The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, APRIL 16, 1901. AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.

Gisborne Times, Volume V, Issue 83, 16 April 1901, Page 2

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, APRIL 16, 1901. AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.

For months to come, while the subject of federation is in the air, the relative prospects of Australia and New Zealand will be of special importance. “We need only go,” says the New" Zealand Herald, to the compilations of Mr T. A. Coghlan, the statistician of New South Wales and the recognised Australasian authority on the subject, to find overwhelming proof that New Zealand has outstripped the distant continent in all that makes for true and lasting progress. Australian colonies may have bigger cities and greater shipping ; they may import more and export more; they may own huger flocks and win more gold and possess larger factories ; but in'all tho phases of life which indicate a comfortable and contented people we easily hold our own, and often outstrip them all. We can show the steadiest increase of population, in spite of the lean years that have tried us so severely. Only Victoria surprises in density of population ; only New South Wales and Victoria in actual population; only New South Wales in recent increase of population. Our marriage rate is the highest excepting West Australia; our illegitimate birth rate is the lowest excepting for South Australia; our death rate nearly two per thousand lower than any. When we set New Zealand beside all Australia in these comparisons, we stand easily and distinctly first.” Tho Auckland Herald then goes on to make comparisons, from which we quote in full: —lt is not mere size which makes a country great nor mere number of people, else Canada would be greater than the United States and the swarming millions of India more potential than the masterful Anglo-Saxon. Land that will sustain human life and people able to hold their own in the battle of life and to lift humanity to a higher plane are the pillars of successful States, the factors essential to national strength and persistence. These our colony lias .to ah exceptional degree ; it is essentially the Britain pf the South, Australia has almost three million of square miles, New Zealand , " little oyer a hundred thousand; to our neighbors as 1 tu 1 to 7, and in 1880 as 1 to 5, a p*.. portion which we have held in spite of every Australian spurt. In the last twenty years New South Wales and Queensland have doubled their populations, and West Australia has lifted from 30,000 to 170,000, while we passed through a phenomenal emigration period, but the huge continent has never been able to shake the 1 to 5 ratio of our sturdy and compact little islands. We have every reason to expect that we shall not merely maintain but greatly improve our comparative population position. New Zealand will carry twenty millions more easily than Australia will carry forty. To look upon us as a minor State, simply because we are small in area, is to overlook the populationcarrying capacity of a few fertile acres as compared to that of a million square miles of waterless and barren waste. Here, the rain falls alike upon hill and plain and valley, and a British people build again the homes they left oversea. There, burning drought and drowning flood mark the recurrent cycles that replace our.favoring seasons, and our kinsfolk give the world an example of what bull-dog courage can do in the very teeth of opposing Nature. It is easy to show ihe superiority of our colony to any Australian State, old or new, great or small. Our land, our climate, our people, make us prosperous; these advantages cannot be taken away from us by any ordinary misgovernance, and guarantee our prosperous future. We secure more than our share of

immigration as it is, and ought to secure a much larger .share, considering the incontestable advantages which our soil and climate offer to British settlers. But if immigration stopped altogether, in a few generations our population would exceed the Australian—not because our birth-rate is higher, for unfortunately that is the weak spot in our national armor, but because we die very much less. Our climate and our conditions are so superior to that of any part of Australia that even the cool and bracing •Tasmania rarely makes as good a showing in the yearly mortality indices. The latest complete mortality index available is for 1898. We give the table for tie period of 1891-98 inclusive

Mortality per 1000 of Mean Population. , Colony. 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 New South Wales 16412 16-89 16-45 14.97 17.03 “Victoria 10.96 16'39 16-48 10’00 19-55 Queensland ...16-29 15-21 10-78 10-11 M South Australia ... 14-61 I’4-80 14-44 14-55 6-3 o West Australia ... 16-65 18’86 17'48 18 47 lift) Tasmania 14-74 13-40 13-89 13-66 15-86 Commonwealth ... 15-96 15'80 16-21 15"46 17‘88 New Zealand ... 14"44 13"98 18"01 13"jd 14-94

This remarkable table will alone jus tify to most people our claim to primacy among the Australasian colonies. For what is wealth without health ? What material possession is greater than the physical content which leads to length of days t' But not only only is our climate good,for men, but our pastures are equally good for beasts, our soil fruitful beyond compare. Our area as compared to Australia is only 1 to 29, but our sheep are as 1 to 4. our horned cattle as 1 to S, our horses as 1 to 6A-, our pigs as 1 to 4, and our daily cows as 1 to 3A. Moreover, our live stock is averagely much superior. We make 13A millions of pounds of cheese, while all Australia only makes 10 millions of pounds. And as for agriculture we can give no more telling comparison than that, although our wheat area is to the Australian as 1 to 21, our wheat crop is more than 1 to o ; our wheat laud is four-fold as fruitful. We might continue these instructive comparisons indefinitely, but we have given enough to show that any idea that Now Zealand is to be absorbed by Australia simply because of the smallness of the one and the hugeness of the other is based upon a profound ignorance of the actual capacities of tho two countries. The Australian deserters could indeed swallow up our islands and show no signs of repletion, but New Zealand’s fertile lands could as easily swallow up the whole Australian population and still be ready for more.

The telephone wire is to be laid on to the rifle range. The final ordinary meeting of the present Borough Council takes place tonight. \

Mrs W. Grey notifies that her juvenile dancing classes will commence on Saturday next.

Our telegrams show that there has been a marked decrease in the population of the Thames. Messrs Peckover and Co. have for sale a corner block in Palmorston Road and Carnarvon-strcet.

The electric light is to be installed at Messrs Nelson Bros.’ Taruheru Freezing Works by next season. Mr A. McKay, Government Geologist, went South on Sunday. Ho will report to Government as to his trip.

Mr H. Adair, of the Phit-Essi Boot Shop, notifies that a direct shipment of Woif’s shoes, of the “ Goldene Medaillen ” brand, is to hand. We regret to learn of the illness of two old identities. Mr George Feary has had to go to the Hospital, and Mr J. Brodie is also laid up with illness. The beautiful weather of the past few days has been very welcome to country settlers, who have been enabled to put in some good work. Mr F. Harris has donated a prize for the best domino player at the Natives’ Association, aud entries for the competition close on Saturday night. Constable Kelly, late of Helensville, has arrived at Awanui, and has taken over his new duties- from Constable Crawford, of the local force. Constable Crawford should return by the Omapere to-day, Mr H. G. Price, chief draughtsman in the local Lands and Survey Department, is acting as receiver of land revenue in : conjunction with his other duties during Mr Darton’s absence in Napier.

In the estate of George Pitcaithley 1 Bruce Stuart, of Tokomaru Bay, saddler, a first dividend of three shillings and six- ’ pence in the £is now payable at the office r of Mr John Coleman, Deputy Assignee, 3 A drain running from near the Presbys terian Church has bocomc such a nuisance . that all the doctors in the town have sent } a joint letter to the Borough Council, the , drain being therein described as a dis- ' grace to the town. Along the banks of ; the drain there have been seven cases of - typhoid fever and one death. The lottcr ’ will bo read at the meeting of the Borough ; Council to-night. It is not likely that the retiring Council will take definite steps in , the matter, but it should leave a strong recommendation to the incoming Council. The Poverty Bay Hounds had a run at Waikanae yesterday morning. A hare Was "started in the swamp'near 'Mr 'T. Goldsmith’s, but it eluded the hounds. A hot scent was struck almost immediately, and a good chaso resulted, but* no kill occurred, Among those following were Mr and Mi?? §herra'tt, Mr'Thornley Sherratt, " .fcfaioae fciM hfs son, Mr Jobson, and £• ~ ’ as huntsman, Mr Parker. Mr a. the showed himself to be the right ma„ ... right place, and managed the hounds well. The run lasted for two hours, and was at tunes fairly fast. The Master (Mr Cyril White and Deputy-Master (Mr J. A. Harding) were unavoidably absent. The Mutual Improvement Society reopened its sessions last night with a 1 concert in the Academy of Music. The 1 first part of the programme consisted of ■ instrumental and vocal items, and in- 1 eluded an" instrumental trio by Messrs East and Sons (3), a mandolin solo by Miss McClure, songs by Misses Heaney c and O’Connor, and Messrs East, Barlow, f and Kiwi, and a recitation by Mr P. , Sheridan, all of which were well received, i

the items in nearly every case being enI cored. Mrs McClure, Miss Neal, and Mr C. East played the accompaniments. The second part consisted of a comedietta', entitled “ A Match for a Mother-in-Law,*" in which Miss Davis took the part of .Mrs Howard, Miss Driller that of the servant, Mr S. East that of Mrs Marpeace (the moth'or-iu-law), Mr P. Sheridan that of Mr Walter Howard (the husband), and Mr C. Ferris that of Mr John Wilkins (the friend). All took their parts very well, and kept the audience simmering over with laughter as the various points were made. The Society is now nearing its seventeenth birthday, and seems to bo as popular as ever. By the last mail a letter was received from Mr Alf. Cox, who left Gisborne to seek employment as a telegraphist in Cape Colony. He describes the trip across in the Persic as very fine. He took part in the cricket match New Zealand v. Australia, the latter winning. On nearing Capetown they met numerous transports, with troops, bound for East London and other coastal stopping-places, their destination having been changed owing to the prevalence of plague at the Cape. This, he 'goes on to state, is much more troublesome among the natives than among the Europeans. On arrival he communicated with the postal authorities, but it was some days before he got any reply. Then it was to the effect that he was to report himself forthwith at Pretoria, the wire to act as pass, warrant, and introduction. He had had a run out to Maitland camp, where he found troopers Yardley, Eerris, Pitt, and other Gisborne boys, who were all in good health. At the time of writing he had been left “on his own,” all his mates (including Fred Holford, Tom Ogden, and Ernie Richardson) having j joined the forces. The job that he was to report himself for was reported to be worth £225 for a start,

Some of the magistrates seem to differ considerably as to the fines to be inflicted on newspaper proprietors for inserting advertisements with reference to the Australian art unions, for, for such alleged offences the proprietors of the Woodville and Pahiatua papers v. jrc each fined £5, the Mangaweka lir unary £2, and the Rangiora constella'! _>n 10s. The proprietor of the Woodvilie coruscation has risen in his wrath for Ihe purpose of appealing to his mightiness the Minister of Justice on a matter of suchjmoment. A number of boys were fishing off Furey’s bridge, at Coromandel, on Friday afternoon, when a little girl, four years old, daughter of Mr Dixon, engineer of the s.s. Falcon, fell into the river. The water was about 10ft deep. Master Fred. Audley, 13 years old, son of Mr F. Audley, harbormaster, seeing the accident, jumped into the river, and getting hold of the child swam ashore, and landed the little one very little the worse for the ducking. Master Fred, walked off home to change his wet clothes, and was so modest over the event that he did not tell his father. But for his prompt action there is not the least doubt that we would have had to chronicle another death by drowning.

Although District Judgo Kettle may not bo termed a racing man, he seems, with what might be termed a superficial knowledge of the game, to havo an intuitive insight into its inner workings, for ho is reported as saying at one of the Courts the other day that racing was becoming quite a commercial undertaking in this colony. He was also instrumental in drawing from a jockey the practical remark that it was hardly likely he would risk his life in riding in a dozen hurdle races without being paid according to the racing scale. The judicial mind did not altogether come into lino with this sapient statement, for the semi-satirical judge retorted that thero were many young men risking their lives in South Africa just now for half-a-crown a day and less. Then the boy, coming on the whip hand, said, “ Yes ; that’s all very well, but they expect to get titles, and I don’t. Yor see, sir, I’m after the boodle 1” The fate of assessment lifo assurance offices in America is rather unfortunate. The Insurance Budget and Commercial World, of London, quotes from the Economist, of Toronto, details of the Order of Chosen Friends. It is said that in 1893 it had had a membership of 33,892 and a death loss per lOOOdol of 17'0; in 1899 the membership was 20,797 and the death rate per lOOOdol 22T. The financial state of the order at the end of 1899 was as follows : —Assessments levied, 719,917d01. ; claims paid, 722,122d01. ; claims unpaid, 221,197 dol. ; and assets, 102,284d01. ; leaving a not deficit of 118,913d01. And now the concern is in the hands of a receiver. “ Considering (says the Commercial World) the recent history of those associations, it will almost scorn as if the time had como when they shonld be taken out of the hands of the insurance superintendents and delivered to the tender mercies of the police authorities.”