THE PREMIER ON THE COLONY'S RESOURCES.

Evening Star, Issue 6772, 30 November 1885, Page 2

THE PREMIER ON THE COLONY'S RESOURCES.

On Saturday the Premier laid the foun-dation-stone of the Wellington Woollen Factory's buildings at Petone in the presence of about 500 persons, including the Hon. Messrs Ballance, Richardson, Buckley, and Larnach. The Premier, in the course of his speech, said that we were now on the eve of a new economical era. No true greatness could accrue to a nation unless through her industrial enterprises. Art and science would necessarily flourish where industries were fostered and encouraged, and this Colony would remain poor while she depended solely upon her shipment of wool and gold. Tins was time from an educational point of view; but, looked at in a more material light, the argument was equally sound. An old maxim told us it was folly to put all our eggs into one basket, and the more we spread onr industries the wealthier we would become. Then there was another question which was continually recurring—namely, what shall we do with our sons? He did not undervalue the raw products of the Colony—they were our standby ; but all of our boys were not fitted for agricultural work, and if wc wished to have a natural life the weaklings of the family must be looked after. History showed us that nations advanced in proportion as they looked after industrial enterprises, and this Colony must bear this fact in mind. An American had said that what was wanted was not so much extensive farming a 6 intensive farming, and he (Mr Stout) took this to mean that the development of our manufactures and our agricultural enterprise should advance side by side. As an instance, he would point to New York State, where the size of the farms was small and the average of wealth large. It had been said that the erection of many woollen mills in the Colony would cause undue competition, but he thought that this was a mistake, as each will would have its

own specialty. Jnst as theft) was enoe in the pastoral *rfe part •of the Colony j>*©a*«S»s "Snerinoes and another cross-btecfex so there would be a difference in thßtkßS of material pto.dncc4from the various wools. The Bpleildid, harbor -of Wellington had !e* people to think that vthe place vowht become the principal distributing point of the Colony; but they should look not only to commerce but to the development of manufactures for the future welfare of the place. If the railway 'were made from Wcstport to Picton, Wellington would obtain a supply of coal which 'would enable her to compete with any place in the Colony. They had heard a good deal lately about the present depression in the Colony, hut he would point out that had the old settlers not had faith in the future New Zealand would not be in the position she -now was. Ho referred to the necessity of the people of the Colony using colonial-made goods in preference to imported articles as the most effective manner Of supporting local industries. Subsequently he referred to what the present Government had done in fostering technical education, notably in: regard to drawing.