ON THE IMPORTATION OF FLOUR.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume I, Issue 23, 13 August 1842, Page 92

ON THE IMPORTATION OF FLOUR.

[From the New Zealand Colonist.] It may be considered as an axiom, that one of the first points to be attended to in colonization is a cheap supply of the- staple articles of food. The success of a colony is mainly dependent on this. It is absolutely necessary that the colonists should be supported during the time necessary for clearing the ground and raising crops sufficient for the supply of the colony, without draining from them the funds by which alone they can do this. In applying this to the different colonies of New Zealand, it becomes a matter of the greatest moment that the colonist should duly weigh the advantages of the various markets from which grain or flour may be imported. At present, we are almost entirely dependent on New South Wales aad Van Diemen's Land for flour, which we can only receive from them at a great expense. New South Wales is by no means a grain country, and yet we find4hat New South Wales exports more flour to New Zealand than does Van Diemen's Land. By what means is New South Wales enabled to do this, seeing that she has to import a great portion of grain for her own consumption ? We find that she is enabled to do so by her purchases of grain from South America, principally from Valparaiso. What, then, is to prevent our own spirited merchants from doing this for themselves ? At present, we not only pay them additional freight on foreign wheat, hut we are also paying the Sydney merchants a considerable profit on it, and we lose 'that money paid for grinding the wheat which might be advantageously expended here in the same way. Inasmuch as the wealth of any individual of a community forms a part of the wealth of the entire community, so every sixpence sent out of that community is clear loss. The expense of grinding the wheat daily consumed even in Port Nicholson would, if spent in the colony, Jbe a considerable saving. At the very lowest computation, there cannot be less than three tons of flour consumed daily in Port Nicholson alone ; independently of the minor settlements of Wanganui and Taranaki, which are dependent on this port for their supplies; and also the daily increasing population of Nelson, which must consume at least two tons per day. On the whole, we may safely reckon Port Nicholson alone as consuming one hundred tons of flour per month. - A very considerable portion of the expanse of this flour is totally lost to the cdmmunity, as it is swallowed up by the Sydney raiTer* and shippers, instead of being ground here, when the extra profit would be thrown into the hands of our own merchants. We are,

to the full, as well qualified to send vessels to Valparaiso as. are our Australian neigh/ hours. Neither' Van' Diemen's Land Wr Sydney have any export to Valpara^ Coal, which would Arm a good article of export to that port, is seldom taken, from the great expense of procuring it, as vessels proceeding to Newcastle for coal are generally detained there several weeks, and then have to pay a high price for it. It is to be hoped that the Brougham, lately despatched from this port to Valparaiso for a cargo of flour,, wilC after receiving, the necessary repairs at Sydney, proceed to her original destination. , 0

..Capture of Thirty-three Siave Vessels. — The.' following is an extract of a letter from the Cape of Good Hope, dated November 9,1841: — " Her Majesty's ship Fantome returned to Simon's Bay on the 24th ult, after a six month*' cruise on the coast of Angola, for the suppression^, of the. slave trade, having had the Brisk and Waterwitch under her orders, during which period they have captured 33 slave vessels, and liberated 3,427 negroes —viz., Fantome, 16 vessels, and 1,340 negroes; Brisk, 10 vessels, and 1,136 negroes; and Waterwitch, 9 vessels, and 957 negroes. Ladies' Duel. —A duel with swords took place lately between two —ladies of Paris! The fair combatants, who are known for their wit, beauty, and fashion, quarrelled about an affair of love, and a hostile meeting was the consequence. One of the ladies was wounded, but we learn not dangerously. —English paper.