“THE REAL STATE OF NEW ZEALAND.”

Patea Mail, Volume II, Issue 113, 10 May 1876, Page 2

“THE REAL STATE OF NEW ZEALAND.”

Ukder this heading, the following letter appears in the Home.; papers just -to hand—,■ ;. : ri . ■ To the Editor of: the hj Belfast. News Letter.”: —Sir,—Arespected; citizen of Belfast has just put in my possession a copy of your journal of date 3rd July,* 1875, in, 'which I see a letter from a young man who has been deluded underfalse promises to emigrate to this ill starred and remotest Colony under the Crown. As an old Colonist, and one who knows intimately and universally,exoteric and enteric operations within the four corners of the so-called Britain of the South, I emphatically endorse D.M.’s advice to intending emigrants; I would advise no young man to come here; nay, more, I would earnestly persuade all to shut their ears • ; against the siren; songs of the, mild agents sent home from New Zealand to people in England, Scotland, v and- Ireland. I would say—“ Treat with contempt the ‘ exaggerated accounts of interested parties,’ ” for as J. White, who sent you D.M.’s letter, truly said, “ such accounts arc highly coloured, and they lead-to* sad disappointment and reverse.” When I survey the present demoralised condition of this ; Colony—-a i Colony that: has imported^-during the past two years,; 70,000 souls on capital—l must cordially; agree with J; White’s assertion, to wit,; “ any young man can do as well, and be more happy,, in , Ireland than in New Zealand.”, Dunedin is the only apology for a city in this Colony, and hero there are thousands on the very verge of star-, varion. They are literally “ dump with an inarticulate disgust.” We have, imported. 10,000 female, servants during; the past two.years, and I verily believe; that, in the nine quasi Provincial capitals of the colony, 1,000 of these had recourse to the streets to earn a crust of bread m the market of shame. We have, as perhaps you are aware,

nine Provincial Parliaments, and a federal-Government in the lilthy village of Wellington. Altogether there ai-3 some 500 politicians, pot-honse politicians, and 5,000 officials, for a population of 360,000 souls; salaried drones who live in ignorance and selfishness as a general rule. The cream of the hind has been long ago alienated. The country is very mountainous, and fit for only flocks and herds and wilder men, whose god is their belly, who glory in their shame, and whoso political principles, like vanes of, .steeples, do (perpetually veer with the varying wind of passion, interest, prejudice, avarice,-and coarsest and most odious selfishness. The same may be said of one hundred rags of'colonial.newspapers. These do not reflect in.any sense whatever;anrimpartial, ; dispassionate, ; and impersonal public opinion.; they: are simply; mendacious: organs of worthless cliques, men who. : have , got. /monopolies,, and . who naturally wish to flood the, land , with poor immigrants. . Like the horse, leech and grave, their perpetual cry is “Give, give.’.’ .. A working man, .if .he-.has to toil hard or to lease a farm, generally receives civility from his, master or lord. Not” so here. 1 The British and Irish aristocracy have the breeding and the manners of gentlemen; but a pn\seproud and illiterate Colonial arisepcracy—who can hear ? An aristocracy did I say ? Pardon me. : This'year, in the Colonial Parliament, an attempt was made to .abolish Provincial Administrations, bat they have got another tohn or lease of life—-I mean during the recess, • Infatuated squatters, and farmers,and shopkeepers, contrackrs, and officials, arc going the round of political dissipation' in the shape of getting tip banquets all over the Colony' to their venal members, so as to prolong the existence of the Monarchy. The last session of Parliament actually 5 cost the Colony £30,000. We are £20,000,000 in debt, and our Colonial municipalities are borrowing largely ; indeed, < i they aggregate at once some £11,000,000 over and above the Colonial debt. The. •whole Oolbliy is one spider’s web of mortgages ; but I must pause and not obtrude further upon your valuable time and space—Yoursp very 'sincerely Gr. S. Grant, First Rector of the High School of Otago, and the founder of the eight hours system of laborin Australasia.