The Oamaru Mail WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE NEW ZEALAND AGRICULTURIST. FRIDAY, JULY 18, 1879.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 10012, 18 July 1879, Page 2

The Oamaru Mail WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE NEW ZEALAND AGRICULTURIST. FRIDAY, JULY 18, 1879.

Teiat an army of influential and sttbstantial coloniata should have volunteered to act in the Old Country in the interest of immigration to this Colony, is a matter upon which we may fairty congratulate nurselves. The old system has beet- y.x-11 tried and fottnd wanting. It is not to bo expected that paid sub-agents should feel sufficient interest in our welfare to act with necessary care in selecting those who, at tli») Colony s expense, are intended to co-operate with «s in endeavoring to build up a prosperous people. They have performed a sufficient amount of wotk foi their salaries to keep their consciences clear, but that work has been performed in such a manner as to lead to the sup: position that their consciences were not very sensitive. Their work may hate looked well on paper, but it has been of such a description that it vvotttd almost have been better had it been left undone. We know that the agriculturists and wot growers of the Colony will read with pleasure the account setit by the AgentGeneral to the Government, setting *..rth the arrangements he is making in or.'.et to utilise the «»t several colonists that are now in Lynd"ti. ready for action in the interests of immigration. These volunteer agents represent different portion of the Cotony. I»verychirig tliey possess is in those districts, which they have left for a sojourn in the * >td Country, and we may rely upon their using their best exertions arid'knowledge in their selection of farm laborers arid small capitalists. We badty require b,.ih. Tt the Colony is to be placed in the position of competing with the world in the matter of !irain-growing, it must have cheap labor, and plenty fi it-. This is all it re<piires, for naturally it ha.i not anywhere a compeer. Again, we have plenty j of land now, and shall have more when the confiscated and native lands are at ortr disposat. If these lands are _ 1:0 c to fall into the hands of speculators—if they are to lie occupied by an industrious yeomanry — "capital must be imported. To induce the oppressed Bi'itish tartuer to east ut his lot with tis would be securing the two advantages of a reproductive popuuitioii and capital. The _ Agetit-Oeneral. v.e pre- | surue. acting in p.ccord.uiee y.ith the well-known desire of colonists, )s ing in this direction. lie ha.; made; a special arrangement with the New j Zealand Shippmg Company to send to the Colony two ships for the benefit , ~.f a special etass ot settU'i's. propose to seftte atid farm in New /.eaUnti. «iui | who will taii« with them a nvMeiate amount, of capital." It is expected that the passage money will c-uiount to Ll'o. arid the Agent-General to «o vtribute LlO in eases where de.-nid-ie towards tfiia amount. Few, if any, would object to such an arrangement. If we secure practical tanners with a little money, they will be cheap at LlO, whilst tliat amount per statute adult, in the case of a large family commencing life again, would form an important item. If_ we 'gee the people that are worth even a little money in the present condition of Oreat Britain, we must get good colonists, besides securing the advantages of the importation of capital, which will be spent upon a reproductive industry. There are two or three points in .Sir J alius Yogi; l's fetter that are not quite satisfactory. Mr. G. M. i£eed and Judge IJathgate are well known throughout the Colony, and have a perfect acquaintance with colonial afiairs. They are reputable men, whose presence and address would Jje suflicient guarantee of their respectability, even were it not known that both these gentlemen Lave held high public and social positions in the Colonies. Mr\ Keen is the accredited travelling Immigration Agent of the Government, and Mr. Bathgate's love of the Coiozjy is so great that he has volunteered his services without any other reward than that which v.e shall all reap through the importation of usefut and respectable Colonists, such as they will tw able to select. They will both be engaged amongst their own people—the one in Ireland and the other m Scotland. The thaui-.s ot the Colony are due to Mr. IJathgate and to those other colonists who have taken upon themselves the responsible and somewhat ■ dithcult task of saving the Cotony hvm the infliction of the Old Worlds scum, and substituting heirs for such drags. But how did Capt. Jack Barry get his name associated with that of 3"lr. !-v»d in the Agent-General's communication ! He ; was tolerated iti the Colony out of pure ! good nature. lie was petted like a child, and people went to things called by him 1 lectures because they thought there was no harm in him, and they wished to help the old fellow to live. His eccentricities and fooleries created a hearty laugh here, because they were harmless so long as thev were kept within the borders of the ." i.v. The case b> now different. The Government, it would appear, in a weak moment, granted him a passport t>> the Ageut-Geuer.il. He has been accepted, and treated by Sir Julius Vogel as a messenger from thu Government, and placed jn harness with Mf, Reed. Indeed, he-

appears to be one of the chief advisers of the Agent-General, for he is spoken of by him as approving his action. The terms upon which Captain Barry has been engaged i.. " lecture " have not transpired ; but we are quite sure that he will not, and cannot, " lecture for nothing. It would have been n?o>-o advantageous to the j Colony for tneGovcrnment- tohavepaidhim to remain here than to accept his services at Home in the "interests" of the 1 Colony, even though they were gratuitous, jit he talks as he did here, the people of | Great Britain will be surprised that we .should look to them to supply lis with i Governors. There is scarcely a position that he could not have filled. In fact, he is just the man to afford an erroneous idea of what the colonics and their people are !ifc». He is a perftvt Munchausen, and will attract and immensely amuse the 1 l i.-iii L.' generation of the Old W or'd i>y a recital of his hair-breadth escape? ; and extraordinary valour. That sore of I tiling is all very well in a pantomime, or ! a burlf-one : but we want no travelling 1 elov.Ti parading tlie Colony, its people and its affairs to tho.se who have a notion now that uc are moilerately civilised, but would then be convinced that we are moderately barbarian. We want no romancing, for if the solid truth be not told, we may obtain one batch of people under false pretences, but we should not get another. We understood that Mr. Ibid and the llev. 3lr. Berry were the .only paid travelling agents sent from the Colony. Tiiuy, with the assistance of those who have volunteered to help, Wutdd surely be able to do wiiat is necessary. It is anything but wise to employ such a man as Captain Harry, and it is most uncomplimentary to make him a colleague of such men as Mr. Jleed and Mr. Bath-