GROWTH OF NEW ZEALAND.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3220, 25 October 1881, Page 3

GROWTH OF NEW ZEALAND.

(San Francisco Chronicle, July 23 ) Beyond all doubt New Zealand is the most promising of the British South Sea colonies. The crop reports brought by the last steamer are astounding. Not even California or Oregon ever equalled 80 bushels of wheat or oats to the acre, which is given as a " common yield in Southland, with here and there, in favored localities, 117 bushels." The New Zealand census returns show an increase of 90 per cent, over the returns of 1871. That year the total population of the three islands forming the colony was 256,250. An increase of 90 per cent, gives 486,625 for the present year. This does not include the Maoris, or native race. A census by the colonial authorities, taken two years ago, made the population, exclusive of Maoris, 414,412. The increase in the last two years has been 72,213, or a small fraction over 8 Jper cent, a year. Not more than five or six States in the American Union had as great an increase from 1870 to 1880. California's increase was more than 30 per cent, below it. In 1879 there were four towns in New Zealand with populations over 13,000 : Dunedin, 22,525 ; Wellington, 18,953; Auckland, 13,758; Chrisfcchurq,h. 13,425. The increase in these towns since then gives Dunedin a present population above that of any other city on the Pacific coast of the United States but San Francisco and Oakland, and raises the rest to a rank equal to Sacramento and Portland. The soil, climate, and commercial

advantages of New Zealand are first class. Her area is 105,000 square miles, against 120,879 for England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales ; and there is a larger per cent, of good arable land in New Zealand than in England and Scotland. It is easy to imagine from these facts and figures what a future is in store for that country. Without over-peopling it has capacity for 20,000,000 souls. But the one great drawback on the energies of New Zealand, as well as all the other British South Sea colonies, is the burden of public debt. With less than half a million people, and not quite §35,000,000 of exports, the debt of New Zealand is $118,000,000, and her total revenue about §20,000,000. This is an enormous burden for less than half a million inhabitants to bear; and that they do bear it and yet prosper speaks well for the natural capabilities of the country.