POLICY OF NEW ZEALAND.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 243, 13 October 1874, Page 4

POLICY OF NEW ZEALAND.

We take the following from the Hobart Town Mercury of September 2181:*-,:.. The policy wbich is beine pursued ; by the Government in New Zealand is in striking contrast to tbat which has characterised legislation in this colony, and more especially with reference to the rejection of the publio works scheme Jby.the obstructive phalanz in the Upper House.' By comparing one part of the wprk of the sessions that have just closed in this colony and New Zealand, we can gather some facta showing the vast, difference that exists in the legislation of the two colonies. Of the pnblie works scheme, whieb we. believe would have conferred a lasting- and permanent benefit on Tasmania, had it not been defeated purely on personal and party grounds, we hafye^-iready said enough for the present. "Tne" principle involved is one which must eventually find favor even j[rpm tbe Grubb-Crowther party, as it,~has met with almost universal approt_. 'throughout tbe colony; and therefore 1 , .bdked at in that light, it is only of -time. Bat here is where Tasmania invariably shows a weakness, ; and one that tells on its preseot condition, and acts prejudicially with regard to its future. Though Cone^jjyatisn-his ia the ascendant, in the Mother Country, . there is no reason why 4 'few old • fogies, shonld cause it to be so* here'j, ' and had those gentlemen taken.; ajibgral view of the scheme proposed.by the Government, apart from selfish and reprehensible motives, they would bave accepted it. It is .aid that delays are dangerous; in tbis instance, undoubtedly, to compel the colony to wait «**__Dth'er twelve months for the carrying out of a general policy of public TTvprks^,. is what we have not hesitated; to, deprecate in tbe strongest terms.-*-!.*! .-New Zealand, there is no auch^jWtW' shilly-shallying. That colonyVnpw ..finds' itself in a condition tbat will compare favorably: with any other portion of ber Majesty . colonial possessions. Ina recent issue of an Otag^'jpa^er,; there, are some comparative returns of the foreign trade of Victoria, New South Wales, and New Zeala__', "with snffieieht accujj|cjk7tj& in which the eoerj^^ojl .the. population of the several colonies bave been engaged," and also, *' that New Zealand, jn proportion to its c tpi(t|p';p/- manifests the .'most activ^^pmgiercialispirit." We dp not intend giving alH; these statistics, but the ftmoWl-g-Will suffice for our present P°Tffl"ft_T_. - v. 1872. Nk7VC-*ajuxd— Population, 279,560. Imports, rate per head .. .£lB in Exports „ „ ... 18 5 4 VicrdßkA^-P opulation, 770,727. Imports, rate per head ... £U ll 2 __fPQOS:'i* „ „ .... 13.19 2 i New Sooth WALEs-iPopulation, 539,190. Imports, rate per head ... xu 'fl _ Ex ??5-x ./_»-..'. , ; ... 10.7 8 l-jjMft'eta-ißUcs are for 1872, aod. as there js no reason to. doubt that New Zealand has maintained its position aa compared with the, other colonies, there, is- pome;, (troth in the statement tbat that colony " was more prosperous now tban aoy colony oo the Australian cont.6e_t. 9!: That the resources of New Zeal&_t. aVe'ftf great magnitude is incontrovertible, but would- the colony have been in iu. present condition had tbowq -^source? j been allowed to lie dormant, -p|; in] Tasmania? There is no doubt they sre being put to tbe fullest testy and tbis we may judge by the publi_ n debt. Io 1870 it was £7,509,^*^.' _n" that year the Assem-, bly authorised tbe issue of debentures to the extent of £5,000,000. In 1873, they authorised the issue of £2,750,000, and^f;v^?i^s,sm^l_ local loans, which ma^jjp^l-je Amount in round numbers to £8,000,000, making tbe debt in 1873,.^1p^Q0,000. In tbe session which -has just closed, authority has been.jgiveo ..to raise, three or four mill.oi*.' mare, (or railway, immigration, and other purposes, so that the debt in anotßftH-y&tr or two will probably exceed t b sfi > o. ' any of tbo Australian ColQQtf ( {j. &These figures look startling, compared with those which can be used in reference to. this i qolony, and yet the population of New Zealand is comparatively small.; -i ßut Mr Vogel is not quite so short-sighted as some legislators. He has done for New Zealand what probably' no other man would have done, and in less time than it takes to consider a policy elsewhere. It is not long ago since no man was more distrusted or disliked in New Zealand than he wus; now he carries all before him. - Ho has introduced a vigoroas'and^ertensive policy in respect to public works of all kiods. Railway and lsUgs4pHk e_tt.aeion finds few or any obj«^t-?f.i(sherdj while : roads aod waterworks have caused the expenditure of large etfrne. Going hand-in-band whit ifaa pob-6 works policy, is tbut of imarigtatittty, -'far- > which MruVogei does not hesitate .o > propose, and the Legislature to vote, several millions. The estimate*! revenue of the colony for 1874-5 is £1 ,496.900, and the expenditure i£r,42T,OQO, of which nearly one tniliiob^ ot the greater part of the whole amount, will go for interest aud towards thfe '.inking fund. We know tbsft'tn.re are those who assert that Mr-Vogei is going too fast, and that brfoie lpiig he will be compelled to pull up. Kind: consider tbe position into wfiicjt*keba* brought the Colony; but Mr Vogel believes in New Zealand, an^.ig u. mail in his position that is a grfaX#£.»-.&? is too. shrewd to Btr .in the credii of the Colony beyond- what it wilt /hears but^he is putting {£.»£ credit to the severest test. Snoh a

course would never fiod favor here. It would be scouted at once ; but this is no reason why we should not adopt a similar policy on a smaller scale. The credit of the colony stands high, and Tasmania would reap incalculable benefit by railway and telegraphic extension and the construction of roads and bridges, even if. we were to borrow three or four hundred thousand pounds.