(5, p. 66.)
But where was the employer?
This is one of the greatest evils connected with the once much lauded Wakefield system of colonization. In fact, it was no system of colonization, but only a credit system of land-jobbing, in so far as the principals were concerned—such as one set of speculators bought land, and paid for it from another set of speculators who sold it, and who yet had the land to find even after it was sold. Such was the mode of setting up the business of the system,—and also sending out labourers, to give their schemes some value in the eyes of land-purchasers; while these, instead of going to take possession of their land when it could be found, remained at home; and, no doubt, in this they displayed a good deal of what may be termed “low common sense.” There were, it is true, a few land-purchasers who came out; but the most of these were in the hopes of obtaining their land, and so begin operations upon it by themselves; so that from them—enterprising though their intentions were—the landless labourer could not hope to derive any benefit in the shape of employment and due remuneration. Some others, who came out expecting to be able to commence operations at once, went away disgusted with the place, when they saw the land could not be had at the time, and knew not where it might be, and could not wait till it could be found for them—besides considering the denseness of the forest, and the expense it would cost in clearing. There were others who would have begun operations, but they could not get upon their land on account of it being so far out of the way, and the want of even the form of a road; while the land that was most available and, so to speak, at hand, was owned by absentees, whose agents could give no employment on it, nor in some cases would dispose of it.∗
The Company which claimed ownership of the land at the time being did, according to promise, raise some employment for the immigrants, but it was merely of a nominal nature; and even the roads for opening up the Valley of the Hutt, and other districts—if roads they could be called—were not begun to, till after a good deal of delay, and some little grumbling and memorializing of the principal Agent by the resident landowners wishing to get a sight of where their land lay.† Though the roads, when they were begun, gave employment for the numerous labourer immigrants that had arrived, yet that did not at all relieve the colony from the curse of absenteeism that brooded over it, and to which may be traced all the trials and grievances to which the colony has been subjected.
∗When first I bethought myself of obtaining a lease of a piece of land, I called upon a certain land agent, who held his agency in Co. with another. “Well,” said he, before I had time to speak, eyeing me through his glasses and rubbing his hands, “I suppose you have come to pay some rent.” “Rent! No, sir!” said I. “I have come to inquire whether you have any land to let.” “Oh, take a seat,” said he, shuffling some papers aside. Mr.——will shortly be in, and he’ll show you the map.” Mr.——came in, and my errand was made known; then I was taken to Mr.——’s lodgings, with the map; it was shown to me; but when he learned I had no “capital,” the map was rolled up, and I was advised to have nothing to do with it. Instances of difficulties of a very serious nature, such as getting lost in the bush, arising from the careless supineness of agents, could be given if space would allow.
†At that time several gentlemen landowners, resident then in the colony, among whom was Dr. Evans, offered to assist the principal Agent with the aid of their “purses”—which could be rendered “cash”—in order to open up a road into the Hutt district, on the faith that the Company would return it; but such an offer was declined by the Agent.
