, 1875-12-01
AN EX-COLONIAL GOVERNOR
ON EMIGRATION.
(Fr0m the Times

OIT AhdIICS Ou jaw N"~
Governor of Tasmania, in distributing the
prizes at the Braxted Agricultural Society,
Essex, gave an account OF the strange
sights be had seen in that Province, and
mentioned that on one occasion a man
there came 500 miles to win a ESQ prize
for ploughing. In many respects it was a
charming country, but there are two sides
to every picture, and let them remember
before they went that it was not every
man who emigrated who could win ESQ
prizes or become a farmer on his W
account. The fact was that in all these
cases we heard a great deal about the sue
cessful men-and many are successful
but we heard very little about the number
who did not succeed, and who found them
selves after a hard struggle to keep body
and soul together worse OIL liam they
were here. II a man was young, able
boaied, homes thrifty, and intelligent, no
doubt be had a chance Of doing we'll for
himself ard OF becoming independent.
But he would have to work quite as hard,
if not harder, than he ever did here, and
he had to run the risk of his health and
strength giving way under 1T and failing
Just at the critical moment If he set
up farming on his own account, he would
most probably have to live in a small hut
in the bush. far away from friends aud
neighbours But then it was said, mo
doubt the work is hard, but it is sWeeten-
ed with The bread Of independence, and
a man can get meat to eat every day ;"
and that again was perfectly true, He
could tell them also that the Australian
colonies had thei bad as we'll as their good
times and when times were bad The la
bour market 90 Overstocked aud labour-
ers were thrown out of employ Just as
they were here in England. Just now in
New Zealand, New South Wales, and in
Tasmania able-bodied labour of all kinds
was in very great demand, and when he
was in New Zealand a year and a half ago,
a railway contractor told him he could not
gel men enough to cart ballast Oh his line
at IS. per day. But only W or three
wears before that time there were large
numbers of able-bOdird men in all the
Australian colonies destitute Of employ
ment, and if any hing were to happen to
send he price Of WOO, suddenly down to
any great extent, most likely the same
thing would occur again. Now, he did
not say these things to discourage any
strong and able bodied young man who
bad set his heart on emigration from try
ing his fortune at it. On the contrary, he
only wished him to know that there was
shadow to be met with in the colonies as
well as sunshine, aud if when he had bal
anced both sides of the account, he was
still DESTROYS of emig atiug, he should say
to him heartily, "God speed you" and
give him his best wishes for his GOOD for
tune Above all, he would say that when
a man is thoroughly unhappy and dlscon-
tented with his lot in his mother country,
the best thing he can do is to leave it.
Such a man would " leave his country for
his couatty's good" in more senses than
one and let us hop he would do 50 Tor
his w good also. But when a man is
happy and contented at home he should
recommend him 10 stay at home, and, TO
his mind, the same qualities which were
required to get a man on in the colonies
would in nine cases out OF ten get him
on equally we'll at home.