IMMIGRATION.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 10011, 17 July 1879, Page 2

IMMIGRATION.

The Otago Daily Times' Wellington own correspondent says : The correspondence between the Government and Agent-General regarding immigration has been laid on the table. It is voluminous., but generally uninteresting.. Since August last it appears that Messrs. Clement, Sutherland, George Kemberley, Rev. J. Skinner, and Mrs. M. Hart, colonists visiting England, have been recommended to the Agent-General as willing to give gratuitous services in promoting immigration of suitable persons to the Colony. Mr. John Barnes and Mr. Julius S. Jeffreys have also been introduced as willing to give assistance on terms to be settled by the Agent-General. Mr. Reed's engagement at L6OO is advised, and he has been placed in charge of the North Ireland agency, with a view of ultimately taking charge also of the South of Ireland. Mr. A. Clayden was, with his wile, provided with a cabin passage Home in the Stad Haarlem, and is to receive L 250 for lecturing for a year in any part of the United Kingdom. Mr. J. Bathgate is | also to be employed, his actual travelling expenses when engaged in lecturing being defrayed by the Agent-General. A gratuity of LSO, with a letter of thanks, was sent to Captain Canning, of the Loch Doon, for his services in regard to the Piako when on fire. In a letter dated 3rd July last, from Mr. Galbraith, of the Albion Company, in reference to sending a vessel to Oamaru, he wrote: —"To Oamaru there would be nothing in freight, and, moreover, this is not a safe place to send an emigrant ship to. We have not drowned anybody in our long service to Otago in the past, and we wish to keep up our credit in this way in future." Writing on the Ist of May last, the Agent-General says " I propose to make a special arrangement with the New Zealand Shipping Company to lay on two of their passenger ships to take a special class of emigrants who propose to settle and farm in New Zealand, and who will take with them a moderate amount of capital. There will be only one class of passengers taken, and the accommodation will be superior to that given to ordinary emigrants, but not equal to that of saloon passengers. The co;t will he about L 23, of which, in cases I approve, I propose to contribute a portion—say about LlO. I propose also to utilise Mr. Heed's and Mr. Barry's services in obtaining the right description of persons to go out by this opportunity. I have every reason to believe that a very useful body of colonists will be introduced into New Zealand by this means." Again, on the 7th of May, he writes : " It has been arranged to put on two vessels for farmers specially—one for Otago and one for Canterbury, to carry only one class of passengers, to whom superior accommodation will be afforded to that given to ordinary emigrants. This will meet the case of men who can't afford a saloon passage, and who object to the passages usually given to emigrants. The passage money will be L 23 a head. I propose in some cases giving assistance to the extent of LlO per adult, and to families that seem specially suitable. Mr. Barry and Mr, Reed both heartily approve of this step, and will do their best to fill up the vessels with desirable emigrants." On the 21st of May he writes:—"ln reference to the passage-money, I find it necessary to fix it at a somewhat higher rate, viz., L 25, in order to ensure that the whole of the passenge'rs' accommodation in each ship, including the saloon, shall be given up to the one. class of passengers for which the ships are specially intended. I have reason to believe that these ships will fill up without my having to grant assistance, except, perhaps, in very few cases of an exceptional character. The Wanganui is to be the ship for Otago with these immigrants." The name of the Canterbury ship it not given.