Comparisons.

Manawatu Herald, 25 May 1899, Page 2

Comparisons.

» Comparisons are not always odious, and we find that in comparison with the other Australasian Colonies, New Zealand comes out in a very satisfactory manner. The only colony smaller than England and Wales is Tasmania, and putting that colony on one side we find Western Australia has 975,920 square miles of territory ; South Australia, 903,690 miles; . Queensland, 668,497 miles ; New South Wales 310,---700 miles ; Victoria, 87,884 miles ; as against the 104,471 square miles of New Zealand. Victoria has a close population of 80 to the six square miles, New Zealand follows with a population of 4a to the same area, then Tasmania with 39, and New South Wales with 25. Queensland has only 4, South Australia 2, and West Australia 1 inhabitant to six square miles. The Australasian products for the year 1897 averaged £27 per head, and New Zealand came out top at £31 per head, the lowest being South Australia with £21 per head. In New South Wales the largest number of sheep are owned, totalling close on 44 millions, the value of the wool being stated at a trifle over 8 millions of pounds, yet New Zealand with 19J million sheep had wool worth close on 4^ millions, showing we get a greater crop ot wool and of more value than our sister colony. In the frozen meat trade this colony is a tremendous way ahead of the other colonies, its value being placed at £1,590,521, with Queensland following at £900,450, and the others practically nowhere. In the "wheat export we again come out top with an export valued at over 6 millions, out of a total for all the colonies of over 22 millions. It will be perhaps surprising to learn that every colony has borrowed large sums for public works, the indebtedness per head of population ranges trom £68 per head that of Queensland, to £40 13s 4d that of Tasmania and New Zealand. We have therefore the good fortune to be ahead in production and the lowest in indebtedness.