The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED "The Evening News," "The Morning News," and "The Echo." WEDNESDAY. OCTOBER 31, 1877.

Auckland Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2376, 31 October 1877, Page 2

The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED "The Evening News," "The Morning News," and "The Echo."

WEDNESDAY. OCTOBER 31, 1877.

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We were informed by telegraph a few days ago that one of the first act 3of the new Ministry after entering office was to cancel an order for a large amount of railway material which could be satisfactorily and economically manufactured within the colony. The Government, however, were unabie to stop the importation of shipments on the way, which, we learn, include several locomotives and other rolling stock manufactured in England at a very heavy cost. Apart from tho extensive and well-appointed foundries established by private enterprise, the Government have erected workshops specially fitted with appliances requisite to carry out every description of work in connection with the line. There is abundance of skilled labour, unhappily only partially employed and fast leaving' the colony, yet the Government have made no serious effort either to turn their own large outlay to reproductive account or to encourage the development of manufactures in the colony. The public worts policy has signally failed in creating any new industry, or in consolidating those which had taken root before. When it is considered what possibilities in this direction were offered by the expenditure of twelve millions sterling upon works ostensibly for the promotion of industry within the colony, we caanot but be astonished at the meagrenessof the actual results. What single labour-employing industry can be pointed ou. as owing its origin to the extraordinary expenditure of the past seven years ? While the imports took a sudden leap from £4,078,193 in 1871 to £8,121,812 in 1574, the exports standing at £5,282,084 in 1871 were £30,713 less in 1574. A large proportion of the money for which the colony has become permanently liable, with interest exceeding a million sterling a year, never came to the colony, but was passed over in London to English manufacturers. It is true, a certain equivalent in goods was added to the accumulated wealth of the colony, and by those who can see no distinction in the relative value of wealth produced within a country, and the simple monetary value of certain articles, it will be maintained that there is no essential •difference in the public gaiu. With persons who blindly adhere to a theory which •affronts their own eornuic-n sense, and who •will persistenly overlook the indefinitely reproductive power of a plentiful circulating medium used for the employment of labour, it is useless; to argue. We maintain that one pound spent within the colony for the encouragement of. any industry involving, directly or indi--rectly, the utilisation of tho natural resources of the land, confers creator benefit upon the people at large than £3 spent abroad, the bare value of which has beou landed on our shores. In one case, tho country not only possesses the »_i.____ pn.d_.oca, _>_._ .__._

money which was the means of producing it, and which mar multiply itself to any ex- j tent. We put this in a general way without entering into tho question of the value' of a prosperous population toa country, and the fact that expenditure on one object imparts a certain stimulus to a score more, : which play the part of caterers. The value ! of local industries is very generally ad- i mitted, the only point of dispute really being how they may legitimately be pro- ■ moted. And if the. Government had shewn ! any sincere. desire to encourage local enterprise, whan there was no substantial advantage in going out ot the colony, their ] conduct would perhaps have been less ! culpable. But not only have they neglected j to. favour local industry, but have actually ignored colonial workshops when it would | have been „ direct pecuniary gain to patronise them. Railway carriages, steamers, ' and a host of undertakings which were easily within the capability of the colony, have been sent _os» abroad. Despite repeated votes of the House, the Government have persisted in ignoring local manufactures ; and even since the agitation and resolution this session orders were sent, the '. execution of which the now Government have \ stopped. To Sir George Grey's Cabinet we looked hopefully for reform in this as I iv other matters, but it appears as though the interests of the colony were for another ! season to he made subordinate to the unholy lust of office which sways the actions of the late Ministers and their satellites. •