AUCKLAND.

Hawke's Bay Weekly Times, Volume 1, Issue 46, 18 November 1867, Page 285

AUCKLAND.

Ot7»iWW;;COMBBJOiq»itT.] ' •' r.v 'V‘ : : 12th Nov., ;1867. THE ? theProyinco of AucEland is both critical andextraOrdinSryr r An immehse/amounVbf"undeveloped wearthexists witliin-her territory; hernaiuralmaritiaiead vantages axe ~'al(ni^ r uh^ualt(^ t ' r^r^nTy:: hdt surpassed, in the Australasian group. If the population of the gold-fields were left out, Auckland would-probably yet number the largest population; yet her Provincial. Government will find its' very existenceihreatened, owing to scarcity of cash. How is this ? 'Firstly: Previous :to the war something like 90 per cent, of her lands were locked.up in the hands of the Maori. Even after the confiscations, probably '75. to 80 per .cent. , remained aboriginal. Out of this large proportion no revenue could be obtained: The small portion, .Had to. provide .the means to improve the whole. Secondly :: For several years her politicians ; of both parties have been striving, by two opposite methods, to accomplish one end; and it -is scarcely surprising that they havw succeeded, and annihilated ter territorial revenuel One party agitated for the removal,of the. restrictions on dealing with native land ; in other direct purchase." Under direct purchase a large territorial revenue was out of the question. The other party insisted on giving land. away, arguing .that by attractingpppulation we should increase our- customs revenue (which is. partly true), and gain'more indirectly than the value of the land. This appears plausible, and might be a correct view, provided we had the land to give, and further if the customs revenue belonged to the Province. But to buy land to give away appears as good policy for the Province, as to destroy the territorial revenue, which is Provincial, for the. sake of increasing the customs, only half of which falls to the Province; howeverj both parties have had tbleir day j direct purchase bn one hand, free grants on the other, coupled with a severe commercial .pressure, have made territorial revenve„ a.thing of , the past. The confiscated" landi have been so managed,orwMsinanaged, that.they have been eaten up by officials ; in short, have hitherto involved a. loss to the Colony, and our Superintendent has' declined to accept the land with the charges on it. - The Kawakawa coal mines are being opened up, and; we hope soon, to supply all the steamers , visiting our ports, and have, some. .to. export besides. They fortunately belong to the Province, and are leased; at .a nominal royalty. We t are : supposed, also, to.ihaye a rich gold-mine, ,on the . east side - of, the Waiho (Thames), but if it proves as rich as thermos]; sanguine anticipate the Province will only reap a share of the profit; unlike all other the .revenue derived from miner’s rights as, well; ks for . business purposes,, instead of going to maintain the necessary:officials; goes entirely to the Mabris^. who; are the recognized owners: the.PrbVinces i.e., the pkkeha, undertaking;l;he u cpst reyehue, , and, rfch* full amount oyer to, the Maoris. f , The,export duty op, i; gold, and .thp fees for . publicans’, auctioneers’ and other licenses,; beings;the ; pnly revenue that falls to the Province., ;;

While our territpriai,.re / yenue.. i| gonO.our Custorashave alsodecreased considerably, andj when / the interest on biur; debts the portipn/ maining tp the prqviace -otit r of the provincial haff ” d|; not sufficient! ta maintain our pro^vinciaj establishments.* Hence/local taxation /is unavpidpble, and most; of i theipettled, districts , havp bmading^^&c.i ; “ %e-fr? .rises ®in; yiew,! r Macnridand Am exempt bbighisay. Should q large. pppulati©n p_ro-. inci^sei|ahdH^d l^M^^|i^gappeara*' a}atan|ing monumenttothG/incapacityioLthoset 'wi'- c!tc'' \ :y.v-: -> 's; r^,: Q TVS I ''

'muddled aWy; l - sufficient to have vi ...Jt, .pemWy: to ;&rpvidi^ the Onehunga ch ;p£tne4m^Jhut the mpney^ have / to.be borrowed >'• } : }ff