The Southland Times. FRIDAY, JANUARY 5, 1872.

Southland Times, Issue 1519, 5 January 1872, Page 2

The Southland Times. FRIDAY, JANUARY 5, 1872.

One, and by no means an unimportant function in the government of a community is the aid it renders towards developing the internal resources of the country. The building up of a sound system of politics has its claims, but it is quite a mistake to suppose that these are paramount to the work of exploration, when that work is undertaken with the f iew of assisting the public mind to form a correct estimate of the resources of the territorial estate. It is in the faithful discharge of this obligation that fields of labor and enterprise are opened out, adapted to the talents and attainments of a mixed population — that men are brought as it were into their own legitimate sphere of action, instead of being forced into branches of employment alike repugnant to their habits and training. Were this principle in the government of New Zealand more generally recognised, much of the difficulty that besets the introduction ' of immigrants would be obviated, and the colony saved a world of trouble on the score of its immigratiou policy. -The question has not been altogether overlooked, as the Keport of the Joint Committee on Colonial Industries will

testify. That document was brought i down in the House of Assembly at fits late session, and although it can- ! not be called an exhaustive treatise, it con- I tains points of importance at a moment like this when the question of making large additions to the permanent population is seriously contemplated. It proceeds upon the preamble that in consideration of the subject, evidence was taken on the following amongst other points :— lt The cultivation of beet-root, and the manufacture of sugar therefrom. 2. The encouragement of coastal fisheries and fish-curiDg. 3. The manufacture of paper. On these branches of inquiry recommendations were made in the following terms .—— Tn order to give encouragement to the cultivation of beetroot and the production of sugar on a remunerative scale, it is desirable that the Government should give all possible facilities for the acquiring, by a company to be formed for that purpose, of a block of land of about 3,000 acres in extent, to be purchased by such company at reasonable rates ; that the German Consul, resident in Wellington, be invited to assist the Government in introducing from Germany a sufficient number of persons, with their families, who have had practical experience, to undertake the culture of the beetroot, and should provide such persons, and their families, either with free or assisted passages to the colony ; that steps should be taken at the same time to obtain a sufficient quantity of beetroot seed of the particular varieties best adapted for this manufacture ; that a bonus of £2,000 be offered for the production of the first 250 tons of sugar produced therefrom ; and that for a period of four years from the date of the settlement^pf the people^.on the lan&, the sugar produced by them should be exempt from Excise Duty. That the establishment of coast fisheries should be encouraged by means of a bonus, for a term of seven years, on cured fish, dry and pickled, exported for consumption abroad. That the bounty should be at the rate of 4s per cwt. of H2lbs ; the exporter to enter into a bond not to re-land in the colony the fish on which a bounty has been paid. That such steps as may be deemed necessary should be taken for having the fish inspected ; and that no bounty should be allowed on such fidh as shall not be proved to be marketable, and capable of standing a three months' voyage. That, with the view of further encouraging coast fisheries, the Government be requested to reserve suitable iites along the coast for the purposes of fisheries, and for curing stations. That all articles used in the coast fisheries should be admitted free of duty, and that all boats and vessels engaged in the fishing trade be relieved from harbor, wharf, pilotage, and light dues. It appears from the evidence taken that there are within the colony various fibres suitable for paper making. Your Committee recommend that a bonus of £2,50(5 be offered for the pro. duction of the first 100 tons of printing paper produced by machinery, such bonus to be in addition to any that may bo offered by any Province. In a previous issue we went fully into the fisheries' question, as brought out in evidence by the committee, and while fully recognising its paramount importance to this district, it is unnecessary to again repeat what has been already said. Regarding the manufacture of paper, a good deal of evidence was taken respecting the qualities of the various New Zealand fibres. In addition to the phormium tenax, which is represented as being admirably adapted for the purpose, there are various species of grass, besides other vegetable productions indigenous to the country, .all adapted for papermaking. An authority adduced by the committeie, after treating the subject at considerable length, concludes with the following encouraging remarks : — " For the manufacture of paper, we have in the colony all that is needful in the raw material, and abundance of pure water for the preparation of it in all its forms, and for driving the necessary machinery." In addition to the subjects enumerated above, papers and correspondence were submitted to the committee on the growth of linseed, the employment of a steam collier in the coal trade at the Grey River, as also the encouragement of hand-loom weaving. Upon these, however, the committee made no special recommendation. Some evidence was taken on the subject of petroleum, its quality, and the places where it may be found, but no information in addition to what had been already obtained was forthcoming. It is also mentioned without further comment that some pieces of black birch were handed in to the committee, said to be suitable for railway sleepers. In closing their report the committee suggests — That the expenditure of the various sums recommended for the promotion of certain industries be placed under the immediate control of some competent officer of the Government, with a view to their careful application ; and that a report of his proceedings be presented to the General Assembly within fourteen days of the commencement of next session. They regret that the limited time at their disposal, consequent upon the many other duties which have occupied Members' attention, has prevented them from entering upon the consideration of many other important and interesting subjects : amongßt which may be mentioned the manufacture of glass — a branch of industry now ! just commencing in Auckland, and the question I of the durability and strength of the various ' timbers grown in the colony. These, however, with many others of a like interesting character, the Committee have been compelled to pass over, trusting that, in a future session, they may receive at the hands of a similar Committee the attention they bo well deßerve.