QUALIFICATIONS OF IMMIGRANTS.

Thames Star, Volume VI, Issue 1820, 2 November 1874, Page 3

QUALIFICATIONS OF IMMIGRANTS.

Gome amusing proposals avo made by a correspondent of tlio South Australian ."Register as to the tests which sliould be applied to prove the eligibility of persons who offer themselves at homo as working men desirous of emigrating. Holding that it is genuine working m n who are wanted, »nd not pretenders, or shams, "A Northern Farmer" submits three tests, to which all candidates should bo subjected. One of these is the hand, with regard to which " the fingers would be short and square at the ends ; if over 30 jears of age a little knobby on the knuckles. The palm should be hard and dry, and whes. the owner is asked to put his hand flat on the table it should be found resting on the wrist and tips of the fingers." The next is the hand w iting, and although the writer looks back with regret to the days when the best immigrants were unable to sign otherwise than by a cross, yet this is a declaration of faith that he would not now insist on. " A man should not be condemned because ho is able to wr.ite his name, but to a good farm labourer it will be always an effort requiring a sigh after it is finished. Any attempt at a flourish should cause a man's rejection." His third test is " speaking capabilities," and with reference to this he says : —" Make the applicant stand on a chair and ask him a few questions ; if he speaks as rendily as when on the ground be doubtful of him, but if he shows the least tendency to ware his arms condemn him at onee —he is a born orator, and if brought out he will never work himself, and will try to prevent others from working, but will possibly get into Parliament, or come to some bad end.'' There is, of course, some wisdom at the bottom of this humour, and w© all agree that in introducing immigrants it is highly important to get the right sort, and that the worst possible sort are tho lazy pretenders to the title of working men, and especially that particular species of blatant stump orators who, as wo found in the early days of Victoria, posess an infinite faculty for trouble and mischief.— Australasian.