The Imperial Emigrants' Information Office. An Opinion of the New Zealand Labour Market.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 192, 19 February 1887, Page 4

The Imperial Emigrants' Information Office. An Opinion of the New Zealand Labour Market.

At the present time, Messrs H. Hodgkin and Hozell, members of the Executive Committee of the Emigrants' Information Office, recently established in London, under the auspices of the British Govern ment, are rapidly travelling through these colonies, taking notes, and collecting information as to the inducements they hold out to immigrants from the mother country. Both gentlemen have already visited Victoria and Tasmania, and quite recently they traversed the South Island of this colony. On reaching Wellington, they separated, Mr Hazell going on to Napier and the other East Coast districts, and Mr Hodgkin coming on to Auckland via Wanganui and Taranaki. The latter gentle* man arrived in Auckland by the Hawea on Sunday, and he left yesterday afternoon by the T&rawera for Sydney. Prior to his departure he was interviewed by one of our reporters, who obtained from him the general conclusions he has arrived at with respect to Mew Zealand as a field for settlement and immigration. He is highly impressed with the advantages held out by Mr Ballance's village settlement scheme for the acquisition of holdings, but he feels that; in view of the depression under which the colony is languishing, it would be altogether unwise to recommend parties, either of mechanics or of agricultural settlers to come out hither in the hope of at once making a profitable livelihood. He finds the labour market unpromising, and while he believes that sottlers bringing with them some little capital might individ ually eucceed, yet ha perceives no specially favouring circumstances to tempt the organisation of special settlement parties at the preeeut time> Dulness pervades all branches of manufacturing and agricultural industry, and if any difference exists in these respects between Auckland and the rest of the colony, he does not believe that the difference is in Auckland's favour. At the same time he regards the large holdings in the South leland as a considerable clog upon its progress and prosperity. He is greatly surprised at the legalisation of the tofculisator, and has been struck by the anomaly of very lanre amounts being forthcoming from the artisan classes for investraent upon it while money is scarce, employment preoarioue, and the times hard. Mr Hodgkin ntate^ that the scope and purpose of the Emigrants' Office is moroly to obtain and to furnish gratuitously to intending emigrants the most authentic data and statistical information with re?pect to the population, resources, land laws, and labour mVrkots of the various" colonies. It is being inexpensively worked by a email clerical staff, which accommodates all personal applications for information, and answers all written requests, charging no fee whatever for services that are rendered. On their return home, Messrs Hodgkin and Hazell will report to the Executive Committee, but whether jointly or separately, has not yet been settled. They have yet to visit New South Wales, Queensland, and South and West Australia. Mr Hazell will arrive in a day or two, and it ia expected that he will take the opportunity to see Mr Firth's Matamata estate before leaving Auckland.