AUSTRALIAN PROSPERITY. WHAT A NEW ZEALAND M.H.R SAYS. FAITH IN THIS COLONY. WANT OF EMPLOYMENT IN SYDNEY. PROTECTIONIST FEELING.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 247, 17 March 1888, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN PROSPERITY. WHAT A NEW ZEALAND M.H.R SAYS. FAITH IN THIS COLONY. WANT OF EMPLOYMENT IN SYDNEY. PROTECTIONIST FEELING.

Invebcargill, March 15, iSIR J. G. Ward, M.H.R., who recently returned from a tour of the Australian colonies, has been interviowed by u nevs reporter. Among other thinga Mr Ward says: — Discussing the question of protection with a number of leading business men of Sydney, the foeling appeared to be that ere long New South Wales must, in self-defence, adopt a protective policy. It was one of the .sorest subjects with New South Wales and Victoria. Between the two colonies a bitter feud apparently exists. It crops up in all cases, and 1 feel certain that anything in the shape of intercolonial reciprocity i 3 very far distant ; that is, until all the colonies have adopted a protective policy and have had an opportunity to attain to the position that Victoria now occupies in the way of manufactures. The feeling in New South Wales is that to adopt intercolonial free trade just now would bo to open the door to Victorian-made goods, and to make the possibility of establishing local industries within either New South Wales or New Zealand more remote than ever. In the latter colony many people, myself among the number, havo feared the efl'ect of duty being levied against our produce ; [ but after visiting Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia, I came to the conclusion that it would not be a serious matter to us if that were done, as it is quite | evident that neither Victoria nor New South Wales, whatever duty they might levy, could possibly do without our aupplies. The lesult would simply be that while their farmers receivod more for their produce, those colonies would draw as largely from us as at present, and thoir consumers would have to pay additional ! duty.

! THE MINING BOOM. | During my visit to Adelaide the effect.? o* the silver discovery were noticeable. Do" prcssion, so far as the city is concerned, has disappeared, never again, ib is hoped, to show its forbidding presence. Bustle and excitement everywhere prevails. One very gratifying feature of the position deserves special mention. During recent bad times many business men and others had to go to the wail, victims of circumstances. Then it was the case of the ebbing tide, but of late a few of them have made piles in silver speculation, and it is no uncommon thing to hear of people who went through the Court calling their whilom creditors together and paying the orthodox 20s in the pound. The boom has brought about all sorts of striking illustrations of the vicissitudes of life, proring that truth is stranger than fiction. For instance, when passing along the street one day a friend called my attention to a couple driving along in a phaeton. " There," he said, '• go two ot the lucky ones. A few weeks ago he was a cook and she a housomaid in one of the hotels, bub they happened to hold some mining shares and the other day they bought a residence in the suburbs for £1,500." During the week of my stay I was told that £100,000 would be distributed in dividends. People who were poor yesterday are to-day rolling in wealth. We New Zealanders may be interested to learn that an old resident of Southland, Mr P. K. McCaughan, ex-M.H.R., hns in mining parlance *' struck it rich " both in silver and land, and is, as might be expected, more than his own himself again — full of •• go," and as jolly as the day is long.

DARLINGHURST GAOL.— THE PRISONER HOLT. I visited Darlinghursb Gaol. The place is right; in the city— a most objectionable sight in that rospect, and due to the wonderful way in which building operations have extended. The gaol is a massive building, and gloomy. It is formed of a large number of structures within a square. There were 700 prisoners within its walls at the time of my visit. A great many were engaged in various trades. They have carpet factories, printing, bookbinding and fcinsmithing establishments. It would be interesting to know to what extent this prison labour affects the free article, but it is certain that many inmates of the Darlinghurst Gaol are far more productive than they would be outside. Among the prisoners I noticed Holt, exbank manager. He did not look so ill as I had been led to expect. It is said that when ho is set free he will come into a small fortune. Just before his committal, he invested in some land in Sydney, «nd there has since been a rush in that direction, the result being that his lots had been selling at an enormous increase on the price he gave. It is said that his wife, who was reoorted to have gone to America, has returned to Sydney, and is waiting till he is once more a free man.

THE UNEMPLOYED OF SYDNEY. I heard both in Sydney and Melbourne that a good many people were out of work. The class that tind work most readily are mechanics, carpontere, and suoh like, but even they will soon experience a change, for people representing all trades are pouring in by every steamer. Thora is no doubt a great deal of work being done, bub on the other hand there is auch a thing as overstocking the labour market, the supply being greater than the demand.

TUB CHINESE PLAGUE. Mongolians are to be found in all descriptions of trades and businesses, and I did not hear a single word in their favour all the time I was there. Both in Sydney and Melbourne shocking scenes of vice in some of the dens of the lower orders of Chinese were reported. Their presence is almost a scourge — one that I hope we shall never suffer from.

LAND SPECULATION, Both in Melbourne and Sydney there is a perfect) craze for speculations in property. To an outsider the prices realised for some of the allotments in the leading streets appear to be fabulous. Syndicates are everywhere busy, and it is said that they are freely investing on behalf of British capitalists. A feature about the business is that the latter are not advancing monsy on loan, but buying properties out and out. Thia, of course, gives people on either side great satisfaction, and when I expressed the opinion that reaction must come, and wfyh bad effect^ i; was tojd that if properties 11 receded 4h valtie* ittrd*, ou.fcsKie capitalists* and not colonfeta,.wko Vqiild suflefc r TJhey~ have had splendid twns'.in Ne^r -Sonbh Wales, and localities. formerly dependent on outside sources for supplies are now to Sydney. The South Australian wheat crop is very, good. Owing to the pooruawTof bhesoU, individual hpldihgs require 'tab* touch ; large* ttuu> we are accustomed li^Mft^n New. Zealand. Stock, of coura©r4of»*nofeulook ntaplfuto well m here. : aMNflfefW'ttataqtpf ua in *¥ matter of oiti^fe, bat *$,Ui m country is, jjoon<wnpd^w«iir^if«<«il*#«(i.via .^^ s , 1 ..•?.