Page:The new British province of South Australia.djvu/270

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APPENDIX, NO. IV.
251

so hired, to the satisfaction of the commissioners, the cost of passage will be defrayed, provided always that the persons so hired shall be adults, under the age of thirty years. A detailed statement of the mode in which this regulation is to be carried into effect, will be published as soon as the time shall have been fixed for the departure of the governor for the colony.

By means of this regulation, it will be seen that the buyer of land may have his purchase-money returned to him in the most valuable shape. Whatever the line of industry that any capitalist may intend to pursue in the colony, all the workmen whom he may choose to engage for that purpose, will be set down in the colony free of cost to himself. Masters, also, who may not engage actively in any work of production, will enjoy a similar advantage with respect to domestic servants. The value of this regulation will be made apparent by reference to the following circumstance. It has been proposed, that contracts should be made in England for the erection of public buildings in the colony, such as a government house, courthouse, land office, &c. Supposing such a contract entered into by a capitalist intending to emigrate, the chief means of carrying it into effect, the masons, bricklayers, and carpenters, without whose united labour nothing could be done, would be set down in the place where the work was to be performed, and without any expense to the contractor. But for this circumstance, no man of prudence would enter into such a contract; it is only the certainty of obtaining skilful labourers, that would justify him in engaging to perform what cannot be done without skilful labour. This case of a supposed contract for building, has been mentioned only by way of example. What would render it not imprudent for a builder to enter into a contract with the colonial government, would induce others to project undertakings which require the constant employment of many labourers in the same work. This is the peculiar distinction of the present colony. Without either slaves or convicts, capitalists of every description will obtain, without cost, as many labourers as they may wish to employ; and engage-