The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 1904. AN INTERESTING COMPARISON.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 84, 13 April 1904, Page 2

The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 1904. AN INTERESTING COMPARISON.

rn a recent issue of the Bulletin appeared a very interesting article, comparing New Zealand in the eighties, when Kreetrade. and Toryism were the guiding principles gf government, wi#, New Zieuland of to-day under Protection and Bemocratic rulo. Our Australian contomporary points out that twelve or sixteen yeprs j KO this colony was the. most unfortunate uud the most dead liroke" of the Austr,al,usi;an States. Between 1880 and 1891, when the Atkinson Administration was in power, Urn rush of departures from New Zealand was large und continuous, and would, in the opinion of the Bulletin, have been much larger ii It had sot been that a great number of the MnorlJanders weis fai such financial stcaits that they were unable to pay their fare to the promised land of Australia "I'd ll »>t their eltorts to slow; themselves, away on the Union boats were frustrated. The fact is emphasised that New Zealand in those days had all the natural udvuntagvs it has now, •' In rainfall was the sunie ; so was its fertility. It had the outward ami visible blesuings which make for prosperity in the same degree as to-duy. Tho wheat crop in 1887 was more than twice as large as 'that of lyoa, and far lar t) ..r Utan the average of the last dozen years —also, it r.ealisod far more per bushel. Thera were almost as many sheep and cuttle then as there are now—in proportion to the population yltite «« many. The gold yield was not very much less per inhabitant, and consequently each person's shure of the 'magnificent natural resources of the country w'as much greater. Maol'il and in the bad old days," the Bulletin proceeds, "when people fled from it and Premier Atkinson as if each of them had a pestilence, had almost everything it has now-ex-cepl socialistic government und a vigorous, uncompromising protective tariff. It lacked the present intense resolve to build up its own industries, and the present policy of forcibly Hreabing up tjie big estates in oidel to create a muss of small independent landholders, or .State leaseholders each fanning his own bit of soil. It hadn't discovered that the absentee is a curse. Jn the days when Maoriland was stone-broke it was still walking in the old Tory path. It had yet to enter upon that career of 'experimental legislation,' which ivajs to load it V ruin, mud which, instead, somehow, dragged it out of the slough. But the 'splendid natural resources'—to quoto the babble of the daily paper—wen; all there, and if Tory Government and tho possession of 'inexhaustible natural resources' can save a country Maorilund should have been a very much saved country about tho glad year 188(5. The article goes on to show how things have changed since the year above mentioned, how New Zealand wont in for almost the most advanced Socialism on eurth, and for tho most aggressive Protection that Australia has over seen, starting to do thing's which mado the hair of Torjiism stand on eod. Though this colony was a more speck of a country which would go into any one of a dozen odd corners of Australia and never Ire noticed, it began to attract immigrants on such a scale that in tile ten years from 1801 to 1900 it gained more people by excess of arrivals over departures than all the six Australian Stales put together. In the next two years, 1901-2, it gained twice as many immigrants as all the six Australian Stat en put together. It is now fifteen years since New Zealand had a deficit, while in Australia tho annual shortage is almost as regular as tho daily sunrise. Tho Bulletin acknowledges the immense amount of work done by tho iiallance and Seddon (Jorernment, and does not forget also the immense amount of money spent in developing the colony's natural resources. This money, it is caremi to point out, was well applied, and, 011 thu whole, well spent on roads, bridges, railways, and all manner of improvements ; in buying up l){g estates ami re-selling them to the small /armors ou the easiest possible terms ; in lending money to the agriculturalist and the pastoralist at specially low rates • and in supplying the man on the land with extra cheap freights, with expert- instructors, agricultural schools, cool storage, bonuses, and all manner of large and small aids. The experience of New Zealand proves to the Bulletin that a vigorous .Socialistic policy for the al>olition of I tig estates and the settlement of small working' land owners on the soil is good, and the vigorous encouragement of manufacturers by Protection is even a shade belter. The moral deducted from the progress and prosperity which lias been so marked in this colony during the last decade is that (he future of Australia, if it does not adopt vigorous socialistic legislation and adhere to and improve its Protective. UwilT is very po'ur. It is just us Well to h'e reminded at the present time, when the Opposition leaders und press of the colony arc endeavouring lo belittle the Seddon (iovernment in the eyes of the electors, of what the colonyowes to the "experimental legislation " of thd present administration which is as keenly desirous as ever of" promoting the 'welfare and happinoss of all.

COUNTY FINANCE. At the County Council meeting on chairman submitted a digest of the main items in the county accounts for tlie year. 1903-04. Comparing) the estimated ami actual receipts the following position was shown Estimated Actual Cenerai rates £4OOO JLH9K7 Kent reserves £IOO £73 Subsidy £7OU £7 54 Egmont County £IPJU £4OO 11 ridge loan £IUOO £IOOO Sundries £:iOO £Bl4

£7llOO £0978 These Kssimales were made in November last, and it. will thus be seen that the actual receipts were £222 less than the estimate. In expenditure the figures for ihe different ridings wore as follows

Estimated Actual Moa riding £18.") £(i:t7 Wait am riding £7:15 £IOBO Omnia riding £950 *£soß Administration £2.">o £122

£2420 £2017 In November, 1003, when this estimate wuU prepared, thu Council's overdraft stood at £8327, the estimated overdraft at March 31., 1.901. being pul down at £yis7, and the actual overdraft at that date was £37;>S, or £liul over the estimate. Although these ligures show an excess of overdraft, the chairman explains that tin: council's position has really been st reug'thened by some hundreds of pounds. The increased amount received under the heading of sundries is made up of : —New Plymouth Borough proportion of cost of work ol' widening the road at Fit/.roy, £H5n ; Hospital Hoard, metalling road lo hospital, £.14 1 ; and Inglewood Borough, half cost of culvert, £1.12, The amounts uncollecU'd, viz., Egmont County £7OO and arrears of rates and rents ; (say) £IOO, are still to be regarded as an asset.