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D.—4

Enclosure in No. 4. District of Canterdurs:. —Immigration Officer's Report for the Quarter ended 30th June, 1879. During the above period only one ship arrived with immigrants—viz., the s.s. "Stad Haarlem," on 15th April, conveying 341 souls, equal to 299! statute adults, classified as follows: —Fifty families, comprising 174 souls=l32i adults ; siugle men, 123 ; single women, 44 : total, 341 souls—299i- adults. The following return sives their trades and occupations : —Males : Farm labourers, 131; general labourers, 18; gardeners, 5; plumbers, 2; masons, 2; ironmoulder, 1; blacksmith, 1; baker, 1; saddler, 1. Females : General servants, 28 ; cook, 1; housemaid, 1; nurse, 1. Considerable difficulty was experienced in placing these immigrants. They arrived at a season when there is but a very limited demand for labour; consequently many of them remained in dep6t for a much longer period than is usually the case. On the 18th December last I had the honor to call your attention to the probable state of the labour market immediately after the harvest operations were over. I then requested that only a very limited number of married men with families might be sent. This ship, however, brought no less than fifty families for this district. Neither the season of the year nor the number would have been of so much importance if the plan of settling the people in the country districts had been continued. In 1874 and 1875 the system of forming village settlements was commenced —certainly on a small scale, but it worked admirably. The plan, shortly, was this : — On the line of railway or adjacent thereto, as at Temuka, a reserve was laid off, with sections varying in size from half to two acres, allotted to each family after the cottage was built. In building these cottages or huts (as the walls are chiefly of sods) the plan adopted was this : The women and children remained on rations at the main depot; the men were taken to the locality and built the huts, under the direction and superintendence of a competent ganger, who was paid from 9s. to 10s. per day. The men had rations allowed them during the time they were building their huts, but nothing further. The average cost of the huts was £10 each, aud the terms of occupation as follows : First year, rent free ; second and third years, a rental of 2s. per week. The rents paid into the Treasury exceed £500. Although at the present time there is a great deal of distress, and a large number of unemployed, I venture to assert that there is not one who was located in the manner I have stated amongst the unemployed. I trust at no distant date a similar plan will be adopted, as I am convinced it is the only way of carrying out satisfactorily the Immigration and Public Works policy. I have, &c, J. E. March, Immigration Officer.

No. 5. The Immigration Officer, Invercargill, to the Under Secretary for Immigration. Sir, — Immigration Office, Invercargill, 22nd September, 1879. I have the honor to furnish my quarterly report to the 30th September, 1879. As to the probability of any immigrants now afloat finding employment in our district on arrival, I do not anticipate any difficulty, provided they are the class much needed here—agricultural labourers and good female servants. Some sixty or seventy nominated immigrants, mostly classed as farm servants, have readily found work ; and, although there is no demand this season for labour, I anticipate no difficulty in placing a few families, single men, and single women, off the ship " Invercargill " ou her arrival at Port Chalmers. As to the recent regulation requiring payment in cash of £5 on nominated male immigrants, I have only very respectfully to state that it has given very general dissatisfaction throughout this district; and 1 have been compelled to refuse some excellent nominations of large and useful families, for, although old settlers have comfortable homes and employ for relatives and friends on their arrival, they have not at times ready means to pay down a sum of —say, £20 or £30 on demand, or perhaps more, according to the number to be sent for. My many years' service in the Immigration Department I hope gives me permission to respectfully submit that this restriction be as early as possible taken off. lam persuaded that if it were put at the other end —I mean at Home—for all male immigrants, and £3 for every female, we should get a different class of people. To benefit the colony at large the nominated system is by far the finest system : nominators are responsible for their friends on arrival, and they are no burden to Government. The system has worked admirably in Southland, and I regretted very much to receive the late check on it. I have, &c, Herbert V. Ltllicrap, The Under Secretary for 1 mmigration. Immigration Officer.

No. 6. Memorandum from the Immigration Officer, Dunedin, to the Under Secretary for Immigration. In reply to your memorandum of the 15th instant, in which you ask me to furnish some information as to the probability of the immigrants now afloat for this port finding employment on their arrival, I have to state that, as the season for absorbing labour in the country districts is now approaching, I entertain the hope that those of the immigrants who have a knowledge of farm work will easily obtain employment, although at reduced wages. Others who are mere labourers will be employed on the