The Waikato Times. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 1878.

Waikato Times, Volume XII, Issue 998, 14 November 1878, Page 2

The Waikato Times.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 1878.

JE^ual and e&act justice to all men, Of whatever 'state or persuasion, religious • or ijolitioal. - ■ •■■ ■■■ Here shall' the Press the People's right ■■■'' 'maintani, v ; •'Onawed :by- influenofl and unbribed by galiu

We pointed 'out m Out' last issue the, fact that, during the .seven years .the^Btifclie , Wpvks Policy Ii: .d been •irt'existeiict?, the popula^on of the T'rilb'riy had' -been nearly- doubled, or increased fi-b'rh 242,000 to. 414,000 .souls, and that, large m proportion and vapid as the increase had been, the new immigrants had been absorbed m boni fide occupation and .tillage of the land, or m other industrial pursuits. As our readers are aware, the estimated expenditure on public works for the uext five ye*rs falls little 'short of that tvhieh has been expended, out; of the Itrimigra-r : lion ami-Public Works Loaia) during the past Seven years. The amountso ; spent up to June 30th last was between eight and nine-millions ster ling. The sum proposed to be spent m the .coming five years is rather more than eight and a-quarter millions. The question naturally arises —if so large a population has been fostered into settlement and absorbed by the expenditure of a certain sum during the past seven years, and by the faci'ifcies afforded for tho settlement of the public lands m the construction of railways and roads, giving to such lands a practical marketable value for use and occupation —may we not expect a similar result from a like expenditure on such works m tho immediate future ? Already, as would appear by recent ■telegrams, the system of nominating emigrants for transmission to the colony is being largely entered upon. .From Wellington alone, by the mail /which has just left, 110 such nominations for assisted passages, received during October, were forwarded. This system has been found to act well m bringing out ' immigrants who, having friends m New Zealand, are likely to Sbttle down to work at once and not pass on to other colonies ; but it is doubt i ful whether m the majority of cases public money is not used to introduce people who, without such assistance, would sooner or later have nevertheless emigrated. Be this as it may it is absolutely neoesaary that the Government shall continue to direct into tha colony a regular and steady stream of immigration suited to the requirements of the settlers and special works to be undertaken. A sum of £175,652 has been set apart, for immigration purposes between the present time and the close of the financial year, June 30, 1879, of which a sum of £157,000 will be devoted to the actual introduction and location of immigrants. Even now, while as yet the greater portion of the public works proposed to be constructed have not been commenced upon, the demand for labor m all parts of the colony is greater thau the supply. From papers laid on the table of the House we find that m the Wanganui and Masfcerton districts much difficulty is experienced m procuring men to carry oat the existing- railway contracts. The Hon. Mr Stout, Ministerforlmmigratiou, m alluding to these facts writing to the AgentGeneral, m England, says : ■" There " are also at this, tbe worst season "of the year • (October 3), cora- " plaints of the .almost impossibility "of procuring laborers, and the " settlers express doubts that when "harvest time arrives they will be " able to obtain the necessory labor "to secure their crops. From the " Poverty Bay district similar comi " plaints have been sent m as to tc tho great scarcity of shepherds, " ploughmen, general servants, &c. " 1 have merely cited these instances, " but the rule will hold good for the " whole celony, and the Government " believe that there will be eraploy- " ment for far more immigrants than li they have authorised you to send." The same scarcity of labor obtains throughout this part of New Zealand. Even at the Thames, where there was recently some slackness of work, a call for one hundred men by the contractor for the Ohaupo railway extension, offering eight shillings a day and a through passage to the Waikato, has only succeeded m procuring a fifth of the number. The same complaint is heard from every country district, and it is clear that a judiciously carried out immigration scheme is not only de-

simblti but absolutely ami uupositively -nooessary if the industrial of the colonists are not to interfered with by (he carrying out the contemplated public woj?,ks. So long* us the riq;ht. clmss of are obtained, tlie nuriybei' which the sum voted for the pre&eht financial year wouM secure will be readily absorb >d 'la useful labor. Attention to this matter, m his communication to the Ageut-Gronernl, is mainly insisted vipon by the Hon. Mr Sfcou'. The question of nationality has, however, beju taken into account, and iustL'i.Cuious have.,, been given that of evor3 r fourteen iuimig ran Lb sent out, seven are to be chosen from Euglaud and:"' Wales, four' from Ireland, and th^ee from Scotland. A still more impbrtitut injunction is tha which^tlifeCtß-'tbat, ■ though immigration does not cease, no large nutn;'^^;6f/imrn)g*^iti"t]|bß should arrive' m the colony during the winter.