COMMUNICATED.

New Zealand Colonist and Port Nicholson Advertiser, Volume I, Issue 28, 4 November 1842, Page 2

COMMUNICATED.

Ouu Auckland news is so unimportant, that we find it difficult to give any information worth the trouble of reading. The Auckland Times has been “ mangled ” to death in its tenth number. Professing the highest patriotic ideas, and pledging itself unhesitatingly to support the real interests of the Colony ; at its very outset, to experience so great a fall, is most lamentable. Wc may exclaim, “ How are the mighty fallen!” or, as our contemporary was a classical writer, we may refer him to the old quotation, “ Vcc misero mild, quantd de spe dccidi /” As a press is, however, expected from Sydney, we would recommend as an escutcheon the motto of " Rcsurgam.” Roads have become so constant, and worn out a subject for discussion in our journals l , that we feel a considerable degree of difficulty in attempting to travel the same route over, which so many others have toiled. It is, however, to he asked, when the Company, the Go-' vernment, the Sectionists, et hoc genus omne, demand, “ Where are our roads ?” some small portion of Socratic reasoning might be employed in answering, “ Have you found a path to your section ?” (if you know its locality). A path once made, soon becomes a road, especially when trodden down by cattle. The importation of stock has now increased so much as to require the most serious consideration ; and as pasture in the neighbourhood of Port Nicholson becomes scarce, so does it behove the owner of such stock to render some accessible portions of the country behind our hills available to the wants of our cncreasing population. Wc are perfectly aware that many obstacles have hitherto presented, and will present themselves, unless some extraordinary degree of energy be shewn for the purpose of surmounting them. We have been informed, and upon tolerably good authority, that a large extent of land available for, and accessible to cattle, may be reached with little fatigue and trouble from the Wairarapa valley, and that there is also a most magnificent country ranging to the eastward, where herds might roam without interruption from the beginning to the end of the year. To expect that the Company or the Government wouldexpend theirfunds in exploring tracts of land which ultimately might be unavailable to either, would be ridiculous ; but it is not unreasonable to imagine that private individuals might, in a humble way, endeavour (if they be not afraid) to imitate the Ovcrlanders of New South Wales and Van Diemen’s Land, and pioneer by them-

selves the paltry distances, which must eventually lead to districts available to themselves and future settlers.

The flour brought by the Elizabeth (about 230 tons) was, we understand, sold at the low sum of about £ls per ton. Whether this was a remunerating price, we arc unable to state ; we should imagine, however, that the purchasers have no intention of disposing of the article at the same figure. . As speculators, they may be

right. It is seldom that, in New South Wales, flour is to be obtained at a more moderate rate than that above quoted : still the climate there is so unequal, and the crops arc so uncertain, as that whilst tlie buyer at the commencement of a quarter may reluctantly give twelve shillings per cwt. for flour, he will, at tlie expiration of that period, be glad to obtain it at ten times the amount. Let it not be understood that we advocate the principle of keeping back, for profit, this: necessary article of consumption; but we would remind our leading merchants, that only so late as 1840, the inhabitants of New South Wales were reduced to great distress, from having parted, at exorbitant prices (as it then appeared) with almost all the flour in the Colony, the holders of the quantity remaining reserving it till the last moment. The lamentable consequences of this course of proceeding are well known to many of our fellow townsmen in Wellington, and we would suggest that before the flour be sent to a foreign market, some provision be made for protecting ourselves against the chances of starvation, or even privation.