AUSTRALIA OUR MARKET.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 337, 26 January 1889, Page 3

AUSTRALIA OUR MARKET.

While in Australia he was at Albany They had only to be there during a drought to see what the country was. Leb them see tho country parched and bare for J miles around, with large bush fires raging, and they would know what blessing& they enjoyed in New Zea - land. He had seen some people there who had been in this colony, and they said that if they could only get money to return to New Zealand they would do &o at once. He only met one old New Zealander who said the place Avas rotten, and he was no good, for he knew that he had been bankrupt twice and could not come back if he wanted. He went on to tho wharves in Australia, and it was there he saw the wealth ot New Zealand as? it came out of tho Union steamers. The wharves were simply laden down with hundreds of tons of all kinds ol produce. As a matter of fact they had supported Australia. No one need comulain in New Zealand if they liked to work, and the Government should do all they could to induce people to settle on the land. As regards his future movements, ho might state that next Thur&day he would start overland to Wellington, and then down to OLago betore he returned to England. Mr , John Milne moved that they present their thanks to Capbain Ashby tor nib addrefes that afternoon. They ought to be pleased and thankful when anybody would come amongst them and put a better face upon things. He could fendor&e Captain Ashby s remarks about Australia. Anyone who had been there, as ho had, and then returned to New Zealand to see grass growing throe feot high on the stieet bides, could not help comparing tho two countiies, and they would be favourably struck with their own land. There was no doubt that if people would work the land it would repay them amply. But the people preferred to remain in the town, and not to take up land even on the easiest terms. Nothing could be more reasonable than the terms of the leasehold settlements. All they, had to do was to work their natural endowments, and the result was there for them. They would be dad if Captain Ashby, when he returned Hime, would diiect the right sort of people to come out to the colony and go upon the land and work it, so that they might reap the advantage which it was right should be given to those who were prepared to work the land. Mr Newman seconded the motion. He had no doubt that Captain Ashby would give a favourable impression of the colony when he returned home. He was himseli one of the two men who selected tho land for the Alberfcland settlers. That settlement had worked heroically amid untold difficulties, and now they were reaping the benefit of their labours. One great advantage of tho Albertland settlers was that in the past no one would lend them money, and now they were almost all happy and free from mortgage. If Captain Ashby thought so much of Kaipara, he would have thought still moie ot tho Waikato, where they could grow cereals in a manner that would not be believed in England. Even at Mangeie he was told of one farmer who took off 45 bushels of wheat to the acre, and it was at the rate of 65lbs to the bushel. Another thing was that the bearing capacity of the land increased as it was worked. He had no hesitation in saying that in 20 years the Waikato would produce three times as much wheafc as it did at present, and that the land would carry thiee times as much stock. The motion was adopted. NEW MEMBER. Mr H. Wilding was elected a member of tho Chamber.