"SONS OF OLD COLONISTS."

Waikato Times, Volume XII, Issue 986, 17 October 1878, Page 3

" SONS OF OLD COLONISTS."

tint, — As a young colonial, I would ask you for a short space m your paper to givo vent to ray hitherto pent-up feelings and opinions, on the subject of special settlements. .' Whilst the Government haa legislated for the advantage of immigrants and special settlers, they appear to have ignored the just claims of those -who have been either born or bred m the colony, and "who havo born the heat and brunt of the das^/-3S t allude to young colonials — the "s<firt ot old colonists" — who have struggled on through hard times and &ood times to find themselves but little better oft' at the present time than they ■were when they started long- ago, or, if they have prospered, only sufficiently so to have enabled them to provide for themselves m their old age— leaving m many oases only their good example, and that experience which goes so far towards making good colonists, to their sons. The sons of such colonists, I submit, are as worthy of Government consideration as men imported from England as special settlers. If it is a question of giving land, why not give also the young men we have already with us equal chances -with those of the special settler imported direct from the North Island. I will venture to say there are hundreds of youn£ men m this Province— l beg- its

pardon— Provincial District, who would prove as good settlers as any new chum from the North of Ireland, or anywhere 1 else, with money enough (the fruits of their industry), had they the land giveji them, or even sold them, on some liberal terms of deferred payments, to stock and work it. And such men would do more m a year than the new chum would do m three, from the mere fast of his having the experience that ooiues only of long residence. In anything I have written, I do not wish it to be understood that 1 consider the policy of immigration or special settlement bad ; far from immigration ought to go hand m hand with the Public "Works policy, but, as 1 am afraid, it has been rather overlooked m our eagerness to borrow and spend, but this, I will say, the Government are doing an injustice (unwittingly, perhaps) to a large and deserving class, and 1 trust another Session will not be allowed to pass without something being done m the matter.— l am, &c, Young Colonial.