The Globe. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 1877.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 985, 22 August 1877, Page 2

The Globe. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 1877.

Wuatevek liis enemies may think about the cost of tlie Agent-General’s department, no one will say that Sir Julius Vogel ever neglects an opportunity of bringing before tlie public of Great Britain tlie resources of New Zealand, and her great future. In a recent number of “ Eraser’s Magazine” an article appeared entitled, “ Australia and New Zealand,” in which the writer took a gloomy view of the position of this colony. In the following number an able reply from the pen of our Agent-General appears, in which the writer’s arguments, one after another, are discussed, and our true condition ably put before the readers of that magazine. The point raised is, that the prosperity which New Zealand enjoys has been in consequence of the expenditure of the large amounts of borrowed money, and that when that comes to an end, there will be a great re-action. Sir Julius Vogel’s answer to this is, that the prosperity of the colony has not been caused by the expenditure of tlie borrowed money, but is an effect arising from the objects to which the expenditure has been devoted; that out of over £10,000,000 borrowed for public works aud immigration, nearly £7,000,000 have been expended in the colony, the balance being used in England for the purchase of railway plant, and in the payment of the passages of immigrants; that at no time has there been more than about five thousand laborers employed on the public works at once —a small number compared with the total labor employed in the colony. In fact Sir Julius maintains that our prosperity is the result of the opening of the country to profitable settlement by means of the railways, and that the railways completed and opened are paying a small per centage on their cost. He moreover attempts to show that actual experience has proved that a reduction of employment on public works has not had the effect predicted, and that additional labor is still required in the colony. Had the expenditure of the borrowed money on puojm works been in all cases wise and judicious, no doubt the arguments used by Sir Julius would have been unanswerable. Had the money only been spent on reproductive works, the extent of our debt would only have shown our wisdom. But unfortunately such has not been the case. Some of our railways have been built, not because they were likely to pay, but from very different motives. The only prosperity we are likely to derive from their construction, will be in the fact that the money spent was circulated in the district. But although there are many glaring cases of this nature, on the whole perhaps, taking one part of the colony with another, our railways will, when completed, be reproductive, and be the means of bringing into profitable occupation large tracts of land. Sir Julius next deals with our public debt as compared with that of other countries, aud endeavours to show that, great as it is, when compared with that of Great Britain, it is not such a heavy burden as that borne by the taxpayer at home. He quotes a passage from a paper read by Mr. Hamilton before the Statistical Society of London to show that the debt per head of the United Kingdom is really greater than ours. Mr. Hamilton says that, in contrasting the indebted--1 jiess of New Zealand with that of the United Kingdom, we must add to the National debt the cost of railways aud capitalise the poor-law rates which do not exist in the colony. I he result of hiy calculation is, that people of i the United Kingdom owe £l9 12s Id per head, while those of Now Zealand, including Maoris, only owe - £l2 15s. Sir Julius Vogel next refers at some length to our trade, us measured by our imports and exports, and concludes

as follows : —“ is it to bo wondered at hat those who know these things continue their investments in the colony, undeterred by written theories P New Zealand, with its serviceable climate, its freedom from droughts, the extraordinary capacity of its lands, its splendid water carriage, and its capabilities to support millions of human beings, is the country of greatest promise to suitable immigrants. Its population at the end of 1869, including Maoris, was 282,000. Its present population is not far short of half a million. In ten years it is likely to be the most populous of all the Aurtralasian colonies. Had it not been for the native difficulties, now happily set at rest, New Zealand would probably by this time have a larger population than all the Australian continent,”

A coif respondent of to-days Press signing himself “ Citizen” comes to the rescue of his Worship the Mayor, and endeavors to gather up the evidence regarding the recent Corporation quarrel, and place it, as he says, in the simplest form before the public. The conclusion arrived at is that “ Mr. Grapes has been guilty of no ‘ stab in the dark,’ as, with characteristic eloquence, Councillor Bird describes his conduct towards Mr. Hobbs, and neither did he misinform Mr. Jameson, but simply and truthfully, to the extent of his knowledge, replied to the question put to him.” The errors which have arisen in connection with this business “ Citizen” says are as follows : First, Mr Jameson erred in allowing his letter to appear after Councilor Hobbs had explained the whole matter in the “ Lyttelton Times.” Secondly, Councillor Turner erred in supposing that the Mayor was in full possession of information when replying to Mr Jameson, and also in supposing that it was the duty of the Mayor subsequently to furnish that gentleman with information already made public. Thirdly, Councillor Hobbs erred in supposing that the Mayor did not reply to Mr Jameson’s letter until the 10th instant, he having informed his Worship fully on the 9th; whereas the Mayor’s reply was authorised, and supposed to have been sent, on the Bth instant. Fourthly, the Council erred in blindly following up Councillor rumor’s unjustifiable and thoughtless attack ; md, fifthly, the Mayor erred in forgetfulness of dates, and in not more vigorously repelling the charges preferred against him. The above explanation would he perfectly satisfactory were it true. The actual facts are as follows: —Mr. Jameson’s letter was received on the Bth, and the Mayor may have instructed the Town Clerk to reply to it on that day. The reply, however, was written not on the Bth hut on the 10th, after Mr. Hobbs had returned from Wellington, and the day after Mr. Hobbs had explained to the Mayor the true position of affairs. Further comment is unnecessary.