What Germany is Doing.

Great Colonising Scheme.

[unclear: cted] by the stories circulating [unclear: bort] Australia of the immigration [unclear: beat] in German New Guinea, and [unclear: ing] further reports in Samoa and Fiji, [unclear: W]. C. Halderwell, of Tasmania, who [unclear: cent] most of his life amongst the [unclear: Sea] Islands, paid a visit to New to study the conditions there, Mr. [unclear: well] was recently in Auckland, and [unclear: bed] to speak of what he had noted [unclear: man] New Guinea of the colonising [unclear: ne].

I was, I must confess, more than sur-be replied. "I had always en-[unclear: ed] the Euglish colonist's contempt [unclear: be] colonising efforts of other nations, [unclear: nos] inclined to think that no self-[unclear: ting] Englishman could ever live in [unclear: Colonies] for long, and that such [unclear: s] could only prove rank failures any-[unclear: s] I have changed that opinion, upon acquaintance with the German [unclear: led,] and I find that Englishmen are not [unclear: having] in foreign colonies, but are ac-[unclear: becoming] naturalised under foreign [unclear: ments], in order to share in the [unclear: ber] benefits offered under the foreign [unclear: than] under the British system. [unclear: what] do the Germans hold out as ad-[unclear: over] what are held out by the Brit-aharities." Mr. Halderwell was asked. [unclear: reply], he stated that the German [unclear: ets] freely set out the advantages the [unclear: received] by settling in German New [unclear: which] he would not receive if he [unclear: up] land in British New Guinea. All publications issued from the various [unclear: tion] offices stated that the German [unclear: n] of New Guinea was in a more ad-[unclear: stage] of development. Then [unclear: they] on to point out that a far larger reve-[unclear: be] development purposes and the as-[unclear: rce] of setflers was voted by the Ger-[unclear: Impperial] Government than by the [unclear: ral] Government, while there had been [unclear: pulished], in connection with the Ger-[unclear: territory], powerful chartered com-[unclear: es] under the direct authority of the [unclear: man] Government, for the development [unclear: be] country along agricultural and com-[unclear: al] lines. Moreover, big mail steamers subsidised to give a regular service be German New Guinea and Sourabaya [unclear: ral], Singapore, and Europe. Modern [unclear: es] and mills had been established at [unclear: art] places for the preparation of local produce for the markets, and the colony had a special gold and silver coinage of its own. A very large number of natives were under the direct control of the German authorities, and the labour supply was good, some 12,000 natives now being at work on over 160,000 acres of plantations. An excellent native police system wan in operation, the constables being all well-trained men, in receipt of regular salaries. The German Government was engaging experts in plantation and timber matters, and in sisal hemp cultivation and treatment, and it was also having the mineral possibilities reported upon. Experts were to supervise the selection and cutting of the vain-able timbers, such as ebony, red cedar, sandalwood and teak, of which there was an enormous quantity. Trading posts were established, where the natives traded with rubber, copra, spices, gum opal, tobacco, sago, misoi bark, beche-de-mar, feathers of birds-of-paradise, pearl, and tortoise shell, etc., and the goods were conveyed, by vessels placed at disposal by the chartered companies, to Singapore and Sourabaya, an office being opened for the purpose at the latter place, while, later on, offices were to be established at Singapore, Samarang, and Colombo, all in direct connection with the London office. Than heliograph stations were being fitted at different points for communication purposes. Horse and cattle breeding stations were being established, so that a big bid for [unclear: imim] gration was being made, and, a most important point, full preparation was made for the immigrants before their arrival.

When asked about the class of immigration encouraged, Mr. Halderwell said each immigrant was required to satisfy the au thorities that he possessed the qualities of energy and enterprise, and was likely [unclear: to] make a useful colonist; then he had to pay £300, for which he received a passage to New Guinea, maintenance for 18 months, and a considerable proportion of all profits obtained. The aim was to get [unclear: only] the right class of settlers, and the German authorities were certainly succeeding in this respect. As a contrast, in British New Guinea, practically nothing was being done to induce the right kind of immigration.

The subject of mineral exploration being again mentioned, Mr. Halderwell said that between the upper reaches of the [unclear: Kaisern] River and the coast were many great ranges, and these were to be systematically and extensively prospected by geologises for gold, silver, copper, nickel, cobalt, tin, and other minerals, and mineral lodes [unclear: -n] that country, with plenty of timber, cheap and good labour, and water carriage, could be worked to immense advantage. It was little wonder that German New Guinea at tracted settlers before British New Guinea and other British possessions.