stream of free immigration, both for charity sake and in order to restore the balance of the labor market. In our opinion the financial outlook in New Zealand at the present will hardly warrant a more vigorous course of action.

Year. Immigration Emigration. Excess of Immigration over Emigration. 1874., 43.965 5,850 88,106 1875.. 31.737 6.467 25,270 1870.. 18,414 6,459 11,955 1877.. 12,937 6,611 6,370