New Zealand Times. (PUBLISHED DAILY.) THURSDAY, JANUARY 11, 1877.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 4931, 11 January 1877, Page 4

New Zealand Times. (PUBLISHED DAILY.) THURSDAY, JANUARY 11, 1877.

A certain writer in a recent number of the Queenslander , who resides in Auckland, and who professes to know a great deal about business and commerce in New Zealand, writes in a very desponding strain of matters in this colony. We do not intend to reproduce his remarks, as they have already been touched upon in this journal. It is our purpose now to direct attention to the present state, and what appear to us to be the future prospects, of commercial interests in this colony. The writer in question would have us believe that things are in an unsatisfactory state with us; but we purpose giving some statistics presently which will convince the most obtuse that there is no cause for alarm, and that our position in a mercantile point of view is perfectly sound. We are not going to assert that everyone who chooses to set up in business here must necessarily succeed. If men will embark in enterprises which they do not understand; if penniless men engage in businesses requiring considerable capital; or if they neglect to adopt the usual precautions in the conduct of their business, which reason and experience alike dictate, doubtless they are just as likely to fail in this colony as any other part of the world. Some men never ought to engage in business on their own account, simply because they are unfitted for it. There are times in the history of nations and colonies when the commercial barometer falls below the normal standard ; at other times it rises above the ordinary level, indicating an unusual slackness in the one case, and an extraordinary briskness in the other. We do not think New Zealand is likely to be exempt from these influences any more than other commercial communities. Having said thus much, we must remind our readers that while we do not consider the colony a Utopia, we are far from admitting that our commercial interests are in an insecure or unsatisfactory state. On the contrary, we are of opinion that, taken as a whole, our prospects were never more reassuring than at the present time. There are several things which combine to render New Zealand pre-eminent in a commercial point of view. These are : a large and rapidly increasing population; facilities for the transport of merchandise and produce ; a rich and virgin soil for agricultural and pastoral purposes, combined with mineral wealth. There will then necessarily be large exports and great importations. A people thus situated will (when the first few years of colonial life are over, and they begin to reap the fruits of their care and industry) become large consumers of the products and manufactures of other lamjs. These are the elements of colonial success and commercial greatness, A colony so situated, having a wise and liberal Government; and an enlightened people, must make her influence felt, and ultimately become mighty among the nations. We have already remarked that these islands possess these qualifications in a superlative degree. Let us Consider for a moment,, Our population, which constitutes the bone and sinew of the Country, is steadily increasing, as the following figures will show In 1866 we numbered 204,114 inhabitants ; in 1876, 397>264, giving an increase of 193,140 in 11 years, or an average of 17,557’2 souls per annum. By far the greatest increase has taken place since 1870. From that date our increase of population has been large but steady, owing doubtless in a great measure to the facilities for immigration afforded by the Government., However, we have not been inundated by a moveable 1 population, led here by the gold diggings ; but the new arrivals have come among us for the purpose of making a home; In facilities for carrying on extensive trade this colony is highly favored. We have a number of commodious and safe harbors, with an extensive seaboard. Eutope ha®, facilities for commerce superior to Any other continent. This ansbs from the sinuositiesof her coast line. Australia, ontheotherhand, from hercompact form, and the absence almost entirely of navigable; rivers, offers but, few advantages. There are few dependencies of the British Empire that equal New Zealand in the extent of navigable water.” Dunedin, Christchurch, Wellington, Auckland, Ac., are all good ports, and form the great centres of our ocean trade. We have also a great number of small harborsavailable for smaller vessels and coasting steamers. From the geographical formation of these islands, it .will be seen there are few spots situated at a very great distance from a port or navigable river. Our railways too are rapidly extending, considering the nature of the country. The latest statis-

tical information we have brings us down only to the end of 1875, but we are indebted to Mr. W. R. E. Brown, Regis-trar-General,, for some particulars of 1876, in anticipation of the statistics for the year. At the end of 1875 we had 542 miles of railway open, and 464 in process of making. Thus, at the end of the present year, we shall have at least 1000 miles of railway communication. In the same year we had 74 coasting steamers, of an aggregate tonnage of 7266, and 428 sailing vessels, carrying 34,759 tons. Most of the latter and some of the former were built in the colony. It is pleasing to notice that our coasting fleet is steadily on the increase, as shown by the .statistics of previous years. Of vessels from other parts, representing our ocean trade, the following entered our harbors : ARRIVED. British. . ; Colonial. Foreign. Vessels Tonnage. Vessels Tonnage. Vessels Tonnage 221 187,044 '660 205,870 56 25,815 \ SAILED. 220 183,926 665 205,215 •_ 65 25,682 Thus we see, our commercial relations extend not only to Britain and her colonies but to foreign nations and the islands of Polynesia. With regard to the capabilities of our soil and climate for producing the elements of wealth, much has already been said in these columns. New Zealand has an unusually large extent of good land in proportion to her area. Prom the longitudinal extent of these islands, embracing lOdeg. of latitude, .we have a temperature ranging from the cold temperate to the subtropical.- Hence we are able to supply our own wants; ■ and produce largely for importation. , Our Chambers of Commerce ar'e composed; of men' of the right stamp; who fully realise the importance of their position, are versed in the requirements of the colony, and who are able to hold their own, in their own peculiar spheres, with the merchant princes of Europe and America. We are not among those who think Governments can be maintained without money, and our fiscal policy is perhaps as liberal as the present circumstances of trade will admit. But we trust the time is not far distant when commercial enterprise throughout the world will be released from the shackles which ■ now weigh it down, when the porta of the world shall be thrown open to the commerce of all peoples, and free trade pure and simple shall be the watchword of the nations. One thing is clear, we have no protective, or to use the more correct term, prohibitive duties, such as obtain in the United States and "Victoria. The fiscal policy of those countries is simply barbarous. It stands like a beacon, upon a rock-bound shore, warning others to avoid their mistakes. Their policy is calculated to uphold the interests of the few at the, expense of the many, and create unprincipled monopolies. It is supremely selfish, as they say in effect that they wish to appropriate the benefits of trade to their own use, to the exclusion of other countries. It is cowardly, for by their own conduct they admit their inability to contend on. equal terms with the producers and manufacturers outside. And last, but not least, it is in the highest degree suicidal, for the result hafc shown that they bring upon themselves the very evils they hope to avoid. We shall conclude by quoting a few statistics on the value of our exports and imports. These, we are glad to say, show a steady increase upon the whole. In 1866 we imported various articles of merchandise to. the value of £5,894,863, and our exports amounted to £4,520,174. In 1576 we imported to the talue of £6,459,526;' and exported £6,250,159 ; making an increase on the part of exports of £1,730,085, or an average increase of £157,280 9s. per annum. It may be remarked that we are buying more largely than we sell, seeing that our imports exceed our exports. This is the case for the most part with all new colonies, especially where large works.of a reproductive nature are carried on. In our own case it may be accounted for by the fact that of late years we have imported railway plant to a large amount, by which we have not only increased our means of internal communication but made considerable addition to the real and personal estate of the colony.