A DARKLY-SHADED PICTURE OF NEW ZEALAND.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3605, 31 January 1883, Page 4

A DARKLY-SHADED PICTURE OF NEW ZEALAND.

I (says a Avriter in the Ceylon Observer of September G, ISS2) sailed for Australia, as you may remember, in January last, and ispent ten days in New South Wales. Since then I have been all over Ncav Zealand, and am now on my -way back to England, feeling greatly disappointed Avith a colony Avhich is greatly overrated. A good many Ceylon men were talking about Ncav Zealand Avhen I left Colombo. Dissuade them from coming. Unless a man is possessed of a very large capital (at least £15,000) ho Avill not succeed in making the ordinary rate of interest, 7 per cent. For the man of £0000 capital there is a bare living to be made, and he must bo prepared to do the dirty Avork Avhieh his hired man would scorn to do. There are feAV runs paying over 8 per cent., and one splendid farm, Avorth £IG,OOO, gave its owner (he showed me his books) a free living, of the simplest food, and 3.V per cent, on his capital. Most of the settlers seem living on mortgage, and borrowing prevails to an extent unparalleled in the history of Ceylon ! As a rule, a farmer must do all the drudgery Avhile his servant does the higher Avork; the fanner's Avife must become something betAveen a maid-of-all-Avork and a milkmaid ! I found so many ruined farmers that I quickly gave up all idea of fanning. Commerce, I found, Avas conducted on principles Avhich staggered me, and shoAved me that morality and honesty Avere not often to be mot with. The case seems to be this, the colony is supported by Govennnent borroAving, regardless of consequences. The people follow the example of their colony and bonwv all they can. The banks facilitate matters by giA'ing every assistance to a system of false trade, and there seems actually to be competition to secure good borrowing clients. There must he Ei violent and painful reaction some day. Most of the small mercantile firms seem to be standing on thin ice. The country itself is overrated in everything except the climate, Avhich is faultless (a little too AA-et in Auckland and Southland perhaps). It is the climate Avhich gives the crops. The soil is generally poor, rich land being the exception. Poverty Bay, the AVaimate Plains, and Timaru arc splendid, but the extent is limited. In the first and last, laud improved by fencing is Avorth £20 an acre, and not much less at the Plains. In no country which I have seen does the soil change from good to bad more quickly than in iSTcav Zealand. It is the first thing that strikes.one when looking at the road or railway cutting. Labor is dear and bad. A 20s and 30s a Aveek and his food, and good men are scare. The loAver classes of settlers arc insolent and overfed ; they consider it a favor to Avork for you, and take care to do as little as possible. I believe a coolie would beat most of them at Avork.

The colouial-born people are in a deplorable state of morality. The lowest scum of the Home population was brought out by the Government, and the offspring is what one might expect, the wits being sharpened by the prevailing , low chicalciy —liars, thieves, continually committing most brutal violent assaults. The "larrikin " is the lowest type of humanity I have ever .seen. A century hence New Zealand will be a great country; at present it is not. Domestic servants arc scarce, and bad beyond description. "When laborers and avtizaus are lower paid, when credit is shortened, when commercial morality is the rule, then New Zealand will rise to great prosperity. 1 don't like the country at present at all. It is quite different from what the numerous books describe it to be, and, in leaving the country, disappointed, lam only doing what many others do. In any case, it is no country for the man who has been accustomed to the luxury of a planter's life —unless he has sufficient money to invest and live near .some of the towns idle '. Can I say more 'i . I am tired of tossing about the world looking mainly for occupation, and often regret having , left Ceylon. I may return to it yet, if I see nothing to do at Home. I regret the delay this New Zealand trip has cost me, but it has done my health much good ; so the money has not been entirely thrown away. To have settled in New Zealand would only mean fresh disappointment. July 20, ISS2.