The Patea Mail. Published Wednesdays and Saturdays WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 1875.

Patea Mail, Volume I, Issue 53, 13 October 1875, Page 2

The Patea Mail. Published Wednesdays and Saturdays WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 1875.

Astonishment lias boon expressed in some quarters, at the immigrants forwarded to this district of late, having found some some difficulty in finding employment as readily as anticipated; but the apparent problem is easy to solve. Though very large quantities of land have recently been taken up in Patea, it involves some time before purchasers are in a position to employ any large amount of labour, and agricultural labourers consequently an; but slowly absorbed, by the most recent settlers. This is, and must be, invariably the case in districts being opened up for farming purposes alone, and, therefore, with the progress of settlement public works have generally gone hand in hand, not only for the purpose of facilitating the enterprise of new comers, but to afford a vent for superfluous labor waiting employment of a permanent nature on the land. Acknowledging this principle, a sum of £BO,OOO was allocated from the Immigration and Public Works Loan, for public works in Taranaki, but as yet New Plymouth chiefly lias henetitted thereby. The new road to connect this district with New Plymouth is being made from that end alone, which, to say the least of it, is not fair to this portion of the Province, and at once affords a ready key to the problem as to nonemployment of immigrants sent to this district. If, on the contrary, work had been commenced, say at Ketemarae. any number of men could have found work till some more permanent opening offered itself, whilst at the same time the convenience of the inhabitants of this part of the province would have been studied thereby. Every mile of road made is a gain to the public here, just as it is to the public of New Plymouth, and why the road should not he proceeded with simultaneously at both ends we are at a loss to discover. It was promised completion many months ago, hut that is far distant yet. Surely it would be bettor, as the good weather is

now coming on, to hasten it by all possible means. At one point only a certain number of men can work; by operating at two points, the two ends, double the number can be put on, and it follows, as a matter of course, that the road will, by such means he completed in half the time. It is not more expensive to employ a hundred men for three months than it is fifty for twice that term, whilst the saving of time in opening up means of communication, whereby the distance between hero and New Plymouth will bo shortened some forty miles, must be of incalculable advantage to the public of both places. Besides the road to which wc have referred, there arc numberless hush roads, affording access to, lands recently sold, that should fairly be charged to the grant, and, if such were the case, we could readily take a far larger number of immigrants with benefit to the settlors and profit to the newcomers. The reason why there has boon any difficulty in disposing of the last batches has arisen solely from the Government policy of concentrating public works at one or two places, instead of distributing their construction as far as possible throughout the whole province. If this policy be persisted in, it would be as well to check the stream of immigration hitherwards; if, on the contrary, the intentions of the Legislature in framing the Act be carried out, wc can take any number, who beingassured of temporary work, will in the course of a short time, certainly shake down into some lasting position The subject is one that both the General and Provincial Governments shouldlook to, and one that in justice, alike to immigrants and the settlers round, should meet with the earnest attention of both without delay.