The Wairarapa Daily. MONDAY, JANUARY 8, 1883. IMMIGRATION.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 5, Issue 1272, 8 January 1883, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. MONDAY, JANUARY 8, 1883. IMMIGRATION.

When a tee hivo becomes too populous a swarm clears out and seeks another habitation.. The- same law of nature which leads to a periodical dispersion of insects causes emigration from i the more thickly populated countries of the world. Every year so many thousands of dwellers in Great Britain have to turn their backs on the land of their forefathers and seek- in' strange countries for work and,.wages, New Zealand has in the past been so remote from the home-country tlwt ifchaa'only obtained a shave in the annual exodus by a large outlay for immigrants passages. . Jt is, almost a question whether in many instances the cost of introducing immigrants has not hitherto been in excess of their value to; lis, j But though we may have overdone the immigration business during a time when borrowed money was plentiful amongst us and Sir Julius Vogal was our London agent weare not disposed to undervalue itsimportance to'a now country. The United States have assimilated swarms from ■.different nations in,<a wonderful manner., i Though, .occasionally some .of its: chief centres of population'have been;absolutely choked up with'thousands of new arrivals and its .labor market swamped, by sudden, influxes of hands from .Europe,-, yet every crowd landed on its shores liavo been gradually dispersed' over its vast area, and. become absorbed as a fruitful, and fertilising element in the national prosperity. The histjoryof immigration in: the United States .shows that practically there is iio litnit iira'new country to the number of . immigrants who can be introduced with advantage to the community as a' whole. In New Zealand the limit is not so : inuch.;in. the number we are prepared to receive" and absorb, as in the iprice ve have to pay for bringing them .out, With the rapid strides now made in-the material wealth arid production of this colony, and more especially;® view 'of the/permanent establishment of. a direct steam service with England we.ought not to be called upon to- pay passages for immigrants. . This pountry now offers'; sufficient inducement to compete with other colonies for the - surplus labor .of Qreat Britain. ,Tlie. time is .a'mving when we ought to be able to - secure a fair share of the immigration'- stream without paying a bonus for it. i Wo do not say that assisted immigration should beat onpe ; discontinued but we think, that money should be spent with great caution in this direction and that only the cream of tl|e immigrant plasaes are worth paying for'.' The magnitude of the indebtedness of New Zealand his a strong tendency to keep from our shores the-better-class of settlers who are seeking homes in the.colonies, and prudence even in spending money 'on immigrants will ; in.the.long rp be a wise course that will attract a desirable population to our : shores., There, are some who are anxious for New Zealand to become a populous country, a wealthy country, with large manufacturing centres by means of a few years of rapid and artificial.'inflation, l Such persons, would spend millions on the introduction of 'immigrants; because a large' flow of population of any kind into, this colony keeps things stirring and. •moving. Wages and:land attain fictitious values, and speculators and adventurers' 'have 1 'chances Of making money without , working for it,,, We, however, are quite satisfied for New Zealand to jog along at an easier pace! We wish to see this colony a happy home for the people 1 now living.-in it, and for such other; persons -who uny come to us from over the seas attracted not/'by a Government 1 biiiuis,' but by our fine climate,,good/land, , : and the good character of our settlers. Wo do not desire tovsee'New; kin. faces with the sister,colonies..of Now, South Wales and Victoria'for'tlio premiership,: of. '4Ve' can afford to wait for tfie glorious which some "men. spea]k- ; of with jso, jnuch confidence/: bui we cannot afford to sacrifice'thejCOmfort. andrwelfaro bf our .present population td any br,';artificiil ''dwdqpiijifc'' IK .immigration, ut in many otlier 'motto.