The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. MONDAY, MARCH 22, 1875.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 1939, 22 March 1875, Page 2

The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. MONDAY, MARCH 22, 1875.

A NBir arrival received a sentence of three months' imprisonment this morning for robbing a shipmate 1 of his watch chain. This in itself would be a trifling affair, however deplorable as regards an individual new to the country, with 7 the odour of lime juice and salt horse still hanging about him, but for the telegrams which appear in to-day's issue, and other evidence constantly turning up regarding the predilections-of new chums. arriving in the • Province. We should be pleased to be able to think that the immigrants brought to Auckland contained only an average of the criminally disposed, but .such indubitable facts as the records- of the Criminal courts are too unmietakeable. In Auckland, we are assured, on Saturday night the lock-up contained no less than ten persons, " rer cently arrived immigrants," on charges of larceny and drunkennness. One immigrant by the latest arrival was arrested for larceny five hours after landing. A few such experiences as this in Auckland will go far towards a general condemna-

tion of the system of free immigration as carried out at present. No wonder that persons refer' to the new arrivals as " scum." If something is not done very soon to remodel the immigration department, New Zealand will become an Alsatia for a large proportion of the vagrant element of the United Kingdom ; and the greater the proportion of this objectionable class the fewer desirable immigrants will offer. If the experience of the Southern Provinces is anything like that of Auckland it is certain, that no possible enquiries can have been made into the /characters of the persons offering themselves as immigrants. Otago has had a bitter experience of this in the troubles of the ; Asiatics,; and probably other Provices have not escaped. A very godd remedy for this state of things would be id ship back all the undesirable immigrants and charge the expenses incurred out and tome against the salaries andtcommissions of the Agent General and his corps of paid sub-agents. That course would ensure a better selection, and probably result; in the tiisniiissal of; a class of" agents who care less for the i character of the ; immigrants than the bommission paid on each one sent but.