The Temuka Leader THURSDAY, JANUARY 7, 1886. IMMIGRATION SCHEME.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1451, 7 January 1886, Page 2

The Temuka Leader THURSDAY, JANUARY 7, 1886. IMMIGRATION SCHEME.

“ Necessity is the mother of invention” is a trite old saw, but whether it is on all occasions true is another matter. It is true, however, with regard to the many suggestions which, from time to time, have been put forth for remedying the depressed condition of this colony. There is no doubt hut that the necessity for some change exists, and that it is this necessity which has led so nianf to invent cures for the ailment from which we suffer. Many of these suggestions are worthy of consideration ; some of them are sound so far as they go ; and some of them are as stupid as it would be possible to conceive. One remedy which has been suggested deserves comment, not because of any intrinsic merit which it possesses, but because of its stupidity. It was, we believe, the Auckland Herald that started it, next it was taken up by the Lyttelton Times and other pi eminent papers; and more recently a Mr G, M. Keid published n long letter in the Otago Daily Times on the subject. Both the Premier and the Colonial Treasurer have also let fall words which have led us to believe that they look with favor on the proposal. Briefly stated, the proposal is as follows; —lt is held that what we want in this colony is population, and that we, should direct all our energies to getting more people into the country. In the face of the cry of the unemployed heard from end to end of the colony, the people who are trying to delude the public with this nonsense could not stand up and say that wholesale immigration was necessary, so they modified the old scheme and suggested that special inducements should he given to men of means to settle in our midst. Now this would have been right enough if the plan# suggested for carrying out the proposal were grounded on common sense. Mr G. M. Reid, who, we bus pect, is George McCullough Held, formerly an immigration agent at Home,, argues that the reason men of capital prefer going to Canada, apd America to coming to New Zealand is th#t tjip passage money is much Jess, and (o remedy this he suggests that we should give them free passages as an inducement to tbjpojy in their lot with us. This is the scheme that jtjje Lyttelton Times, the Auckland Herald, ani other papers have backed up, and, if we mis-

take not, it finds favor with Sir Julius Yogel and Mr Stout also, because both have expressed themselves favorable to expending money on ss immigration of the right kind.” How any man could be so stupid as to suggest such a scheme »a this goes beyond our understanding, Mr Reid supposes a man with L4OOO, hap a family! that would cost L2OO to bring to New Zealand, and argues that it would pay the colony to give this man free passages for bis family. In the first place we ask :Is it not the height of stupidity to suppose that a man with a capital of L4OOO would accept a free passage? Most undoubtedly it is. Ninety-nine out of every hundred of such men would rather pay their own passages several times over 'than have it said that they came to the colony as free immigrants. We know of oar own knowledge, and many others know the same thing, that when immigration was at its height, and the lame, and the halt and the blind could obtain free passages for the asking— hundreds of persons who had very little, if any, more than the price of a steerage passage, preferred to pay for it to having it said of (hem that they came out as free immigrants. The idea is absurd ; men of means would consider such a proposal insulting and would never avail themselves of it.

We admit, freely, that it would improve our position immensely to increase our population by introducing neb settlers—who would bring capital with them—but there are many better ways of doing this than by paying their passage money. The best way to attain this end is to give better facilities for settling people on the land. There are in this colony immense tracts of good agricultural land held by Land Companies and other owners, who are only 100 ready to sell if they could only get a buyer. Let the Government buy these lands, cut them up into mediumsized farms, and lease them on a perpetual lease at 5 per cent, on the purchase money. If this is done it will be found that our population will increase readily, that the land will be rapidly settled, and that our exports will soon exceed oar imports. How can we expect men of means to come to New Zealand under existing cirurastances ? What have we to offer them? We have parted with such lands as a new arrival would care to settle on ; those who have land for sale expect to get a fabulous price for it ; there is no industry to engage in ; wo have dear money and cheap goods—in fact we have no inducement to offer them, except to share with us the responsibility of our enormous indebtedness, and it is not likely that many will be in a hurry to do that. We are not surprised at all that men of means object to come to share our responsibilities ; the faet is a great many of our moneyed men would clear out from us very quickly if they could realise on their properties. Men of moans go to Canada and America because Crown lands can be had in those countries tor next to nothing ; in fact, in some instances we believe land can be got for nothing. Here we have no such inducements to offer them, aud consequently they will not come. As regards the assertion that the difference in the passage money turns their attention away from us, it is absurd. Our fertile soil ; our unequalled climate, and our other advantages would counterbalance the difference in the passage money and they would come very quickly if we could show them the means of improving their position. We have nothing to offer them, however, and hence the reason they stay away, and we must say that we commend their good sense, however much we may desire to have their money bearing its share in the Property Tax.