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New Zealand Herald, Volume III, Issue 681, 19 January 1866, Page 4

Evtcjjy man lias his panacea, for the evils with which we arc surrounded. Each person has some nostrum that will certainty, in his opinion, cure the diseases of the body politic, and give it a long Jease of prosperity and happiness. Amid a great deal of chaif tliat is thus displayed, there are doubtless a few grains of wheat to be discovered by diligent search, but yet if men would only put on one side their own preconccived ideas resting on no solid basis, and examine into the real origin of the wealth of nations, they would emerge from their bewildered state, and would see clearly the causes of stagnation of trado, and the motive power that can alone produce a different state of things. On what, after all, arc wo really dependent, and not only we, but all mankind ? Evidently on the soil of the earth. The land is the basis, the foundation of all our wealth. It is from that our food and raiment arc both derived. Trade and commerce come in as handmaidens to agriculture, but tlie wealth of nations primarily is derived from tho oarth. Now if we would build a superstructure we must first lay the foundations secure, otherwise, ruin and disaster will as inevitably ensue as night follows the day. Wo may give a filip to trade, and tho general prosperity by pushing forward public works, the present necessity for which, docs not call for their immediate execution, but it will bo a transient stimulus only that will be thus given, and the reaction will always in such case tell considerably against us. It is to the cultivation of the soil that we canalonelookfor permanent advancement and healthy progression. We must lirst attain the position of being able to support ourselves from Ihe soil before we can extend our operations profitably iu other directions. In older countries this has always been the order of progress. In every country it is ot tho very first importance that tho best attention of the people should bo given to the land on which they live; to tho mineral treasures that may lie hid in its womb, to tho produce that can bo raised from iis surface, and those nations which have best attended to these matters, are those which have most prospered and have ever occupied foremost places among the nations of the world. I And if this bo incumbent upon old countries, with a vast amount of realized wealth, with numberless manufactures and ot her avenues of labour and sources of wealth, suroly it is much more the case in a new country like thi3 where we have neither tho "one nor the other. But from temporary causes our nominal state of devoting our chief attention to the cultivation of the soil and the utilising of the minerals of tho Province, has been interfered with, and a larger population has been centred in tho town than can be maintained by its trade and commerce. The increase in the country has not kept pace with the increase in the town, the mere:.: o in the number of acres of land brought under cultivation has not kept pace with the increase of our imports, and ot the trade and commerce of tho town. But as in all other cases the temporary disturbance of tho balance on the one side is followed by an effort to readjustment on the other. Some temporary suffering may have to be endured, many chcrished plans laid on one side, many

castles built in airy regions ■will fall to tlie ground j but the end will beageneral enlightenment, and a progress safe arid steady, resting on a more secure foundation, because resting on a natural and not an artificial basis. The war is of course the true cause of this exceptionable state of things. The European population of this Proviuco ill December, 18G1, was 42,000, including military settlers; of, exclusive of them, 37,000. The population, of tlie <?ity of Auckland, including Pariiell and Hewtoii, was 1.7,000, and of Onelmnga 2000 ; making a total in these two towns of 19,000, —more than equal to one-half of the European population of the Province, exclusive of, military settlers. It thus appears that we have only one person employed in agriculture for one engaged in all other occupations ; or, if we include all the military settlers as agriculturists even, 1|- about of the latter to one person engaged in all other pursuits. Is not this conclusive evidence as to the disproportion between town and country . population, and does it not point to the root of the matter. The town is overgrown, the country is dwarfed. The former must of necessity depend upon the latter. The increase or decrease of country population is the guage by which must be measured the capacity of the town to support a commercial population, for our manufactures are of so minor importance that they need not be taken into consideration. The commercial man and the tradesman of the town then, must look from increased tradofromaniiicrease in the number of country settlers. "Whatever encourages men to go and settle upon the land, whatever step can. be taken to ensure them success in cultivating the soil, or for digging for the minerals underneath it, ensures a present and future important gain to the trade and commerce of the city of Auckland. Comparing tho number of persons engaged in agricultural and non-agricultural pursuits in different countries, we find that in Russia the proportion of the former is as twelve to one of the latter. Kussia is largely an agricultural country, though the rude system of culture there in vogue only gets a comparatively small amount of produce from the soil. In the United States, _ the proportion is 3 J persons engaged in agriculture to one employed in all other ways ; but in the basin of the Mississippi they are as 8 to 1. In Great Britain—the workshop of tho world—there • is only one agriculturist to sevon engaged in other ways. It is at once evident that the United States is the fairest for our comparison, and taking them as a standard, we ought to have at least say three to four times more people engaged in agriculture than we have to support the present numbers engaged in trade and commerce. We have simply two classes — the commercial and the agricultural —while America has large and extensive manufactories employing large numbers of men, who thus swell the numbers of those engaged in other than agricultural pursuits. Again, one agriculturist in Great Britain produced food for himself and seven others, the agriculturist of this Province does not yet produce enough to support himself and say two other persons, including the troops, for in IS6-A we imported cattle, grain, flour, salt, beef and pork, and other agricultural produce to the extent of £152,000, or £2,921 pei week; and these imports were not paid for by any exported produce grown here, uor bj manufactured goods made here. It is high time that we enlarge our views, and loot steadily at facts, and not continue to delude ourselves rrith the idea that because we shut our eyes to or are ignorant of them, that therefore they are not facts, and will not influence our position and progress.