The Westport Times. TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 1874.

Westport Times, Volume VIII, Issue 1167, 14 April 1874, Page 2

The Westport Times. TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 1874.

Ax episode occurring in Otago in connection with the subject of Immigration lias called forth much passing comment. There lately arrived on New Zealand shores an emigrant agent of some note, a Mr Holloway, coming on behalf of the Laborers Union of Great Britain, to view and report upon the capabilities and attractions of New Zealand as a field for immigration. To him, as a matter of courtesy and expediency, has been accorded a hearty welcome. Every facility has been placed in his way for visiting and inspecting the various portions of the province. Opportunities have been found or made for him to discourse with all sorts and conditions of men, and to gaiu impressions of their habits of life, avocations, and prospects from a favorable point of view. From other provinces also words of invitation have been sent that be should come and view the richness of the land, and send words of cheer aud welcome to the host of weary workers across the seas. Thus the quiet unassuming representative of English laborers, himself a son of toil, has become the man of the hour, and his movements command more anxious attention than even vice-reg ll presence. Expressing himself well satisfied with all that personal observation has shown him in New Zealand, he has yet been subject to a contrary influence which has sought to bias his unfettered judgment. In a remote part of Otago exists a little township known as the 'lVvint. or Boxbuvgh. The community follow mining and farming pursuits, and crave much for the possession of freehold laud. Some portions of country round about their towuship is fitted for agriculture, but the major portion is upland aud mountainous and more fitted for sheep. It is in fact choice station land, and has beeu alienated by the Provincial Government to a few favored holders for depasturing purposes. Whereat the people of .Roxburgh have waxed exceeding wroth, and seeking reprisals laid their grievance before the visitor from home, to wit plain Mr Holloway, and with many word of warning, admonished him above all things to take their troubles unto himself, and dissuade his constituents at home from venturing to a land where the Government of the day is always in league with bloated capitalists or runholders. and foster a policy which in effect tramples the poor man to the ground. But the envoy of the poor Dorset and Gloucestershire laborers, who striving hard through long hours of toil scarcely earn in the week what men in New Zealand obtain for an easy day's labor, viewed the matter from a very different standpoint, and the eloquence of the Eoxburghians was lost upon him. Practically lie sympathised with him, but practically he told them that his constituents were so very badly off that they would be content to come out to New Zealand and be as well off as the Roxburgh people, even supposiug that new surrounding circumstances also in time gave them cause to likewise grumble. Bebutfed, by this reply, but not resigned, a local Progress Committee has taken upon itself the Quixotic duty of compiling a wordy list of grievances and warnings which it is proposed shall be circulated widely among Laborer's Unions and Emigrant Assoctations in the home country. From this equivocal action some mischief may ensue. 11 is not unusual for individuals to write letters for publication in home journals presenting unfavorable aspects of New Zealand life, and citing individual instances of adversity as evidences of general misfortune, but the mischievous effects of such epistles are limited in action, being unread except in circumscribed circles. But a formal statement of complaints coming with a certain stamp of authority from an avowed publicly constituted body may work greater mischief, and counteractive measures may be found expedient. With the quarrel between the Eoxburgh people and the Otago Provincial Government the people in other provinces of New Zealand bave little concern, Lnt, on the broad general principles of giving encouragement to immigration for the general public good, it behoves the Government of the colony to adopt counteractive measures against any such attempts. Possibly the long talked off New Zealand Handbook will prove an effective counterblast against individual

disaffection, but a more effective measure would be to invite not one Mr Holloway but many from various parts of Britain to como and juda;e for tbemselves, and report of their own knowledge as to the chances and inducements New Zealand can offer ';he ever-growing strength and manhood of the homo counties. The experiment of sending home emigration agents has been tried, and their efforts, generally speaking, have been productive of more profit to themselves than to the colony. It would be not amiss to now try the experiment of giving free passages to and fro, and free travelling in the colony to delegates from home, coming out expressly to judge for themselves and their co-mates in servitude. Such prophets on their return would not be without honor in their own country.