THE “SCOTSMAN” ON NEW ZEALAND.

Waipawa Mail, Volume I, Issue 24, 4 December 1878, Page 2

THE “SCOTSMAN” ON NEW ZEALAND.

The Scotsman has the following article on the position of New Zealand as compared with the other Australasian colonies: It is always interesting, though it may not always be profitable, for a parent to look into the books and balance sheets of the sons that he lias started in business. If they are doing well he must have pleasure, if they seem a little doubtful, he must have anxiety; if things are all against them ho cannot be comfortable. What is true of father and son is true of tho mother country and the colonies. At home we desire to know how they aro getting on. and whether they promise to be as successful as the mother country lias been. Every now and then one or other of these colonies gives an account of itself. Some colonist, desirous to further the interests of his new home, will tell us a flattering tale of its prospects, and he is gladly listened to. Still, it is well to look into the matter a little for ourselves—to confirm, if possible, his statements by undoubted facts, and* to Batisfy ourselves that all is well. From the Australasian group of colonies many promising accounts have come, and recently New Zealand gave a particularly favorable account of herself. It may be well to see from authentic sources whether this account is borne out ; and in order to do so a comparison may be made between New Zealand and the other Australian colonies. The total area of all the Australasian colonies is 3,173,310 square miles, while that of the United Kingdom is only 120,830 square miles ; so that they aro more than 2G times as big as we are. No doubt a good deal of the area is not likely to be productive at any time ; but it may be doubted whether, comparatively, there is as much of their surface in that condition as there is of the surface of tho United Kingdom. How much elbow-room they have may be seen by the fact that while upon our 120,830 square miles wo have a population of not less than 33,000,000, upon their 3,173,310 square miles they had only a population of 2,401,715 in 1876. That is to say, they had not one inhabitant per square mile, while we had more than 273. Plainly then, they have plenty of room to grow ; and they are growing rapidly. Their population, which, as just stated, was 2,401,715 in 1876, was only 1,264,954 in 1861. That is an increase in 15 years of close upon 90 per cent. *ln the same time, taking "our population now at 33,000,000* our increase was only a little more than 3 per cent. Where the growth arose may seen in the following table :

It will be Been that, while New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia have increased rapidly, the rate of their' -ease has been small compared with N7w Zealand and Queensland. In New South Wales the increase was something over 75 per cent., and that was the largest of the three first named. But the increase in New Zealand was a little over 303 per cent., and that of Queensland was rather over 436 per cent. This is little short of marvellous, and speaks volumes for the vigor with which the Governments of' New Zealand and Queensland have pushed the claims of their countries;

1861. 1876. New South Wales ... 358,278 629,776 Victoria ... 540,322 840,300 South Australia ... 126,830 213,271 Western Australia ... 15,691 26,709 Tasmania 89,977 105,484 New Zealand ... 98,971 399,075 Queensland ... 34,885 187,100