The Tumeka Leader THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 1888. THE EXODUS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1723, 12 April 1888, Page 2

The Tumeka Leader THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 1888. THE EXODUS.

Thb great question agitating the public mind as reflected in the leading papers of the colony at present is whether the people are leaving the colony for Victoria. They hare been working themselves up to white heat pitch over the matter: some holding that the exodus has been exaggerated, while others assert that our people are leaving as fast as they can get away. Two circumstances have combined to enliven the debate: One a telegram which appeared in the Dunedin Star stating that 400 people had left by the Wairarapa for Melbourne recently, and the other a cablegram stating that the London Standard had asserted that the people were leaving New Zealand for the other colonies. Neither statement is absolutely true, although there is a certain amount of truth in both of these. The Star itself has since admitted that it was wrong as regards the number of people who had left by the "Wairarapa, and gives the correct number as 67. " Puff," in the Wellington Evening Press, says with regard to the Standard item: —" What an awful cram to be sure. But whom have we to thank for that ? I don't know. Some enemy in London? Not a bit of it. We have to thank these enemies in our midst, these Protectionist noodles, who seb up a shriek that there's an 'exodus' from New Zealand whenever a few people go io the other side for a holiday, or a few workmen go across for a job! " It is well known, that Puff and Mr Wakefield are one and the same person, so it will be seen at once that our old friend is not a whit more, particular with regard to the truth than he was in the days when he used to get horsewhippings. The truth is that though the number ef people that left by the Wairarapa was greatly exaggerated, there is sufficient evidence to show that a serious exodus has set in. The nonsense of Puff's remarks, too, may be gleaned from the fact that out of the 167 that left by the Wairarapa, 132 of them were steerage passengers, and only 35 saloon passengers. The great majority of the steerage passeugers were undoubtedly persons who left the colony in search of employment, and when we find for a fact over 100 of this class leaving by the one steamer, and remember that two or three steamers leave every week, we must naturally conclude that we are losing the bone and sinew of the country rapidly. This view is substantiated by the Invercargill correspondent of the Lyttelton Times, who gives the emigration from Dunedin alone by the last five boats: —" On March 9, 45 saloon and 51 steerage; on March 16, 19 saloon and 45 steerage ; on March 26, 40 Baloon and 60 steerage; on March 31, 33 saloon and 47 steerage; on April 6, 22 saloon and 35 steerage, giving a total of 397 from Dunedin alone in five weeks." Of this number 238 were steerage passengers, and very few on a pleasure trip travel in the steerage. It is evident, therefore, that from Dunedin alone the people are going away at the rate of about 50 a week. The Lyttelton Times adds to this that for the past three months of this year, people have left Lyttelton at the rate of 100 per month on an average, and we find that an Auckland telegram says that the Waihora took away with her 40 persons bent on seeking their fortunes in fresh fields. These returns are necessarily imperfect, for a great many people book on board these steamers, and no account can be got of them, for their names do not appear on the passenger lists at the shipping offices. There can be no doubt but many more than any one knows leave in this manner, and consequently it must be admitted that we are losing our population very fast.

The point of the whale matter is that one party is making capital out of this to show the absolute necessity of Protection, while the other party makes little of it, and tries to show very few are leaving at all. There cannot be a doubt but that the Protectionists hare the best of it. The people are leaving because of want of employment, and want of Protection is the cause of that. There can be no doubt, too, but that the policy of the present Goyernment has a great deal to do with it. Ic will be remembered that about the year 1880 there was another eiodue, and that we lost large numbers of our beat colonists. At that time, as nowis Sir H. At kinson ruled, and he was then, as now, cuttingdown wages andeffectingcheeseparing economies. The people were driven out of the colony then by Sir Earry Atkinson, and he is driving them away now, too. What have we to hope for here? Notning but misery, ruin, and starvation! The late Government tried to keep the people together by settling them on 1 tha land • the present Government have changed that, and are legislating so as to facilitate the acquiring of the land by money-rings. By the return to power of the Government who have whown themselves to be thoroughly in favor of playing into the hands of the money-rings, the people have been driven into despair, and, losing aJJ hope, are clearing out as fast as they can. The present exodus ia only a repetition of what took place under

the Atkinsonian regime in 1880. But it is all right. Our gallant Premier will borrow more millions and continue immigration until at last he lodges the colony in bankruptcy.