The Telephone PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, TUESDAY, JANUARY 22, 1881. THE VESEY STEWART SETTLEMENT.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 46, 22 January 1884, Page 2

The Telephone PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, TUESDAY, JANUARY 22, 1881. THE VESEY STEWART SETTLEMENT.

From Home papers we learn that Mr. Geobge Vesey Stewart has been exceedingly successful in " getting emigrants to take up land in New Zealand,” and that in a short time the little town of Tauranga will be the scene of much active life. A report states that “the splendid clipper Northumberland, belonging to Messrs. Shaw, Saville, and Albion Co,, was despatched from London on December 6tb, crammed full both with passengers and cargo, and Mr. Stewabt had to refuse several applications from desirably people to go out by this opportunity. There are three descriptions of passengers on board—people with capital desirous of taking up land for permanent settlement, artisans and laborers in search of employment, and female domestic servants whose passage-money has been paid by the Agent-General for New Zealand. Before their departure Mr. Stewabt presented each passenger with a circular letter of introduction to many of his friends, containing much valuable advice as to how to act on their arrival in the Colony. Matters connected with the Tauranga-Rotorua Railway, and other business connected with his property in Ireland prevented Mr. Stewart from accepting Messrs. Shaw, Saville, and Albion Co.’s kind offer of a free saloon ticket per Northumberland, but he hopes to meet his friends in New Zealand again about June or July next. In about two months' time he anticipates despatching a special ship for Tauranga direct, with railway plant and passengers, and, as he has received applications from about* ten families for passages to the Bay of Plenty after Lady Day term, he hopes to secure another large ship for a further party to leave London early in April.” This is indeed very satisfactory news—~so far as it appears on the surface—and, if the emigrants be of the right stamp, Mr. Stewart will have dore more for the Colony than all the agents sent Home by the New Zealand Government effected in their stupid movements to gather the sheep into their folds. It is an unquestionable fact that the agents sent Home by the Government to lecture — notably the Rev. Mr. Bebby and an ex-“ divine,” Mr. Reed—spread extravagant reports respecting the Colonies, and they could not be considered the kind of men whose actions would have the desired effect of settling suitable immigrants on the waste lands of this Colony, and supplying the labor - market here with properly - qualified farm laborers and useful artizans. Mr Stewlbt, on the contrary, appears to have gone about his work in a commendable manner—so far as the first part of the report implies,—and the result of his. actions will, no doubt, be watched with much interest by thousands of people in this Colony. The formation of the Tauranga-Rotorua Railway will, of course, be a great advantage to Tauranga; but the idea expressed by the European Hail that “ the day is not far distant when the port of Tauranga will enter into competition with Auckland for her share of foreign commerce ” is a most ridiculous one, and in keeping with the usual ignorance displayed by the Press of the Old Country with respect to the geographical positions, resources, and mercantile advantages of the leading towns of this Colony. The harbor of Tauranga can never be made to nearly approach that of Auckland,— in fact, none but small vessels can safely load in the former “ port,” and so much danger is run by large vessels—-even steamers — calling in there that the U.S.S. Co. does not permit its first-class boats to anchor at that place. Nothing but vessels of light draught can safely run into the “ port” of Tauranga, and the idea of that place competing with Auckland “for her share of the foreign commerce ” is so ridiculous that we wonder

at a paper like the .H'lrnjwmi Mail giving publicity to such an assertion' Surely, Mr. Stewabt has not so far Committed himself as to mislead a Home paper in a stupid manner, —we hope he has not been so silly as to supply the “competition” idea referred to. Yet, the paper we extract from seems to deal out its news in a confident style, for in remarking that “ the day is not far distant when the port of Tauranga will enter into competition with Auckland for her share of the foreign commerce,” it also comes to the cOTicln-ion that “it is a knowledge of this fact, perhaps, which has led so many people in Auckland to run down and decry the Bay of Plenty.” Then, it finishes its wonderfully - inspired comments on this subject thus;- -“Tn simply asking his passengers, however, to suspend their judgment until they can judge for themselves, Mr. Stewaiit has acted in a spirit of fairness which does him the greatest credit.” We should think that, if the remarks of the paper in question were based on information supplied by Mr. Stew am, that gentleman—instead of having “acted in a spirit of fairness, which does him the greatest credit”—has behaved in a most treacherous manner, and will have cause to regret misleading those he “seeks to bem-fit.” It is this kind of exaggeration that got the Rev. Mr. Berks into disgrace, and made his mission—undertaken at the expense of the Colony—a comparative failure. We had proof in Dunedin, some four years ago, of the false reports circulated at Home, with respect to this Colony, by the Rev. Mr. Bebby, and obtained our information from four respectable men —■ two of whom were builders—who had been in business in Leicester, England. The tradesmen referred to had—• “ through the advice of the Rev. Mr. Bebby”—sold out their businesses in Leicester, to emigrate to this Colony, which had been represented by the veracious “ divine ” as “ almost a paradise,” and, after spending about six weeks in Dunedin, walking about to see what prospect there was of investing their small capital to advantage, took steamer for Australia, swearing vengeance against the man who had misled them. Thus it will be seen that four desirable would-be settlers —men of means —left the Colony for Australia, because the “bright picture” painted by the

“ divine ” fell far short of the rich coloring given to it. There is no doubt that the exaggerated descriptions of New Zealand affairs by paid agents —who certainly were not credit' able representatives of the people of this Colony—have had a most injurious effect—for the reason that a want of confidence in the resources of this Colony must now be felt by thousands of small capitalists who have read the stupidly-compiled and misleading pamphlet issued by that specious humbug, the “ rev.” man referred to, and afterwards perused some letters written in this Colony, and published in leading Midland Counties papers, It is to be hoped that Mr. Stewaut has not been following in the wake of the wretched misleaders sent Home by the New Zealand Government to h unt up emigrants, and that the assertions we have quoted are based on no information supplied by him, but are simply the outcome of a prolific writer’s uncanny moments of agitation.