NEW ZEALAND EXPORTS.

New Zealander, Volume 3, Issue 129, 25 August 1847, Page 3

NEW ZEALAND EXPORTS.

Thb great neighbouring colony of New South Wales was for its first forty years, sustained entirely by the Government expenditure, arid it was only when dn enterprising individual, by the introduction of a few rherino sheep, arfd a subsequent small shipment of wool to the London market, discovered, the eminent adaptation of Australian grasses for the growth of fine wools, that that country may be said to have made her first step, about twenty years ago 1 , to its present opulence- It speedily attracted capital and immigration, and the exportation of its own produce has {gone b'n gradually increasing, until it now repays the amount of its importations— a nvllion sterling annually. Its produce of exportable commodities it- tlie basil of its wealth ; *nd to it

must be with this colony, if it be destined «vcr to .'Hniii wealth. Our Northern settle incut lir^>t caiiiG into noiicc as a place of resort 'if whaling ships, and flouiished merely as a depot of supplus necessary for these ships ; our Southern settlements were formed, nnd havo existed on their own unproductive capital, nnd togdhcr with our Mctroj»>liian s>ettlimcnl are now supported principally by the heavy military and naval expenditure which political exkrctici":; have imposed on the Home Government. It is not to bo supposed that we six ill long co.ilinne lo need, or enjoy, this large incidental expenditure; and, of course, w'en it j-> withdrawn, wo n.u v t fall b.iclc on our own natund capabilities : yet whilst we do possus- it, it is to be hoped that it may introduce such introduction of stock, and of manu'arlures, us may permanently abridge our future imports. But be that as it may, we will requiic for a long time to be importers of the mai.ufactures of the Mother country, and of the produce of her colonies, to a heavy amount; and that can only be continued to us if met by an equivalent export. The period is not long 1 past when the Mother country choiished the export of her industrial pioducta by a system of bounties— n policy which though exploded contained the wholesome inculcnt'on, of which our colonial government may not be inaptly reminded* that the expoits of a country should in their infancy should engage the especial mvuishing ca«c of its rulers Without indulging in sanguine vision, there can be little doubt »hat few years will elapse ere the grain crops of our fertile districts will be called in aid of the precarious harvests of New South Wales ; and that in place of being importers of cattle and sheep, we shall be shippers of salted beef, and cured meats ; and also that our present exports of copper ore, &c, &c, will be indefinitely augmented. The geological formation of our island affords every icason to presume that its minerals will one day be a main feature in its prosperity. It is ascertained that coal abounds in j many directions ; but the only mining operations that have yet attained notice, are the copper mines of the Great B irricr and Kawau, and their products woar no unimportant figure in our commerce. The export of copper ore lias been, in 1845, 467 tons } declared value £9,\'25\ in 1846, 1202 tons, £22,1 80; and in the first 6 months of the current year, 105 tons, £2000,— total 177-t tons,— declared value in Custom House, £33,305. This valuation is perhaps rather high, nnd from the sales effected at home, we may more correctly rate the total va'ue here at about £#25,000. And besides these exports there arc now ready for shipment at Kawau, about 500 tons, and at the Great Barrier, about 50 tons. The working of the former mine is at present sus ponded, as they are in the course of erecting a powerful steam-engine, in order to keep the mine at all times dry : and it is said that to this great improvement they are about to add a smelting furnace ; and that in two or three months their operations will be upon a much more extensive and perfect scale than hitherto — Communicated.