The Soutland Times. IVERCARGILL:TUESDAY,OCT.21,1873.

Southland Times, Issue 1809, 21 October 1873, Page 2

The Soutland Times. IVERCARGILL:TUESDAY,OCT.2I,IB73.

Undkb the mail service arranged by Mr Busbell with Mr Samttel between San Francisco and Sydney and Port Chalmers, the Colony may realise all the advantages which the advocates of the service have pointed out as likely to accrue therefrom. Indeed under a commercial aspect there is but little room for doubt but that the service in the manner proposed will be highly advantageous, and as a merely postal arrangement there is perhaps not much to complain of with respect to it. In the view taken by Mr Webbteb of the Bervice, "when the subject was under consideration in the Asaembly, the residents of this district will generally sympathise, as whatever may be the colonial aspect of the arrangement, it is certain that they will be at a disadvantage under it. We do not urge this in the spirit of faultfinding, as upon the whole we are satisfied with the arrangement, and in any undertaking extending over a large area it i» imnoaHihl<»-jm tn arranarA rtafcjiiln «u» fcr» place all upon terms of absolute equality. Our object at present is to direct attention to the remarks of Mr Websteb, with the view of placing the fact upon which they are based prominently forward. Mr "Websteb stated, as one of the conditions of reunion, " that in all future services the exertions of Otago should be directed to this point, that Invercargill should always be made a postal port." Mr Macandeew, in replying to Mr Websteb, said he was not aware " that tny such undertakings as stated by the honorable member were promised at the time of the reunion by the Commissioners who had negotiated that matter, and he was inclined to believe that no such arrangement had been entered into." Mr Reynolds stated " there was no such arrangement made by tbe Commissioners at the time of the reunion of Otago and Southland." "We copy the following from the Report of the Commissioners who arranged the terms upon which reunion should be effected, and merely remark that Mr Reynolds, having been one of the Commissioners upon the occasion, ought to have had a better recollection of the document to which his name was appended. The report states — "The Commissioners are agreed that in any postal scheme entertained by the General Government, in which the mail service is conducted by way of Foveaux Straits, tbe United Provincial Government should ÜB6 their utmost endeavora to secure that the Bluff Harbor should be tbe first and last port of call, and in entertaining any contract for a coastal service, the Provincial Council should insert theprovision that the Bluff should be one of the ports of call." After perusal of the foregoing, argument is unnecessary as to whether or no the San Francisco arrangement is in accord, ance with the terms of this agreement. Turning from the mail service to the subject of immigration, now necessarily engrossing attention, we find in the distribution of immigrants the same disregard of the conditions of reunion as specified in the foregoing. Quoting from the Reunion Commissioners' report we find — '* In connection with this subject, without addition to the cost of working, and in addition to the present provision for keeping up a constant stream of immigrants, or in any future scheme, the Commissioners are of opinion that a stipulation should be entered into that immigrants for the Bluff should be landed there free of additional cost of passage, and that at least every third vessel should make the Bluff an advertised port of call, or oftener if found neceseary. Such a course would afford valuable facilities to the mercantile community in the district for the importation of merchandise, and ensure an equal measure of justice to all outlying districts." It appears foolish to ask whether these conditious have been fulfilled, because the contrary is notably the fact, and we refer to it for the reason that at the present time the need for immigrants iu the district is imperative, and for the future the conditions securing to it a fair share of the newcomers i should be insisted upon. The Bail way j

Committee cannot more consistently employ itself, or act more perfectly in accordance with true railway policy, than by turning attention to the subject of immigration. Upon the Buccess which may attend the immigration scheme, that of the Public "Works policy will depend, and ihe fairness op otherwise of the dis« tribution of arriving immigrants will have a material influence upon district prosperity, inasmuch as the demand for labor is urgent and throughout the district universal. As a means to that end, we would suggest that it would be highly advantageous that the newlyappointed Emigration Agent for the Province —Mr Adam — Bhould, before hia departure, officially visit the respective districts. He would thus be able the better to understand their requirements and capabilities, and there would be less risk of failure in respect of I' the class of immigrants introduced into the several localities.