THE WEALTH WE WASTE.

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 659, 9 April 1870, Page 4

THE WEALTH WE WASTE.

" It needs but a glance at the statistical tables," says the Wellington Independent, "to see what ample immediate employment New Zealand itself can provide for an enormous addition to its producing population. "With its gold mines in every part of the Colony, ah'dthe certainty of a rapidly increasing development of the flax industry, it is apparent that New Zealand has little .nee'dto fear the wantpf 4. market' within herself, for any quantity, not only of the necessaries, but also of the luxuries of life which she can grow, and the consumption is likely to increase in a far more rapid ratio than the production, unless an enormous addition be made to the agriculturists, who. are already far behind the requirements. 6f the colony. Taking a most cursory glance at the statistics of 1868, what do we find imported which could be equally well, probably better and more cheaply produced by our own small farmers within the colony^ if theyrhad onlytherpads/.to get" their produce" certainly and regularly to the numerous ports j. i Imported be.er,. which we have every facility for ■making; for ourselves, froths in our faces to the extent of L 85,000 a year. New Zealand cows by thousands run nnmilked, while L 28,000 worth of foreign butter melted in our mouths. New Zealand, mice had the I opportunity of nibbling L 12,000 worth of foreignjjtopse. : Australian -hens cackled to the iTChe of Ll] ,000 worth of eggs cracked on New Zealand tables. L 146,000 was expended on flour; to be cpr.3umed in the shape of New Zealand bread and puddings, to which was added L9OOO worth of bottled fruit, to make New Zealand pies. .New Zealand dessert wag furnished with 120,000 worth 'of TresK ' fruit/ 'and : I&06b worth of musty nuts. L 23,000 was taken to pay for foreign grain, and in additipq to the bill for beer, an item for n^aljt appears cf L]i4,ooo, -"besides L4B,OoOmore -for- hopsJ 1 - Importations, chiefly from Australia, of cattle, horses and sheep amounted to L 119,000. Nearly L4OOO was paid for meal, and while NeV Zjealanffcpigs, ran ; hajfevild by- thousands, asj potatoes: A^ere rotting in the ground; LIB,OOO wais Iperif 'for Australian' an* English bacon, L 25,000 for hams, and L 7,000 for pickled pork. New Zealand pasture was sown with L 14,000 worth of English gra^SiSeeds ; L22,9(X> waa spent in soap! ; fQ .away Nbws- Zealand dirt, wlme tlie "materials lor ' its" manufacture aje, .wasjeck wholesale on every New Zea^afnd /3piS&fy&& Th .^ {^7 mer» appropriate some Tjfthe L29Jf,OOO' wluch went in thqi;-, p.urchase ; ,of sugar, or .at least they J could "produce honey in endless quantity to supply its place. L 78,000 was paid for timber certainly not better than our own bush lands produce ; and the purchase of L 90,000 worth of tobacco has absolutely ended in smoke, as far as this colony is concerned. L 87,000 was paid for wines, though gooseberries and rhubarb are almost weeds in every garden in these islands, and would make as good and far purer champagne than tliat which gets

into the fortunate miner's head. But last — and the item which should make our little farmers blush — L 22,000 went the year before last to pay the market gardeners of Victoria for fresh vegetables imported here. We might add largely to our list. We might fairly complain, for instance, that New Zealand farmers gain no benefit from the grain which must be used from which to distil L 218,000 worthof spirits imported in .1868 ; but we do. not think it necessary to go any farther; especially when it is remembered that tho bulk of till the imports to which we have referred, come from the neighbouring

colony of Victoria, which, with a far inferior soil, riot at all to be compared wjth that which we posses?, we albw successfully to compete with us in our own markets." •......'•.-..