SIR JULIUS VOGEL ON NEW ZEALAND.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 1060, 30 May 1878, Page 3

SIR JULIUS VOGEL ON NEW ZEALAND.

Sir JnTrcs Vogel's paper on New Zealand, read before the Colonial Institute, has been commented upon very favorably by most of our contemporaries. It is certainly an able and condensed statement of the present prosperous condition of the colony, of the steps by which .it has been attained, of the various routes by which New Zealand can be reached, and of so much of its past history as was necessary to explain its relation to the Mother Country. These are the main characteristics of the paper. It cannot be said to contain any information with which we in the colonies are not perfectly familiar; for even Sir Julius's theories of federation and extension of boundaries of the Empire, by annexing the varie.is groups of islands in the Pacific, have been fully and frequently discussed among ourselvas. So far as contributing to knowledge of New Zealand by the New Zealanders is concerned, therefore, its merit consists more in concentrating facts, so as to bring into small compass the statistics and observations scattered through a variety of records and Parliamentary papers, and reducing to a systematic and interesting form much that has hitherto come before as in dry and fitful MetaiL But to Great Britain, Europe and America, the natural advantages of climate, soil, mineral deposits, and situation of New Zealund have been comparatively unknown. Lately, very lately, the islands were believed to be inhospitable, and the abode of, perhaps, the fiercest, ablest, and most irreclaimable of known cannibals. Even yet, the ogre is not eliminated from the belief of Britons, who can hardly realise the possibility of a national progress so vast having been accomplished within forty years. It would, therefore be advisable to print many thousand copies of the lecture and distribute them broadcast ; throughout Great Britain, and fame would be cheaply purchased thereby. The wide circular j tion of so graphic a description of what may be done by capital and labor in so favored a land would dissipate many errors, remove many doubts, and encourage the emigration of men and women of the right stamp. Some among us imagine that Sir Julius Vogel has overcolored his picture. We do not think so. When many bright colors are placed side by side, people are apt to exclaim " The painting is not true to nature." So rare is it to find in so small an area gold, coal, metallic ores, fruitful soil, rich pasture land, and romantic beauty, combined with healthiness of climate, that to tell of such a spot seems like a fairy tale. That which is not explained is that the ordinr ary condition of applied labor before the earth yields its increase is common to New Zealand and other lands, but with this advantage to this colony, that a larger return is obtainable from a given amount of labor than in any other part of the known world. It is not that labor is not that labor is not required, but that it is remunerative. We have some discontented immigrants—men who would have the world believe they have been misled, and who would have New Zealand believe they have left a land of plenty to come to one where they cannot tain a livelihood. Let them read of the state' of England now. There, notwithstanding low wages, high cultivation and persistent labor, agriculture does not realise so high a result as in New Zealand. There the price of food is so high that; Me >v Zealand can aford to send supplies of corn. There the working classes are driven to desperation through want of employment ; there, men, women and children are willing to labor ten hours, while our operatives work but eight. The drawback to our prosperity is that our numbers are too few. Every immigrant trained and ready for work is so much added to our productive power, and is prepared to contribute to his own and the country's wealth. Ourjrailways have brought thousands of acres within the range of the world's markets. To render them payable to their utmost extent requires people, and the more of them we have the lighter will be our burdens, the greater our production, the wider our commerce, and the richer the colony and the world. Sir Julius Vogel's essay is a valuable contribution to social science. It shows how countries may be developed, barbarous races civilised, and civilised races made prosperous. Politics have something to do with prosperity where impediments to industry require to be removed, or new conditions to be legislated for. But New Zealand has progressed in spite of bad early politicians. It is now only a iew years since the Public Works Scheme) was projected. Sir Julius Vogel tells the world its objects were to attract population for the twofold purpose of developing the industrial resources of the country and giving safety to the colonists through outnumbering the Natives. This policy he points out was forced upon the Government of the day. Fortunately that Ministry was composed of men who had the wit to grasp the situation ;aud the measures required to meet it. Their predecessors sought to conquer a peace—in other words, they were prepared to exterminate the Natives. The FoxVogel Government conquered through peace, and the victory of peace has proved humanising, and is likely to be lasting. In this respect the Colonial policy of the last few years contrasts strongly and favorably with our previous practice of, in Sir Julius's language, more or less constant fighting with the Maoris. In more than one of our institutions we have been m advance of the Mother Country, and in none more so than in proving the power of "oyer* coming evil with good/ Very distantly does Sir Julius hint at his connection with that advanced policy, but it would be as unjust; as it has been ungrateful to dissociate his name from it.—Dunedin Evening smr.