MR DUNCAN’S REPORT.

Globe, Volume III, Issue 253, 3 April 1875, Page 3

MR DUNCAN’S REPORT.

The following is Mr A. Duncan's report of his operations while engaged as immigration agent for this province : Christchurch, March, 1875. Sir—l have the honor to forward for your information a list of the emigrants selected by me, as also account for capitation on two thousand (2000) as per arrangement and instructions contained in the Provincial Secretary’s letter of 12th August, 1873, and your Honor’s telegrams of April, 1874, and letters of subsequent date. During my stay in England I furnished as requested accounts of expenditure to Mr Otty well. After date of my letter of October Ist, 1874, to you I cleared up all the work of my office on the 10th of that month, and forwarded accounts, papers, &c, to London up to that date. The following is a brief statement of my work. I gave sixty-one lectures in the following counties—Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Lincoln, Bedford, Oxford, Gloucester, Monmouth, Berwick, Roxburgh, Midlothian, Ayr, Lanark, Dumbarton, Stirling, Renfrew, Aberdeen, Inverness, Nairn, Ross, and Londonderry, The principal difficulty in lecturing I found was in getting arrangements made prior to the lectures, and thus saving valuable time. I have therefore to testify to the immense assistance rendered to me by the many relations and friends of colonists to whom 1 took letters of introduction. The Rev P. Barclay, one of the General Government agents, took an active part in arranging for the lectures in Aberdeenshire and Ross-shire ; in the latter county he was materially assisted by Mr P. C. Ross, the local agent there; and should Highland shepherds be required specially for Canterbury, it might be worth consideration whether arrangements could not be made with Mr Ross to select a number for a specified consideration, as the usual capitation granted by the General Government is perhaps hardly sufficient remuneration for the work done in difficult Highland country, where much ground has to be traversed, owing to the sparse population. I am much indebted to the following persons for great assistance, viz., James MoIlreath, Esq., of Auchenflower (the father of Mrs Deans, of Riccarton); the Rev J. Ronoldson, Messrs K. T. |Turbctt, Strabane; W. Aitken, Londonderry; J. Jenkins, Gloucester ; J. H. White, Lincolnshire ; and the various agents of the National Agricultural Laborers’ Union. My correspondence amounted to close upon 2000 letters, nearly all written by myself; the usual office routine of issuing circulars of acceptance or otherwise, the giving dates of sailing of ships, &c., &c., were done by a clerk I was necessarily obliged to have. I presume you will not think it presumption on my part in laying before your Honor any opinion I may have formed on the conduct of emigration from Britain. There is a considerable amount of confusion caused “ at home "—necessarily so to a

large extent —by the provinces not appearing to have one aim or free from jealousy of each other. This, healthy in itself, should be obviated as much as possible in emigration matters, as it confuses the minds of those whose interest it is for New Zealand to draw to her shores. There is also a great want of reliable information in a readable form on the colony, which should be published in a pamphlet form and distributed broad cast over the country districts in Britain, entirely free. As a rule statistical information, although of importance to the educated reader, is not the best for promoting emigration amongst the classes required here. People want to know what they can get out of the soil, or what return in kind they can get for their labor. This, placed before them in the simplest form, will go much further than tables of exports and imports. All industries at present started or that could be started to advantage, from the presence of the raw material, should be made a strong point of. I am of opinion that the colony should have one or two itinerant lecturers in its employ. They should be colonists well versed in all colonial matters; they should visit as far as time would permit, the various country agents, reporting to the AgentGeneral whether these sub-agents were persons such as were fitted for their positions. They might also in many cases, inspect intending emigrants, where large number were proposing from one district. The time of the departure of the vessels so as to meet the requirement of the labor market in the colony should be carefully noted, so that emigrants may, as far as possible, arrive at the right season. _ I have to state that prior to leaving England I was requested by the Agent-General to stay two months longer, to lecture in the middle and southern counties of Ireland, and to assist in selecting suitable emigrants from there. I would gladly have done so if time had permitted, but I had made arrangements to be back in Canterbury prior to 1876, wnich made it impossible for me to carry out his request. Your Honor will see from that, and from any former letters, that my relations with the General Government officials were of the most cordial character. I think it right to state that the Agent-General on all occasions gave me every assistance in his power, and that his whole aim seemed to be to render the emigration from Europe to New Zealand a practical success. Led as I was to believe from report that my action in trying to get emigrants for Canterbury would probably be thwarted, and that any works, however zealously carried out, would to a large extent be rendered of little avail, I was agreeably surprised at the kindness of the Agent-General and his staff. I think that justice to a gentleman who has publicly been much maligned warrants me in expressing my individual appreciation, based as it if on observation extending over a period of twelve months. Had any tendency been shown to treat me in any way opposed to the work I had in hand, I would have as freely expressed my opinion on that, as I at present have, in speaking of the kin treatment received. I have to state, in conclusion, that I visited several emigrant vessels for Adelaide and Queensland, and am of opinion that the class of emigrants selected for New Zealand will bear favorable comparison with those selected for any other colony. All the emigrants for the colonies were as a rule of a far higher class than those who go to the United States. I have the honor to be, sir, Your obedient servant, (Signed) Andrew Duncan. His Honor the Superintendent of Canterbury.