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The Advertiser.
ADELAIDE : THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1863.
AN ACT WAS PASSED in the last session of Par-<*>
liament setting apart a certain proportion of the
Land Fond for the purpose of promoting immi-<*>
gration. By that Act the total proceeds of the
sale of rate lands is to be divided into three
equal parts, of which two parts an to be applied
to the liquidation of the pattie debt ?A to tto
constroctum of public wnfa, and oue-tlurf to
<lie introduction of immigrants from the United
Kingdom. Hie proceed* of -die sale of waste
lands in 1862 were very low—only £l&*j00O;
bat taking even this low figure it would yield
upwards of 4350.000 a year to be devoted to pur
poses of immigration. The sum voted last year
for immigration was 4325,000, bo that a third of
the Land Fond would enable us to import immi
grants in 1863 at twice the rate we imported
them in 1562. It is trae that this money,
although set apart by Act of Parliament for im
migration, cannot be expended for that purpose
without a rote of the Legislature previously ob
tained. The Act simply creates an immigration
fond, bat it does not place that food at the dis
posal of tfae Government- The legislature laid
down a. principle, reserving to themselves the
power of carrying that principle oat, or of keep
ing it in abeyance.
We think, however. Ministers would be quite
justified in taking for granted that at least a
portion of the immigration fond will this year
be devoted by Parliament to in l*girim??? pur
pose, and on this presumption undertaking—at
their own risk—to instrnet the Emigration
Agent to charter vessels. Last year's immi
grants arrived too late. The first arrivals
were too late for the hay harvest,
and the later arrivals were too late for
the wheat harvest. Hack care is requisite
in so timing tfae arrival of the new comers that
they will be landed when their services are
most in demand—or, at all events, before tfae
work for which they were wanted is finished.
The hay harvest is becoming of increasing
importance, many farmers preferring to grow
and press hay for exportation rather than to
grow; wheat at present prices—thus increasing
the demand upon the labor market at the time
of hay harvest. The importance of a sufficient
supply of labor for shearing is also obvious, and
the time lost in getting men down to the remote
stations is likewise suggestive of the desirable
nest of early supplies. We do not want to
import labor in mid-winter, but whilst this is
too soon, December and January are as much
too late. We hope that the Government hare
already attended to this important question, and
have made laeh arrangeinwta wiftoor Agent ct
home as wOl enable him to ehip emigrant* at the
proper time of year.
It would be very desirable if the Emigration
Agent in England, and all sub-agents, were to
give ?f?-???fa- for passages lists of the rates of
wages current in this colony. Our present
remark applies especially to female servants, on
whom the only eSeet of recent arrivals seems to
have been to induee a demand for increased
wages. Now as a matter of course, a servant
girl coming to these colonies has a right to
expect good wages; it was to better her position
that she came, and the colonists of South Aus
tralia are quite wfljiog to pay good wages, end
even iiffk wages, for competent servants. Bat
what is the standard—-what is the rule of com
parison by which we may estimate the question
of wagesP Take a mechanic who would ordi
narily earn say 6s. or 6s. a day at home; if he
?an get Bs. or 10s. a day here it is considered
jhat be has greatly benefited himself. Or take
a clerk who earned £10Q a year at home; he
(biaks himself ftrtUKtf p> get £I*o or*?!*)
here. Fi&j per cent, increase opoo home wages
ii what timuutAi nor ia (kit eoloay wottA fee
glad to get, especially educated persons ad
?aUkd ariuuu; bat the radeatand moat am
afcffled dew riptinin of labor command the asset
extravagant pmiiiitt. A. respectable mtrhaair,.
dark, or aohoobxaater, night Grid/ aspire to
keep s eervant; hot how en he do ao when his
income is advanced only SO per cent* aad ha
servant's ISO or 900 per cent, r Bough na
ekOled girls, almost or altogether igno
nt of tine household duties tint devolve
npoo. servants in respectable faaritiea, de
mand—?ot a modest SO per cent, inenssae
apoa the wages they aaed to get at hone, bat
doable aad treble their former nn\ andaome.
time, era* more than that. Gals fresh fiaat
Irish farmsteads, where probably they did aot
avenge more than £4 or £5 a year wages,-taia
ap their noses in Adelaide at £30. and think
they are throwing thrnisehw away at £2S.
The bay matron at the Servants' Home haa
vithm the last month or two told persons who
applied lor ?errant*, and stated that they wonM
give from Bft. to 10*. a week wages, that it was
?atk? to ftpert to get Miftttaj tt neh nta ?
those. We afemdd be memxj to say a word nm
duyaragmaeat of an institution founded npoa
sack rorrfUnt prinetplea, having ao good am
object in view, and bam* ao thoroughly well
eoadaetodas the Betraata' Hone, bat we take
the liberty of svggestiag to thaw who have the
management of that i-"**-*^ that they should
adt lead countenance ereupport to the extrava
gant ideas which some of oar new imali eater* >?
cam as to the rate of wages. If a eervant girl
eaa come ?** here and JUmbU her wage* aha
ought to be satisfied; bat with regard to
the unskilled and therefore lea rateable
dase of servants of whom we are now
tfeftkng, we tare no doubt that they are
getting floor or five times aa unufc wages as at
home. We have no doabt that many a giri haa
began "service " at Ida. a week in South Aaa
tralia who did not get more than 2c per week at
her laetptaee in Ireland, or 3a. at her last plaee
in England. Baeh an advance is out of all pro
poctMatothatwhiAikairfojwmtmaandths
humbler class of professional pezaona are getting,
nor i&^ such extravagant expectations been.
eonzaged either by onr agents at home or by
labor offices and kindred Jactitations here. To
a very gnat extent the aame>ematks are appli
cable to agrieattmal male laborers. An exor-
Vftrtt yu? for UW ietitoj* flw tonnea of
employment, mrieM tin pace of prodaoe esn be
raisei in proportion. Bat the price of exportable
goods oamtot be raised beyond the lerd prevail,
ing ia other markete, and it eonaeqaenthj
reqnires little argument to show that the prwioal
priee of labor ia too high to enable the nrmer to
compete with other gram-exporting eoantaies ia
thcsta^srtideoCfciipodjwe. WetettM
wish to see wages £dl to the E>gbb stan
dard; it voald be erael to bring penons4
tho?ssads of antes away from Am homes if
they weze not allowed to bettor themsdre*,—
bat we say again that the ronghft, most plen.
tifid, and therefore feast Tamable desolations of
labor bear a preminm in this market that the
skilled labor of artisans and Imliaiaiin. aad the
edaeatod taWnta of profesakmsl dames never
mdt Wbx> ii to MimeP Om ?tm aandy
blame the aervaatgbla aad brm-taboren; they
hare been told they were worn, their weight m
gold in these eokmies.aad they believe it. The
fintt is with those who, ia their eagerness to
indaee people to eome oat, fiU their iamgamtions
with aU kind, of abased ideas of the fierce e**
petitio? that awaits their anival, aad of Oeir
own abaost prieeltm worfli mO^mbormadcet.
We axe ii>f>smml that many ?—ig—?^ tm
landing here, an aarprised to fiad Oat they am
free to leave the eolaajftma. fmr awrnifMt flmj
ata^onifalaaotw. ***—' I—ij.1 —ij. M|iiasina
preraamg amongst Ae labarinK chwass at home
to the efietdmt dwy will have toeiga either he.
fore embarking or befigre landing—en agreement
to the elect that they will not quit theeolony fat
two, three, or foar yearn. TheyaJD —^-ilimfl
tint they wffl be frae to fen rtwaasiiiia to
whom they please, or be thaw on amsten; bat.
they hare an idea that, in fctamlbrtme is*v
sages, they asms reside for a fiantod period
within the eoVmy. We d? not wonder Oat
each am idea prevails, umsmaeh as it is wasaa
able aad fidria itaelCand alselunsn it ha*
bja?tia?fMtewifttD?WmMaL trnWal
a good deal ?f eoasmnon at hoam-aa to what
belongs to one eokay aad what to asothar;
nor iait swiprising Aat eaaiginam to awatralia
ahonld akvpin regahtaoaa with teguktiaaa
that obtain lamnalii'm It. however, tin* eokmy
mS wO !30888m9 XHmmHa^SSMBOK Oft wHsV 4BKawwMBVO wWmmflL
great care mast be taken to aeeamagamat the
tabor ?naotfed with Batik Anatraliaa ejmM
goiag atza?bi away to Fietom, Hew 8oa*?
Waka, or Ifew Zealand. We da not mean
for a moment to affirm that aew smrab
win art someti?kM, and wfll aot oftea, qait the
colony before the atzpakted time, bat we ate
astisaedtiiat?Masa?ai?ightbe devised eakav
lated to cheek ia a very great mrmnm that
vjtlmailip drain of oar newly-imported labor
by which in past years Boaa Anatniia was so
vaA iaywetitkod. Wt irooid set fix too
long ? teem of legal 1 1 aiiliMnr If a workmg
man wfll stay ia the eokmy two yen*, he will
restore to* the rerenne, direetlj and mdireefly.ir
more than it cost to bring him oat, and he
should be fee to leare at any time before th.
expnationof the twoyesra, on refaadmg a pao?
pertionato amooat of his |mws§y awry. Of
eoataeoaeh an arrangement woald beasaaple
matter of rohmtary agreement, explained to the
intending emigrant on his first appbostion for a
free passage, and we believe that mvery far
caawwwldUbeobjwtoito. AtaHaft?t^tta
petaon who applies for a free passage to Ade
laide with the foregone intention of taking
liU Ay*.!— i M ?i M^;?fa4y ?w HjJhnnma. laadi.
tales a fraud opondiis eokny, end would hare
ao right to complain of the operation of a role
preventing him from carrying bis damtoaest
tntentum into efleet
Very much more remains to be said concern
ing the principles upon which immigration
ought to be carried oat, in order that it msj be
fair to the neiriy arrived immigrant, and fair to
the eotanist? whose money brought him hither.
We shall, however, have aamoeat opportunity
of dealing with this subject daring the session .
nf P.,4;.—^ apy approaching. -|
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