THE MAORI MESSENGER. Auckland, July 15, 1852.

Maori Messenger : Te Karere Maori, Volume IV, Issue 93, 15 July 1852, Page 2

THE MAORI MESSENGER. Auckland, July 15, 1852.

As the publication of the Maori Messenger is expressly designed to promote the moral and material prosperity of the native race, it, necessarily, becomes one of the foremost duties of ils editor to exercise the utmost vigilance in watching over the interests and in striving to arouse the attention of his leaders lo every subject directly or indirectly all'ccling their moral or social welfare. The discovery of gold in Australia, and ihe consequent disorganization of Australian industry, arc, as we have again and again endeavoured lo show, mutters of the deepest moment to the present prosperity and future progress of New Zealand. They all'ord the most favourable opportunity of turning' Ihe scale effectually in her favour; and of rendering her a corn exporting instead of a flour importing country. To promote so desirable an object, we have never ceased to urge the native fanners to extended culture, anil to redoubled exertions in all the branches of Agricultural industry, in this effort, wc have, we

believe, been in a great degree successful; — since we learn, not only by iheconlrilmlio'iß which have appeared in onr own pages, bnl by the concurrent lestiiiiony of all who have visiled ihe iulerior, thai a vast extent of land has, of late, been suliji-cli il to the industry of man. This, as far as it goes, is excellent. Rut of what avail this industry, if its fruits are to remain locked up in the farm yards of the industrious:'—if money is to be refused in exchange? and if grain is to be held back in the foolish and futile hope of deriving an exorbitant juice from the necessities of the Australian consumer ? Our native readers may very possibly, imagine we have already said all that can be said on this subject,—that we are tiresome and tedious, —and that we should write upon some new and less hacknied theme. Jlul they must relied that were we to forbear from striving to enforce the. error of holding back their grain,—warning them against the present loss in money, and the future loss in reputation which they are certain by such a course to sustain, we should be betraying the most sacred duty which has been confided to us. Tiresome, therefore, as onr urgency on these topics may be accounted, we must? nevertheless, once more draw the attention of tin; nalivo farmers to a low very important fads: — On the oth of the present month, the Collector of Customs published bis quarterly return of live slock, provisions, &e. imported into Auckland. Among the articles mentioned, were o.nk iiu.xniir.n ami i:i.i:vi:n ■ro.\s or l'l.oiu ok tiik v.vi.lk or two TIIOL'S.V.MI SIX lll'.MlUr.ll AMI l'll'TV-ONK i'Oiimis! The question which naturally arises is this; —ls New Zealand unable to produce Hour to feed her own inhabitants, If the answer be truly given, and il be said that New Zealand is not only fully able to produce corn for her own necessities, but to grow it in much more than sullieient quantity to supply the wants of every neighbouring land, —what must be thought of the indolence and indifference of a people capable of neglecting the means of becoming rich ?—of a people who not only refuse the gold of the stranger, but who sillier the heavy loss of their own limited store of coin in purchase of Ihe grain they should be able so abundantly to supply?—llul, if il be told that there m corn in New Zealand,—and that its owners are purposely keeping it back in the insane hope, some months hence, of obtaining famine prices for it, what man of sense and judgment but must deplore such ignorance and infatuation !

Two thousand six hundred pounds, in solid gold, is a serious drain in lliree months from u poor and struggling people. It is not merely the loss of that sum withdrawn for ever from the colony ;—bill it is the loss of another equal sum, which industrial exchange of produce should hare brcuyht into llie country, that is to bo deplored. Two thousand six hundred pounds would enable Hie native! husbandmen to purchase a vast number of ploughs and horses; as well as to cultivate a vast ijuaulily of additional laud. And the produce, of that additional land, if wisely and quickly disposed of, would fill the pockets of the cultivators with many a thousand pounds thai now escape them. Ily such a course New Zealand would become great and prosperous. Her ■ people would increase in wealth, in honour ' and in the estimation of their fellow men. And, instead of both merchants and farmers being impoverished by (lie present fallacious system of boarding corn, a knowledge of their productive industry would cause the

country to be appreciated,—tlic people to prosper. Let the native Agriculturists take heed to our warnings. We toll them again, as we have frequently lol<l tliein before, ilinl instead ol' an advance there is every probability of a fall of price in the Australian corn .Markets. We warned them thai the necessities of the neighbouring countries would spedily become known. And already a second large ship,—the Australia has arrived at Ilobart Town from America with J,2.'>o barrels of none; and, as others are expected to follow, it would be but folly to assure them that such importations must not only greatly reduce the price of the grain of V"tv Zealand, but very possibly render it jmparalively unsaleable. Wc place these simple facts before you the cultivators of the soil, to weigh wel' your own interests. -Moderation in demand and abundance in supply will enable you to defy American competition, whilst it will make you individually wealthy and your Country prosperous. It is in your power by untiring industry and a wise economy not merely to diminish, but speedily to extinguish all such imports as Sheep, Heel", Biscuit, Chee.se, Flour \ Oatmeal.—articles which we find enumerated in the Collector of Customs Keturns, and at a cost to the colony of 4.5322. It is in your power not only to get rid of this outlay, but by skill, perseverance, and an energetic improvement of the soil, to produce—largely to produce—every one of these coimuodoties, and thereby to render them a source of iucalcu. table prolit instead of, as now, a means of verv material loss.'

Helled upon our words. You cannot, villi benefit lo yourselves, be boili growers and salesmen. He contain willi moderate prices, ll is moderate, profits and quirk I'i'liiriis of their money llial have insult; England and America llie greatest, Uie mosi enterprising, and llie most prosperous of commercial nations. And be assured thai moderate profits anil (juiek returns are the surest, nay the only means, lo accomplish llie. prosperity of New Zealand.