NELSON AS SEEN BY A SOUTHLANDER.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1358, 5 December 1872, Page 4

NELSON AS SEEN BY A SOUTHLANDER.

A correspondent of the Southland News who has been contributing notes of a journey through New Zealand forms the following estimate of Nelson and its citizens, who fortuitously possess the privilege of administering the affairs of the greater part of the West Coast Gold Fields :- " Th*» enervating effect of the too fine climate has had an obvious influence on the character of the Nelson people. As a rule there is a very noticeable kind of apathetic indolence, an utter insousiance which strikes a stranger very decidedly. There is just enough energy to go on the regular jog-trot-beat, but no attempt or even inclination to develop the admittedly large mineral resources of the Province. True, gold-mining and quartzcompany bubbles have been blown time after time, and of course have duly burst j and ruined many, but that is just the careless easy going sort of speculation likely to find favor in such a lazy Neapolitan clime. Anything like real prospecting or genuine endeavors to promote new industries meets with no support, and ultimately dies oi inanition. A few sanguine spirits still fondly dream of founding, with outside help, hona fide companies to develop the Nelson resources, but every man's hand is against them, and hitherto all efforts have proved abortive. So thoroughly content do the Nelson people seem with the present state of things that the Evening Mail (a funny little half-sheet, highly typical of the place), some time back actually devoted a long article to proving that there was no opening in Nelson for anyone but capitalists who wished to live ou their private means in such a charming climate and sceuery. Certainly this was crying ".stinking fish" with a vengeance ! " There is a large trado with the West Coast Gold Fields, and a small coasting and inland trade with the different villages and settlements, such as Motueka and others, which I have not space to describe on this occasion. The mineral resources, as I have already stated, are immense, but undeveloped, and the private jealousies and vested interests in the importation of locally producible articles will, 1 fear, long retard the development. An influential firm, we will say, makes a handsome profit by importing coal from Newcastle— hence the Nelson coal-mines .remain undisturbed, although recently, owing to a delay in the arrival of the collier vessels, the town. was for some time coal-less. Another firm perhaps largely imports kerosene, consequently opposes successfully the introduction of gas. Similarly with chrome — abundant and payable here— and other minerals which would yield a most satisfactory dividend to a well-managed working company. So much for business matters. On politics 1 will not even touch. " Let us hope that some day the dreamy inhabitants will awake from their slamber, shake off their dolce far nientc, and by developing the resources of their Province enable a vastly increased population to avail themselves, with profit as well as pleasure, of the manifold advantages of residence in Nelson— the Torquay of New Zealand."