A NATIVE-BORN YOUTH’S VIEW OF NEW ZEALAND.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5343, 13 May 1878, Page 3

A NATIVE-BORN YOUTH’S VIEW OF NEW ZEALAND.

. ,The following letter, from the son of an old Wellington settler, appears in the Jersey Times of March 7th, and will be read with interest as'showing the genuine opinion of » natiyeborn youth on the condition of his native land. His letter is an excellent reply to New Zealand detractors whose effusions occasionally appear in Home newspapers “Sir,—Much has been both written and spoken of late defamatory of New Zealand. Now a few words in defence of that fair country may not be amiss, coming as they do from one born and bred in it. I was surprised to find on my arrival a short time ago in England, and also in this island, that the opinion: was ,strongly; held by many that the' condition of the colony, wasifar from flourishing, . that trade was dull, the labor market overstocked, &c., &c. y . The opinion held of the colony’s condition is, . I have no doubt, Phased upon the false reports circulated in this; country by'the agents, of the late Opposition; ■ Party in the. Colonial Legislature, in order to. damage ihe credit of the Government, and the; tactics of these unscrupulous individuals have 'so' far succeeded .that Sir G.,Grey.and party: are now established in office. To show how utterly- untrue, tfyese ,reports .are, it ,is only ; ‘ necessary to look, down the columns of - any of < the- principal New Zealand papers—which in ; themselves betoken prosperity —where, one may see that - exorbitant prices are constantly being given for improved freeholds, that every kind of produce for shipment to the Home market commands, high : pr ces, that. large dividends are being declared by the various banking, insurance, shipping, and building companies, and the last but not the least significant fact, that good agricultural; and mechanical labor is scarce, and still commands high rates. The fact that many letters . have appeared in tho English newspapers from ; discontented emigrants, and that meetings have been held in several towns (all convened by one person) in the colony, by the so-called unemployed, is easily explained. In the carrying out of such an emigration scheme as,that adopted by Mr. (now Sir) J. Vogel it has been impossible for the agents to select all or the class required, and co it happens that in every shipload there are a few who, on arrival, refuse to leave the towns and ‘rough it’ for a while in the country. The number of .these men has gone on increasing from year to year, and the result is that in most : of the large towns the market is glutted; had they; done as many did whom I know, i.e., gone away into the country, they plight now all have been employers of labor themselves. Having a farm close to Wellington, I have tad many more applicants for work than I could possibly employ, and always recommended such to go to any of the country districts, , where they would be sure of , immediate employment ; the reply invariably was “ We might as well bury ourselves as go there, or words to that effect, muttered in a very dissatisfied manner. When travelling down New Zealand last spring (September) I was shown at Christchurch a number of the so-called unemployed (about 100) who had been taken on by the City Council at fig per day—a more dissipated, lazy, and repulsive looking lot of animals never were seen, and they were truly doing the ” Government stroke.” It is this class who do the place so much harm. Any industrious, sober man with or without capitals sure, in tho course of a few years, to at least acquire a eointortable freehold, if not an independence. Who can deny this, when the qountry produces un average wheat crop of 30 bushels to the statute acre, and that on next to virgin soil. On one large farm of sorae'2ooo acres in the Otago 1 District the average was as high last year as 75 bushels to the acre. Living at present is exceedingly cheap.. A permanent boa Mer is taken at the first-class' hotels at from 30a. to 40s. per week. Mutton and beef are retailed at 2d. and 3d. per-lb. respectively. Most of the other necessaries of life are equally moderate, excepting house rent, , which is’very high. The public works of -the colony are

progressing favorably. On ray last trip I was able to take a railway ride of over 200 miles ; and now, I believe, the line is open from the north of the province of Canterbury to Invercargill, in tlie extreme south of the island, a distance of 536 miles. Many magnificent bridges Ifavo been constructed on this route, one of which—theWaitaki—is just one mile long. Much more might with truth be written of this, the Britain of the South, but I must trespass no more on your space. Hoping that your readers will reflect before accepting erroneous ideas respecting one of the finest, healthiest, and wealthiest countries in the world.—l am, &e., “ W. L. L. “St. Mark’s-road, Jersey, March 6."