VICTORIA AND NEW ZEALAND.
(From the Melbourne Argus, December 31.) A noteworthy incident is reported in the New Zealand papers of a lato date. It is the presentation by a number of Scottish weavers who have settled in Southland,'-of a silver cup and salver to tho Rev. Mr. Corson, a Presbyterian minister at Girvan, in Scotland, through whose instrumentality and assistance they were enabled to emigrate. That they have bettered their circumstances, and are grateful for and satisfied with the change which has taken place in their position and prosperity, may be legitimately inferred from this spontaneous expression of good-will to their benefactor, while it offers an expressive rebuke to the croakers and growlers who represent assisted immigration as a great evil, and profess to wish that they had never quitted the mother country. But a still more valuable testimony to the value of immigration, and to the effect it has in increasing the amount of employment and in raising the earnings of labor, is furnished by the Otago Daily Times, which observes that, "in the face of the fact of the large stream of immigration that is flowing hithenvards, we may well express surprise at the present tightness exhibited by the labor market. Skilled labor appears to be as scarce as ever it was ; or perhaps it would be more correct to say that the demand for it not only keeps pace with but outstrips the available supply." Nearl y 50,000 immigrants landed in New Zealand during the year 1574, and a very large proportion of these were consigned to the province of Otago ; nevertheless, so great is the scarcity of labor there, that some public baths which the town council of Port Chalmers had determined on constructing, cannot be proceeded with, owing to the want of hands. Tenders were advertised for during several weeks in succession, and not a single application was sent in. Facts like these speak for themselves. So do the "Statistics for New Zealand," from which we borrowed some figures a few days ago. They show that the consuming power of the population of that colony, as exhibited by the value of its imports, is actually greater than it is in Victoria ; the amount per capitc being £22 9s. 3Jd. in the former and £2l 3s. 9d. in the latter country ; while, in spite of our exceptional advantages, New Zealand runs us very hard in the matter of industrial productiveness, her exports being £l9 9s. 11.Jd., and oUrs no more than £l9 12s. per head. One of the stock arguments of the opponents of assisted immigration is that its effect is to glut the colonial labor market, and to bring down the rate of wages. Let us submit botli these assertions to the test of experience. A steady stream of population has been pouring into New Zealand for some years past, and that stream was never so broad and deep as during the year which is now ending. Yet labor of all kinds was never in such brisk demand, while wages are actually higher in that colony than they are here. Not only so, but the very description of labor which has been introduced to the largest extent imprecisely that which is commanding, relatively speaking, the most liberal remuneration. In order to show that we are speaking by the card, we quote the following from page 155 of the "New Zealand Statistics," and from page 25 of Mr. Hayter's " Victorian Year Book" for 1873 :
The maximum rate of wages for masons, plasterers, bricklayers, carpenters, and blacksmiths is higher in seven out of the nine provinces of New Zealand than it is in Victoria; while domestic servants command about the same remuneration in both colonies. But an important element in the question yet remains to be noticed, and that is, the purchasing power of money in the two countries. As regards provisions, prices are almost identical. Houserent and fuel, however, are much lower in most of the New Zealand provinces than in Victoria ; while articles of wearing apparel are from 15 to 30 per cent, cheaper in most of the principal towns than in Melbourne. Thus, then, the exchangeable value of a sovereign may be fairly stated to be somewhat greater in New Zealand than in this colony. In instituting these comparisons, which, imfortunately, are unfavorable to Victoria, we have availed ourselves of information drawn from official sources, and published under the authority of our own Government and that of New Zealand respectively. Nobody can examine the statistics of both without being painfully struck by the serious retardation of our progress and prosperity which has taken place under the baneful regime of protection. Since 1865 the population of New Zealand has increased upwards of 50 per cent. During the same period our increase has been less than 33 per cent. Between 1865 and 1873 the revenue of the latter colony increased 80 per cent.; while that of Victoria increased by about 20 per cent. only. In the same interval the deposits in the savings banks of New Zealand rose from £87,400 to £812,144, or, in other words, they were nearly decupled; but in this colony the rise was from £734,568 to £1,498,618 only ; that is to say, they were rather more than doubled ; while it is a singular fact, illustrative of tho commercial and social activity of the people of New Zealand, that while they have only 2,389 miles of electric telegraph, and the population numbers less than 300,000, they sent 637,941 messages in 1873, as against the 718,167 telegrams despatched along the 3,928 miles of wire by the 800,000 inhabitants of Victoria during that year. ' "We have selected a few of the more salient statistics of the two colonies for the purpose of exhibiting the superior rate of progress which is observable in New Zealand as compared with the sluggish pace at which we are travelling; and we ask tho most bigoted protectionist and the most empty-headed bawler against assisted immigration, how he can explain the humiliating difference thus apparent ? It will scarcely be contended that New Zealand possesses any special advantages which are denied to this colony, or that her population is more energetic or industrious than our own. But she has this in her favor, that her statesmen have the courage of their opinions, and do not sacrifice the intelligent convictions respecting the policy which is best adapted to promote the common weal to the " yea and nay of general ignorance."
Farm laborers, per weelc, Victoria. New Zealai with rations 15s. to "203. 18s. to 35s Ploughmen, do., do. Shepherds, per annum, with rations ISs. to 20s. £30 to £50 20s. to 40s £35 to £70 Stockkeepers, do., do. .. General laborers, per day, £35 to £50 £35 to £05 without rations.. Stonebreakers, per cubic yard, do. Gardeners, per week, do. 6s. to 7s. 5s. to 12s. 203. to 25s. " 21s.' to 48s
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New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4319, 23 January 1875, Page 3
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1,149VICTORIA AND NEW ZEALAND. New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4319, 23 January 1875, Page 3
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