THE PROGRESS OF NEW ZEALAND.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5733, 14 August 1879, Page 3

THE PROGRESS OF NEW ZEALAND.

(From the Scotsmtin.) Evidences of healthy growth and progress among our antipodean colonies have never been wanting of late years, and New Zealand, one of the youngest, is perhaps one of the most energetic and progressive among them. Less than forty years have elapsed since New Zealand achieved separate colonial existence, and she has not yet enjoyed the privilege of selfgovernment for a quarter of a century ; yet already she possesses as highly developed a social system as any community m the Old World. The transition of this colony from infancy to vigorous manhood has been wonderfully rapid, yet substantial evidence is furnished in the yearly volume of statistics issued by its Government that this growth has not been of the mushroom order; but rests on a solid basis of order and general prosperity, on which a permanent superstructure may safely be reared. The statistics for 1877 hare only recently been issned—at a later date than usual,

owing to exceptional circumstances, and more than a year after the period to which they relate. As, however, nothing has occurred during the last eighteen months calculated either to accelerate or to retard the progress of New Zealand in an abnormal degree, the facts and figures which depict the condition of the colony in 1877 may be accepted as approximately representing its position at the present time. The first necessity to a young country with a large area of unoccupied and uncultivated land is population. The Government of New Zealand has been energetic in its efforts to encourage immigration, more, particularly during the last few years.. In the period 1871-7, the total expenditure on this account was over a million and a half sterling ; in 1871 no less than £426,000 was devoted to this purpose ; in 1875, £447,0C0 ; and in 1876, £323,000. The result was, that the number of immigrants ■ rose from 13,572 in 1873, to 43,965 in 1874, and was 31,737 in 1875. In 1876 there was a falling off both in the expenditure and the number of immigrants, and in 1877 the decline in both was very marked. Only £140,828 was spent, and 12,987 immigrants arrived. As, however, there was a total emigration during the year of 6611 persons, the net gain of population from this source during the year was only C3 r 6—not an inconsiderable addition in itself, though scarcely so large as might have been anticipated in view of the facilities which the Colonial Government offers to immigrants, and the advantages and prospects which settlement in the colony presents. The estimated total population,.exclusive of the Maoris, at the end of 1877, was 417,622, and though a census subsequently taken shows that this estimate was some 9000 over the mark, the ii it was ascertained too late to be taken into account in the various population-tables included in the returns. The increase of population, as compared with the previous year, was about 18,500, of which, as we have seen, the greater part was natural growth. The number of births registered during the year was 16,856, and of deaths 4685. The birth-rate, nearly 42 per 1000, was high, and the death-rate, 11 "47 per 1000, very low — little more than half that of the United Kingdom. The fact that 46 per cent, of the whole number of deaths were of children under five years of age is, unless susceptible of special explanation, worth the attention of statisticians who are accustomed to regard a high rate of infant mortality as a feature of vital statistics peculiarly belonging to manufacturing populations. But on the whole, the figures as to births and deaths conclusively show that the climate of New Zealand is exceedingly healthy, and well adapted to British constitutions. Even if immigration were to cease altogether, the growth of population in the colqny must now be rapid until its density becomes so great as to impose those additional natural checks that are found to operate in older communities. It is worthy to remark that the illegitimate births were barely 2 per cent, of the whole ; not more than half the percentage in England, and a mere fraction of that reported every year now in Wigtownshire. ;

, In respect of its shipping and trade, New Zealand seems to have felt something of the commercial depression which has, during the last few years, spread over every part of the civilised world. The number of vecsels which entered at her ports during 1877 was 812, of an aggregate burthen of 388,508 tons—showing a decrease, both as regards number and tonnage, compared with the preceding year. The number of vessels which cleared outwards was 818, of 400,609 tons burthen, and here, also, there was a decrease in number, though there was an increase in tonnage. The registered merchant navy belonging to the colony was not quite so large as in the previous year. But it is only in the light of such limited comparisons as these that the figures can be considered as at ' ail unsatisfactory. They represent a trade which has grown up in a quarter of a century from utterly insignificant proportions to a magnitude greater, relatively to population, than that of the mother country herself. The total value of the imports into New Zealand in 1877 was £6,973,418, or £l7 Is. 6M. per head of the population ; the value of the exports was £6,327,472, or £ls 9s. IOJd. per head. Thus the total volume of the external trade was of the value in the' year of £13,300,890, op£32 11s; sid. per head,; whilst that of the United Kingdom in the same year was £646,705,702, or £l9 6s 9Jd. per head of the estimated population. Both exports and imports were of greater value in 1877 than in the preceding year—the exports, indeed, considerably greater than in any year since the colony was founded. Not only was this the case, but the increase was in a direction which is most significant of substantial prosperity and the growth of permanent industries. From 1861, when the first large gold discoveries were made, down to 1871, the precious metal was the most important article of export; but in 1872 the value of the wool exported exceeded that of the gold by nearly three-quarters of a million sterling—the exact figures being, gold £1,736,992, and wool £2,537,919 —and since that time, while the yield of gold has been fluctuating with, on the whole, a rather downward tendency, the quantity of wool raised has steadily increased, till in 1877 it amounted to 28,790, tons, of the value of £3,658,938. Thus it is clear that by the time the gold deposits are so far exhausted as to be no longer worth working, other resources of the colonyi which are practically inexhaustible; will have so far developed as to absorb all the industrial energy of the population, and to keep the growth of the export trade- unchecked. It is worth noting that more than 95 per cent, of the whole external trade of New Zealand in 1877 was with the ' I United Kingdom and her colonies ; of the remaining 5 per cent, about half fell to the share of the United States.

As might reasonably be expected in a community where no: such commercial activity prevails, New Zealand has a large public revenue and also a large expenditure. The total income ■ from all sources except -loans was, in 1877, £3,916,013 ; but of this sum £1,575,182 was raised from the sale and rents of Crown lands, so that the amount yielded by Customs and other forma of taxation was £2,340,811. But this represents £5 14s. per head of the population, or more than twice as much as was raised in the sane year in the United Kingdom. The ordinary expenditure amounted to £3,822,425, leaving a surplus of £93,597; but there was also a special expenditure of £1,827,904 out of loans, for the colony has followed the example of the mother country in the matter of plunging heavily into debt; though ' it' is' only fair to say that the great 1 bulk of the money Owing by New Zealand has been expended for’ worthier objects, and to much better purposes, than that borrowed by the United Kingdom. Before 1873 there were no railways in the colony, but since that date, up to the end of 1877, no fewer than 1052 miles had been constructed, and were in actual operation, while there were 251 miles more in course of construction. Within the last ten years, too, a tolerably complete system of telegraph lines has been brought into existence, and other costly public works of various kinds have been undertaken. Then, as we have seen, large sums have since 1870 been spent on immigration. The resulc of all these operations is a public debt which, at the end of 1877, amounted to £19,262,272, involving an annual charge for interest and sinking fund of £1,071,318. Thus, in an autonomous existence of a quarter of a century, New Zealand has contrived to accumulate a debt which is about as great a burden on her resources as that of the United Kingdom; but she has also a great deal mere to show for it than we have, and resources available to meet it, in the shape of unappropriated Government lands, to.which there is no parallel here. The policy of burdening a young community with,so heavy a load of debt may be questioned ; but, on the other hand, it is certain that the development and progress of the colony will be enormously assisted by the railways and other tangible results of the money borrowed, which could not have been created for a long time by private enterprise, and which form a valuable and improving State property. ' 1