New Zealand Times. SATURDAY, MAY 22, 1875.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4422, 22 May 1875, Page 2

New Zealand Times. SATURDAY, MAY 22, 1875.

The Australasian Sketcher appears to improve upon acquaintance. It is, perhaps, the very best illustrated paper published at any distance from the seats of art-enterprise in the Old and New Worlds. Indeed, its ilustrations are, as a whole, superior to the average run of pictures in a similar class of American

and European publications, and very often surpass those which find a place in the Illustrated London News. The May number is no exception to the general excellence of this periodical., But we are not now concerned with the art features of the Sketcher. It is to its letter-press articles that we intend referring especially on this occasion. A carefully written article appears in the Sketcher , of May 15th, on “ Immi- “ “ration and Population.” The writer demonstrates the immense advantage which a colony possesses that encourages immigration, over a neighboring colony which contents itself with the slow pro-, cess of natural increase. \ Ho remarks,; with great apparent truth, that “there is “ strong reason to believe that in the “race of progress between the various “ Australian colonies, the victory must “ rest with the one that adds most “ rapidly to its population by immigration., “There is no other factor of a nation’s “growth by which its progress can be estimated so surely as by its increase “ of population. Increase of population “ means increase of the value of [existing “property, and increase of,the amount “ of property held by the .community, “ It means an additional number of the “ producers of wealth, consumers of pro- “ ducts, sellers and buyers, workers and “ employers, and a proportionately in- “ creased rapidity of the development of “ the resources of the colony. . . A “ colony, by determining to rely wholly “on its natural increase has the cer- “ tainty that it also will in time grow “into a large community. But it has “ also the certainty that its competitors, “ which supplement their national growth “ by large importations of immigrants, “ will pass it by; one by one on the road, “ and that it must submit to be left in ‘ 1 the rear, while they hurry onward “ much faster than it can do. Their “ population will grow, their lands bo- “ come occupied, their revenues expand “ at a rapid rate, while their self-sufficing “ rival crawls slowly and imperceptibly “ on the way, and calls its infinitesimal “ advance progress.” All this is very true, and when the Sketcher comes to illustrate his argument oy showing the comparative progress of iho Australian Colonies and New Zealand, }y the use of statistics, its force is clearly jerceived. But the figures quoted are mly for the three years ending January list, 1871. Were the comparative returns rought up to the end of 1874, tho result ; vould show very much bettor for Now ■ Zealand. However, during the throe : 'ears in question New Zealand was more regressive than any of tho other colonies, Ithough it was a period of very groat lopression. Tho increase per cent, per nnum of population was ; for— Victoria 3’5 Now South Wales 43 South Australia 4 - 0 New Zealand 6 7 Wd may remark that tho Hon, Rout. lamwjell used similar figures in tho

Legislative Council last session, to illustrate the rapid progress New Zealand was making in the practical work of colonisation. ' . ,

The Sketch#)' then proceeds to point out how vastly under-populated Victoria is, and contends that should New South Wales follow the lead of New Zealand in the matter of immigration, with the view of quickening the industrial development of the country, any hope of Victoria continuing the premier colony of the Australian group must be relinquished. The fact that labor is higher paid in New Zealand than in any of the Australian colonies, notwithstanding the immigration policy, is pointed to as a conclusive reply to the contention that free and assisted immigration would tend to cheapen labor. We are pleased to think that the example set by New Zealand, in the way of stimulating the industrial development of the country by immigration and public works, is likely to compel imitation by the colonies on the Australian mainland.