OUR NEW ZEALAND TRADE.

New Zealander, Volume XVIII, Issue 1658, 8 March 1862, Page 3

OUR NEW ZEALAND TRADE.

[From the " Melbourne Herald," February 4.] The goldfields of Otago, and the consequent traffic developed between Melbourne and Dunedin, have at length aroused the commercial public of Victoria to a sense of the increasing importance of our trade and relations with New Zealand. Whatever fears many may be disposed to entertain, as to the ultimate effect of these cold discoveries on our own up country trade, everybody admits that they have been attended with an immediate positive gain to the shipping interest and traders of our Melbourne port; and most people will be disposed to concede that, if the trade thus already developed could be permanently secured, it would more than compensate for any depression that tan be proved to exist in any given localities, and which may be fairly traceable to the New Zealand exodus. Our own belief is that the advantages thus gained to the commerce of Victoria can not only be secured, but greatly extended; and that it will be the fault of our own merchants and authorities if this is not the case. We are not now about to discuss the isolating effect of the proposed " Unitarian System," which we regard as certain to prove the root of unmixed evil- A free port is a sine qua non, if Victorian Trade is to flourish; and necessarily forms the basis of our present calculations. Our immediate object is to present, briefly, to our readers the exact data upon which these calculations are founded. We have before us a Return, published by the General Government of New Zealand, of "the value of Imports at the several ports of New Zealand, during the quarter ended 30th September, 1861." At this date the goldfields of Otago had been in existence more than three months, and the exports from Victoria to Dunedin and Invercargill, had reached no less a sum than £104,074 for the quarter, whilst the exports from New South Wales were only £14,967, and from Great Britain only £47,397, during the same period. The total annual value of the Otago trade, at this date, amounted to nearly three-quarters of a million sterling, and since then it has nearly doubled ; the increase being almost entirely due to the Victorian capital. Now the point to which we desire specially to call the attention of our readers is this ;—lf the trade to the province of Otago was, in September, 1861, so worthy of the enterprise and capital of our Melbourne shippers, why should they not seek an equal share of the trade with the other ports of New Zealand, amounting at the same date, according to the return before us, to the annual sum of £2,344,472 ! Curiously enough, the imports to Auckland alone, without the attractions of goldfields, wire at this date almost equal to those of Dunedin, viz.. £158,626 for the quarter; but of this amount Victoria only contributed £2llO, whilst New South Wales secured £57,745, and Great Britain £90,869. Of this last sum, no doubt a large proportion would also have fallen to the Australian colonies, if steam communication had existed between them and Auckland. Sydney also appears to engross the whole of the trade with Wangarie, Russell, Mongonui, Hokianga, and Kaipara, five other ports of entry of the Province of Auckland, and where the imports in some quarters exceed £SOOO. The trade of Taranaki —nearly £7OOO per quarter—appears to he equally divided between England and Sydney, whilst Wellington takes £45,513 from the United Kingdom, £15,576 from New South Wales, and only £IO,OOO from Victoria. The ports of Nelson and Lyttleton (Canterbury), Jn the middle island, returning a quarterly import exceeding £150,000, afford an equally striking evidence -of the superior energy of the Syiney merchants; for although Great Britain obtains the lion's share—viz., £loo,ooo,—New South Wales ranks for £45,000, and Victoria for only £16,925. In truth, without following out the comparison with the remaining ports of New Zealand, we are constrained to admit that 'the return before us proves most painfully that, with the exception of Otago, New South Wales engrosses nearly the whole of the inter-colonjal trade of New Zealand. That this trade independently of the influence of the gold-fields, is now rapidly increasing, is beyond question. For instance, to take the port of Auckland alone, we find the fact thus recorded in the Ncto ZeaU.nder Summary of Bth January

"The Customs Rerenae continues to increase in- a very striking manner; the amount received during the week ended the 28th December was £l,OBl 14s. Sd-i That for the month ended December 31st was £6,972 108. Id.—which against .£5,455 ISs. sd. for December, 1860, exhibits an increase of £1,516 16s. M. for the December quarter JB6l the receipts were £ 18,867 1 ?s. 1 Id., for 1860—£ 15,39?;ls..7d,.—increase £3,475 17s. 4d. For the year ending 31st December, 1861—73,279 ISs. Id., against £57,630 45.. 5<L for December, 18G9—difference £15,6+9 Bs. Bd., in favour ot 1861, exhibiting a rate of 27 per- cent, increase on the last twelve months' revenue; • •

" During the following weeks the receipts were;—December 7th, £ll7B 13s 10d:—December 14th, Jblß6B 4s lld:-December 21st, £2603 '.2s 5d : December2Bth, £lOBl 14s2d. Together, £6732 554 d." . Another return shows us that the goods imported and warehoused fn AuckTahd.Toi the last month of the year 1861, were of the value of £61,831, as against £41,533 for the previous month. This increase is not to be wondered at, when we recollect that immigration from Great Britain—almost wholly stopped daring the native war—is now recommencing; and that, with the return of peace, comes increased trade with 'the nativa population of the northern island, amounting to some 60,000 souls. The presence of the troops adds somewhat to the revenue, though not so much as people arc inclined to suppose. But, whatever the value Of this element may be, it is now likely to be permanent, since the Home Government has determined that these troops shall be employed in road making and opening up the country, instead of wasting their energies in camp, or offensive operations. Thus, at the date of our last advices, 3000 soldiers, aided by a large body of Maories, are reported as busily engaged "in attacking the forest with the axe, and the hills and swamps with pick and shovel." The question then is, cau Melbourne open up commercial relations with the northern island of New Zealand, so as to share in its present and future progress; and, if so, by what means? We answer unhesitatingly, Yes; and that to effect this the same mcaiiß must be adopted in the north as have proved so eminently successful in the south, namely, the establishment of direct steam communication with Melbourne—or at least, for the present* via Sydneythrough the azency of Melbourne merchants. To effect this, an opportunity now offers, which may not readily occur again for some years; and then possibly when the trade shall have been diverted into other channels.

To make our meaning fully understood, it is necessary to explain the present arrangements for the Steam Mail Service between Australia and New Zealand. These we have been at some pains to ascertain from one well conversant with the subject; but, us they will require to be gone into at some length, we must reserve what we have to say upon the subject for a future article. Meanwhile, We cannot impress to strongly upon our readers the important geographical position which New Zealand holds ia' reference to these Colonies, whether in peace or war; nor is it easy to over-estimate the substantial advantages which must necessarily result to Victoria, as the admitted centre of the Australasian Colonies, if these fertile islands rapidly become the seat of a large and enterprising population. Situate within less than one week's steaming from our port,—containing an area of available lands equal to that of this Colony, and not far short of the acreage of the British Isles,—they already a European population numbering nearly one hundred thousand souls, ready to be our customers, and anxious, without exception, to be more directly aud closely united with Melbourne than with any other port in Australia. -...,:. Great in a scientific point of view, and noble in the interests of humanity, as undoubtedly is tuo work of opening up the continent of Australia, and seeking to people the far distant shores of Carpentaria, still few vrill deny that we, may" as. effectually enlarge the borders of Victoria, and more immediately give varied and profitable employment to our own population, by extending m every possible way our commercial connexions with New Zealand. One simple and effectual mode of doing this is all We have to propose. Let us as quickly as possible enlarge bur mercantile marine, aud thug bridge over the mere thousand miles which separate us from the most distant portion of her shores. The rest will follow. ■-.'■■■■: