The. other question suggested by j the Agent-General's observations is one of con siderable interest. While hundreds of unem ployed arc clamouring for work iv Otago and Canterbury, the Government no doubt acted wisely in checking the influx of immigrants. Nevertheless, if we reflect that in this province alone less than five hundred thou sand acres out of seventeen million are under cultivation of any kind, it argues something wrong in the system when good agricultural labourers have to be rejected. The iact is that agriculture has not made the progress which it should have done in the North. The land available has not been opened up, and few induce ments havo been held out for people to settle on land. Yet we believe that, not withstanding this, there is room for a con siderable number of experienced farm hands. The report of the local Immigration Oilicer for last year shews that for this class of labourers the demand is greater than the supply,although he observesthatsomc of the so-jcalled agricultural labourers aro proved to have come out under false represen tation.. Th. Government would be justified, Aye' think, in authorising the Agent-General to grant piJss/),gos to this part of the colony to experienced farm hands, with a certainty of employment, provided ho satisfied himself that the men -yvbre jvjiaf they professed to be.
