AUCKLAND NOTES. (From Our Own Correspondent.)

Otago Witness, Issue 2814, 19 February 1908, Page 53

AUCKLAND NOTES. (From Our Own Correspondent.)

AUCKLAND. January 27.

An unsightly block of \ acanfc land in Welleoley street belonging to the Philson esfate is shortly to be transformed into what promi=es to be a. busy centre of activity. The square that has for co many years stood bare and empty will before long be completely occupied by fine buildings. The bottom corner is already selected for the new auxiliary post office, and the top corner, immediately opposite to the Municipal Buildine-=. is the site chosen for the V.M.C.A. Buildings. Tho trustees of tho estate have now decided to erect upon the remaining central portion of the square a five-storey brick or concrete building, the estimated cost of which is £12,000. The plans are in hand, but await definite completion, pending the ascertaining of the wishes of prospective tenants. The Philson block will have a frontage- of 55ft Bin to Wellesley street and a depth of 114 ft lOin to Coburg place. A feature will in all probability be a roof garden. It ie possible that the new building may be utilised for residential flats...

' The Herald in its leading columns makev the population question a peg whereon tv hang some arguments for an immigration policy. It say 6 :—ln: — In 1901. 6522 more per* eons came to New Zealand than left it-. In 1903 the number rose to 11.275, and i* 1906 to 12,848. Last year it dropped t<\ 5730, owing, we presume, to the cessation of the special inducements offered by tho Government to intending immigrants in the Mother Country. This large decroasv is, we believe, one of the chief causes or the lack of workers now being experienced throughout New Zealand. The figures prove that the Dominion can easily absorb from 10,000 to 12.000 per annum without swamping the labour market, and that when the gain from immigration falls below this number the result is a curtailment of industrial activity and expansion owing to the difficulty of obtaining an adequate supply of labour. In these circumstances it is plainly the duty of the Government to take 6tens to ensure increased immigration. Canada, as everyone knows, is making strenuous and successful efforts to attract population. No expense or pains are spared in making known the inducements which the country has to offer to those seeking new homes. The New Zealand Government might with great advantage to the Dominion follow*" on the lines of the Canadian authorities. Our great need is population, yet no special efforts are being made to obtain it. It is high time that this supine policy was abandoned, and more busines6-lil«a methods adopted to meet the pressing . _ requirements of the country. February 6. Exceptional interest attaches to the eleotionoovaf v a member of the Auckland Crown Lands Board to represent the Crown tenants of tbe district. In all there are 15 candidates, and some 500 of the voting, papers distributed amongst those entitled to vote have baen received by the return- ■ ing officer, the secretary to the board. ; The closing time for receipt of voting I papers "is 4 p.m. on February 24, three days after which the counting will commence. It is expected that some 4000 votes . will be recorded. Any New Zealand surveyor attracted by the offer of £420 a year being made by the Government of the Malay States would do well to consider the grievances of an Auckland surveyor now in Malay. Ha says a surveyor in New Zealand is much better off on a salary of £1 a day than he is here on £420 a year. The living is 1 expensive, and a surveyor has to face many ' difficulties here which he does not meet with in the colonies (Australasia). He v expected to do all his calculations in tha field, no time being allowed for offica . work, He has no clerical assistance whatever, as his party consists of Malays (coolies), not one of whom can speak a word of English. He is expected to put in cix hours' wrok in the field per day. and 1 no time of this six houis is allowed for going to and frcm his work, which is very, often a five, or even seven, mile walk through swamps and dense, impenetrable' jungle an slimes from the neighbouring hills, wading waist deep through rivers and streams to get to his daily task. He leaves his home at 6 a.m. and returns any - , lime between 2 and 5 p.m. He then 1 ' finishes off the day with numerous calculations, logarithms, traverse sheets, etc. Tho I jungle work in this country is very un- ' healthy, and after two Years, sometimes • ■ . less, his constitution, althot^h strong to begin with, begins to feel the strain of the tropical heat and the effects of malarial fever, which is bound to overtake him in time, and by the time his three years' agreement as been completed he is obliged* to go for a trip to some temperate climate to recuperate his health. This trip will ab«orb a : nv money he has managed to save out of his salary. If ho is a- young ■ man. and wants expeuence. be can gain none by corning hero. The methods adopted are of a slightly highor order, since they have used tiie systems introduced by New Zealand™--, and Australians, one or two of whom are now district surveyors, but in the greatest portion of tha country they are 20 years behind the time. The social status of a siiTieyor hero is on a very low plane, and no effort 19 being made by the heads of the do'partto relieve ;t.; t. One thing that would surprise a colonial surveyor would be to find a Bengaloe (Indian native) checking his work. This Bengalee man is a native who could not be compared with the Maori. and*were he in Australia he would be classed on a.' lower basis than even the - Australian aboriginal. These aie the kind of men that are selected to check a surveyor's work. Government surveyors here are required, in addition to their own calculations, to keep a daily diavv stating how many miles they w alked or rode going to or from work, how many chain* cur, etc., etc., end one hundred and one absurd formalities which are calculated to disgust any competent man.