NEW ZEALAND VIEWED THROUGH BELGIAN SPECTACLES.

Auckland Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 203, 31 August 1887, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND VIEWED THROUGH BELGIAN SPECTACLES.

M. De Harven Eulogisesthe Colony

We are in receipt of a bulky volume printed at Brussels and giving in French, with voluminous details, the general report upon New Zealand written by M. de Harven, the Belgian Commercial Delegate, who a_ the end of 1884 made a very extensive tour through this colony. The work deals in an able, comprehensive and impartial man. ner with the natural resources, climate, populabion, public debb, and trade of New Zealand. Indeed, it may be said that this work is the most complete handbook of this colony as yet published in any foreign language. Before entering on his subject the author deems it his bounden duty to gracefully acknowledge the courteous treatment he received at the hands of the leading Auckland merchanbs, arid special reference is made bo bhe banquet given in his honour by Mr Murdoch, the General Manager of the Bank of New Zealand. After a sojourn of a few days in our city, M. de Harven left for Wellington on November the 20bh, 1884. In bhe Empire Ciby he meb, by appoinbment, M. Gustavo Beckx, His Belgian Majesty's Consulgeneral for Australasia, andbherealso he was hospibably enbertained by His Excellency the Governor and the Cabinet Ministers. On the sth of December following, the two distinguished visitors started on their tour through the colony. They were accompanied by Mr Inspector-General McKerrow and a large staff of Government officials, whose services bhe Honourable bhe Premier (now Sir Robert Stout) had considerately placed ab the disposal of the Belgian gentlemen. M. de Harven speaks in the most eulogistic terms of the valuable services renderedhim by Inspector-General McKerrow (cc savant aussi modeste qu'obligeant) and his men. Indeed, he acknowledges his indebtedness to them for the valuable statistics which abound in his book. All the seaports and inland towns, as well, as our forests, lakes, mines, thermal springs, and the leading agricultural and industrial concerns, were visited in turn during a tour which extended over several months. The volume contains over 100 pages of letterpress, besides several maps and many tables. The opening chapters give an interestiirg account of the aboriginal race, and afterwards deal at some length with our magnificent forests. It is very pleasing to notice that while a few of our British legislators denouncein no measured terms what they are pleased to call our "inhuman treatment of the natives," this foreign critic expresses his warm approval of the considerate manner in which we deal with the Maoris. The high commercial value of our various woods for cabinetmaking, shipbuilding, etc., as well as the suitableness of the bark for dyeing, tanning, and other purposes are described in a lucid manner. Kauri gum and New Zealand flax receive their due meed of praise, whilst many pages are devoted to a description of our gold and coal mines, stone quarries, sulphur deposits, mineral oil, iron and copper ores. In dealing with our mineral resources, M. de Harven shows himself thoroughly at home, which is not surprising considering that minerals are so plentiful in his native country. Several chapters are given to our railways, public works, national debts, savings banks, comparison being drawn between similar items in the leading Continental States, and, as a rule, the result proves to be in favour of New Zealand. Since it is now the prevalent custom to allude to our financial condition in the most gloomy manner,-it may not be amiss to hear tho opinion of-an impartial and intelligent foreigner on this burning question. M. de Harven frartMy-admits that our public debt £s a large onc^ so much the more so when the paucity of our population is taken into accounb. Bub, on the other hand, he points out that the larger amount of the borrowed money has been spent on reproductive works, which in due time will yield a steadily increasing revenue. Comparing now the proportion which tho interest and Sinking Fund bear to the revenue with the indebtedness and revenue of other countries, he gives the following figures : New Zealand, 41 per cent., as against 47 per cent, in Italy, 36 per cent, in Russia, 33 per cent, in Great Britain, 32 per cent, in Austria, 21 per cent, in Belgium, and 41 per cent, in France. These figures show that the proportion is the same in New Zealand as in France, whilst it is 6 per cent, higher still in Italy. And again it should be borne in mind that the larger amount of the national debb of the two latter countries is owing to war expenses, and furthermore that France devobes the greater part of the remaining 59 per cent, to the maintenance of her everincreasing standing army. When we take into account the further fact that France can still afford to invest millions of money in the Panama Canal scheme, we must needs arrive at the conclusion that the jeremiads of our local croakers are unpatriotic and uncalled for, to put it mildly. As for those who bewail the money spent on our national system of education and advocate sweeping reductions on this head, we would remind them that since the war of 1870-1 the estimates for the Education Department have increased fourfold in France, for Gauls and Teutons alike are convinced that the schoolmaster has greatly assisted in the building up of the mighty German Empire. But revenons a noa moutons. In his reference to thi3 colony as a suitable field of emigration for Continental nations, M de Harven tells French and Italian agriculturists that there is a splendid chance here for vinegrowing, and that the climate and soil of the North Island are well adapted for the cultivation of the mulberry and olive trees, and the rearing of silkworms. Belgian capibalisbs would be benefibed by bringing out miners to develop our mining industry, which is still in its infancy, and by starting manufactures for brickmaking and pottery, for which pursuits they will find a good supply of first-class clay. As in his opinion New Zealand farmers are still far behind French, Belgian, and Dutch husbandmen in the rearing of poultry aud the making of butter and cheese, he advises Continental farmers possessed of small capital to try their skill in this country.

in dealing with the work,.we feel an embarras de richesses, as it is impossible to do justice or even to allude to all the useful information and valuable hints with which it is stored. We shall, therefore, only refer to the concluding chapters. M. de Harven Btrongly urges on the Belgian Government the necessity of establishing direct steam communication between Antwerp and the New Zealand ports, so as to enable Belgium to compete with France and Germany. He next advices the appointment of a Belgian Consul-General at Auckland, of a consul in each of the three other large towns, viz., Dunedin, Christchurch, and Wellington, and of a commercial agent at Russell, Bay of Islands. Referring to the fact that most of the foreien Powers are represented here by unpaid agents, who, as a rule, are not even conversant with the vernacular of the country they represent, and therefore merely of an ornamental use, he advices his Government to follow the example set them by the United States of America, and to provide these consular agents with liberal salaries, M. de Harven's contention being that the United States and German Consuls have, by their zeal and energy, greatly succeeded in promoting commercial intercourse lietween their respective countries and this colony, which services cannot be expected from unpaid officials.

vVe conclude by giving a literal translation of the final paragraph;—" Public say-

ings are now invested in State loans, ofben used to carry, by means of war, devastation and death in the midst of peaceful populations. Let us invest these savings in productive works. We can no longer ignore the principle of solidarity, and ofben private interest has no better ally than a public one. The works which we muse underbaka are'of such a nature bhab they will not clash. They consist in spreading ourselves over the world by the close union of three indispensable factors : Capital, intellect, labour. I once more repeat it, we cannot find a better field for our operations than New Zealand."