POLICY OF NEW ZEALAND

Waikato Times, Volume VII, Issue 386, 3 November 1874, Page 2

POLICY OF NEW ZEALAND

" l . /. lake ilit! following troni tho Hobarb Town J/i?a- ( \> of September 21bt: — The policy Avhicb is being pursued by the Government in New Zealand is in striking contrast to thai which has chi.r.ioteribed legislation in this I colony, and more especially with reference to the rejection of the public works scheme by the obstructive phalanx in tin- Upper House. Tiy comparing one put ot tbe> work of the seh^iona that has just closv-i in this colony and New Zealand, we can gather Home facts sli>/ving the vast difference tluit exists in the legislation of the two colonies. Of the public works scheme,, whioh we believe would ! luv\e conferred a lasting and permanent benefit on j T.iMimnia, lud it not been defea'cd pmely on p«r-

■sijnul and party ,'iui: uls, we 1i.i.0 a lv.idj said enough for the y c it. > " !>'" •' > l)l - i" I^ l^ l'" one which mus. eveutuilh tiud favour c\cu horn the UiuW.-Cowthor ;>ai y. app'O'-il thvmi«ao-i f the colony ; atul th>rofony louKrd at hi thac light, it is only a quevJon of time. But hero is wher * Tasm.iuU invariably shows u weakness, and one tliat tells on its pveau-.t ooudi i<> », and acts prejudici.Uly with rosrard to its future. Though (Ju-iser-vatioin ia iv the twj«jnd.uit in the Mother Country, there u no roaaon why a few old fogies should cnisc it to be so here ; and had those gentlemen taken a liberal view of tho schenio propped by the Govjrnment, apart from seltish and reprehensible motives. they wo\iid havo accepted it. It is said that delays are'dangeroiw ; in this inbtanco, uudoubtly, to compel the colony to wait another twlvo months fur the carrying out of a general policy of public works, is what* we have not hesitated to deprecate in tho strongest terms. In New Zealand, there is no such paltry shilly-shallying. That colony now finds itself in a condition that will compare favorably with any other portion of her Majesty's colonial possessions. In a recent issue of an Otago paper, there aro some comparative returns of the foreign trade of Victoria New South Wales, and New Zealand, showing "with sufficient accuracy, the direction in which, the energies of the population of tho several colonies have been engaged," and also, " that Nevr Zealand, in proportion, manifests the most active commercial spirit." We do not intend giving all these statistics, but the following f will suffice for'our present purpose :—: — . *"* I

These .statistics aro for 1872, and as there is no miHon to doubt thnt New Zealand lias maintained it-, position as compared with the other colonies, thevo is iuuio truth in the statement that that colon}' " was moie prosperous now than any colony on the I Australian continent." That the resources of New i Ze.-Jand are of great magnitude is incontrovertible, but would tho colony have been in the present condition had thoso resources been allowed to lie doimiint, as m Tasmania 1 There is no doubt they aie 1> vr.^ put to the fullest test, and this we may judge b. fV :>ablic debt. In 1870 it was £7,500,000. Li ihai year the Assembly authorised the issue of <lebent.uea to Uw extent of j£5,00U,000. In 1873, they authorised the issue of £2,750,000, and of various .smajl local loans, which made up the amount in round numbers to £'8,000,000, making the debt in 1873, X 15,500,000. In the session which h.is just closed, authority has been given to raise three or four millions more for railway, immigration, and other purposes, so that the dvht in another year or two will probably exceed that of any of the Australian Colonies. Thote figures look startling, compared with thoso which can be used in reference to this colony, and yet the population of New Zealand is coinparatn ely .small. But Mr Vogel is not quite so short-sighted as some legislators. He has dono for New Zealand what probably no other man would have done, and in le^s time than it takes to consider a polio elsewhere. It is not long ago since no man was. more distrusted and disliked in New Zealand than he was; now he carries all before him. He has introduced a vigorous and extensive policy in respect to public works of all kinds. "Railway and telegraphic extension finds few or any objectors there : while roads and waterworks ha\e caused the expenditure of large sums. Going hand-in-hand with this public works policy, is that of immigration, for which Mr Vogel does not hesitate to propose, and the Legislature to vote, several millions. Tho estimated revenue of the colony for ,£1874-7f> is 1.496,900, and the expenditure £1,4-27,000, of which nearly one million, or the greater part of the -whole amount, will go for interest and towards the sinking fund, we know that there are those who assert that Mr Vogel is going too fast, and that before long he will be compelled to pull up and consider the position into which he has brought the Colony ; but Mr Vogel believes in New Zealand, and to a man in his position that is ; a great deal. He is too shrewd to strain the credit of the Colony beyond what it will bear; but he is putting that credit to the severest test. Such a course would ' never find favor here. It would be scouted at "once ; but this Is no reason why we should not adopt a similar policy on a j smaller scale. The credit of the colony stands high, [ and Tasmania would reap incalculable benefit by ' railway and telegraphic extension and the construc1 tion of roads and bridges, evon if we were to borrow I three or four hundred thousand pounds.

LOI 1. N.»w Zealand— Population 2 79/) 60. Imports, rate per heml .£lB 1 ilxports „ 18 5 Victoria — Population, 770,727. Imports, rate per head .£ll 11 Exports „ 13 19 New South W» lei —Population, 539,190. Imports, rate por head £1 1 0 Exports „ 10 7 11 4 2 2 8 \