THE New Zealand Herald. SPECTEMUR AGENDO. THURSDAY, MAY 29, 1873.

New Zealand Herald, Volume X, Issue 3603, 29 May 1873, Page 2

THE New Zealand Herald. SPECTEMUR AGENDO. THURSDAY, MAY 29, 1873.

The New Zealand Gazette contains the trade returns for the March quarter of 1373. The following are the totals for the corresponding periods of 1872 and 1573 : — Imports. Exports. 1872 ... £1,219,497 ... £2,111,787 1873 ... 1,517,312 ... 2,850,915 In other words, there was an increase in the value of imports of £297,815 in the lirsfc quarter of the present year as contrasted with the corresponding period of 1572 ; and an increase in the value of exports on the quarter, making a similar comparison, of £439,128, or an increase in the aggregate foreign trade of the country for the period under review of £730,9-13. This is extremely satisfactory. The following figures will give a fair idea of the relative foreign trade of the several provinces of New Zealand for the last March quarter. Thus :—

In the comparative tables, we find tbiit there has hcen u slight lailing-off

in the exports at Hokitika and Marlborough; and that the import column shows a falling-off, to a trifling amount, at most of the Middle Island ports except Nelson and Lyttelton. Taranaki alone in the North Island, was in a similar position in respect of imports. The increase at Auckland and its sub-ports on the quarter was— imports, £107,750 ; exports, £6i,7i<5; or a total of £172,496 for the first three months of the current year as compared "with the jVTarch quarter, 1872. The total value of gold exported during the quarter was 201,116 ozs., ivorth £771,737, as against £G05,951 in the corresponding period of 1572. Auckland exported 53,67S ozs., worth £179,021. Kauri gum, valued at £17,902; leather, £2,43S ; preserved meat, £2,400 ; flax, £7,953; shells, £4,000; tallow, £'2,557; timber, £3,112; and wool, £45,335, were among the exports from Auckland for the late March quarter.

Ot/r Southern exchanges do not contain any special items of intelligence. The Dunedin newspapers are full of the wretched Provincial squabble which has delayed public business in Otago, and will cost a great deal of money and time before it is settled. While the metropolitan Press is divided in opinion, the country newspapers are nearly unanimous in favour of the Superintendent. The Wellington Independent appears to be taking a more rational view of the native question in the "Waikato. We find the following article in that newspaper on May 23 : —

It is very hard to say what will bo tbe upshot of tbe Sullivan business. The question appears to be fast resolving itseif into a position which will make it the duty of the Government to enforce the arrest of tbe murderers ; and according to present appearances, it is probable this can bo done without necessarily involving war, in tbe strict sense of the term. It is evident that the sympathy of tbe bulk of the natives is with the Government, and that they recognise the justice of the demand for the surrender of Purukutu and his associates. But it is doubtful if any diplomacy will induce Tawhiao to deliver them up, although it is very upon political grounds that every etl'ort short of force should be exhaust oil before tbe strong baud of authority should ' employed. If once the example could be afforded of a voluutary surrender of offenders to the authority of law, one of the greatest difficulties in our dealings with tho natives would be overcome, and both tbe Government and the natives themselves would get rid of a serious and mischievous sou ice of dispute. We presume that the Government are regulating their action by this consideration, and that, whilst there is little doubt of their ability to secure aud punish Sullivan's murderers, they will not resort to force unless compelled to do so. Should the King party finally aud absolutely refuse to give up tbe offei ;lers—which they have not yet done—it may be expected that sLeps will be taken to capture them. It may happen that no armed opposition will be made to this course, but if there should be the Government will be in a much better position for enforcing its authority tiiau it has ever been in before. The issue is one which is clearly intelligible to the native mind, and we should have considerable assistance and countenance from tribes who have on former occasions fought against us, whilst many influential members of tbe King party would, in all probability, hold aloof. It is to be hoped that fighting will be unnecessary, but if it cannot bo avoided an effectual blow must be struck.

There is " bad blood" between Canterbury and Nelson. Our readers will remember that a proposal was to be made by Nelson to Canterbury, that the latter province should aid the former in constructing a trunk railway from the Grey up the Ahaura Yalley, to join the Canterbury line at the Iluranui. Canterbury, however, declines to spend any money outside its own territory. Whereupon the Nelson Examiner alludes to the evils consequent on the existing system of provincial land administration. It says :

Some fifteen years ago we pointed out the blunder which Government committed, in abandoning to tho provinces of the Middle Island the whole proceeds of their respective land sales, without making provision for a work beneficial alike to all —a great trunk line of traffic from one end of the island to the other. The arbitrary division of the island into three provinces, each having entire control of the fund arising from the sale of laud within its own boundary, postponed to a distant day that which should have been a first step in tho colonisation of tbe country. Without roads no country can profitably be settled, and by deferring to local and selfish bodies a great national work, there was the almost certainty that it would be looked at from a narrow point of view, rather than from that broad stand-point where the general welfare is more regarded than tho provincial. * # * * * At tbe time this was done, little was known of tbe interior, or the resources of either division ; but the fact was palpable enough that roads could be more easily carried through the level country of Canterbuiy than through the hilly districts of Otago, or the mountainous territory of Nelson. A wise and far-seeing Government, before locL-''sing tho whole of the land fund, would have mado provision by which a tbrougli trunk line of communication should have been established. This is rather hard upon Nelson. That province is very rugged, and although it abounds in mineral wealth, it must lie unused until cheap and rapid communication has been opened by means of roads and railways. Here is what Nelson offered and Canterbury refused, according to the Examiner :— We are prepared to make a very great sacrifice of land, and contribute largoly our money to such an undertaking, and acting on the suggestion of Mr. Vogel, we proposed to Canterbury that we would strike up the Ahaura from tho Grey, and join ourselves to that province at the Huranui, it' they would share in the latter work. By doing this we should give our neighbours all the advantages we ourselves expect from having cheap and rapid communication with the coaßt, and the large mining populations bound to spring up alongthe lino of communication. We offered, in fact, to find their farmers and graziors with a ready market for a large part of their produce —their flour, cheese, bacon, eggs, butter, and so forth, and to enable them to get in exchange coal and timber—both articles of large eonsumption, and of which they stand in great need. But no, they will be quite willing to make use of our railway if we will construct it, and will perhaps not object to seeing the line constructed by the General Government; but as to spending any money beyond a certain river, the northern shore of which is not Canterbury territory, although Christchurch derives the whole commercial advantages of the Amuri trade—the thing i# not to be thought of. While the construction of this work would be a great and manifest gain to our neighbours, the narrow spirit of provincialism is too strong and stands in the way of their lending themselves to promote a work of suoli paramount iuK'Ot'wace as u lhis of ruiLivsj"

through the island. We are Borry that tbe mission to Christchurch of the deputation from our Inland Communication Committee should result so fruitlessly. We believe had it been a question between ourselves and Otago, Mr. Macandrew would most readily haTe ombraced our offer; but the narrow conservatism of Canterbury he.s ever been proverbial. There was rather a neat passage of arms on the Nelson hustings, on the occasion of the recent declaration of the poll. Mr. Richmond alluded to the fact that but for Mr. ELelling's candidature, he would have polled more yotes. The election did not turn on the personal fitness of the candidates, but was an expression of opinion on the part of the electors of Nelson " that they were truly in " earnest in supporting the present " Government and its progressive " policy." Mr. Eichmond gave Mr. Elliott a few hard rubs. That gentleman had had a newspaper all to himself to puff himself in, and advocate the views of the Opposition, but it was all in vain. Mr. Elliott also recognised the fact that the election was a Ministerial triumph. We quote his speech as a comment upon his profession of support to Mr. Vogel at and previous to his nomination. Mr. Elliott said i— Like his successful opponent, be regarded the election as an expression of opinion of tho electors on the Government policy of Public | Works and Immigration, and be believed the personal qualifications of the candidate had received little consideration. If Mr. Eichmond dwelt, with satisfaction on the large majority he had obtained, as showing the statu of public feeling in Nelson on t'ue OoTemment scheme, he (Mr. Elliott) felt equal satisfaction at the independent support he bad obtained of one-third of tho voters, who refused to be dazzled by the false glitter of things made easy by a succession of loans, and paj iug interest out of new loans. There was a great deal of truth in the pithy remark of a modern writer, whose racy sayings would become proverbs —that a great maDy people in the world did not know tbe difference between vineyar and wine, until they drank it and got the cholic. Ho was afraid that nothing but the cbolic, caused by the domiciliary visits of the tax-gatherer demanding three to five per cent, of their incomes, to pay for the waste, extravagance, and corruption of. the present Government, would convinco a large body of the electors that instead of wino they had drunk vinegar. It would afford hiui sincere pleasure to find his forebodings of evil prove untrue, and that the colony would derive all the blessings from Mr. Vogel's administration of affairs, which the believers in that gentlemau so fondly promised themselvos. Once more he would thank bis supporters, who hud voted independently, and according to tho dictates of their consciences.

Ocr telegrams from the South are interesting. Tho Superiutondency election for Otago is fixed for June the 'Ith. Mr. Macau drew, in his address to the electors, appeals to the constituency to return a Council that will get through the business of the session in fourteen days. "Were it not for the miserable log-rolling and aping of Parliamentary forms and practices in Provincial Councils generally, fourteen days would be a long session indeed ; but the hope of amendment lies in destroying these institutions altogether. Unless Otago returns a Council to support Mr. Macandrew it will strike a blow at provincial- institutions which they will hardly recover from. Major Richardson consents to stand for the Provincial Council, but will not oppose Mr. Macandrew. It would seem that Mr. Donald Reid docs not court a second defeat, and the impression now appears to gain ground that the return of Mr. Macandrew will be unopposed.

The Nelson Provincial Council refuses to sanction the borrowing of money to make roads, railways, or water-races. It is high time this very conservative body was " wiped out." The Nelson province got rid of its lauds in a very questionable way. It made no roads worth mention beyond the old settled districts. It gloried in tvool, and made merry over sheepruns ; and when the gold rush sot in on the West Coast, it was unable to fulfil any one of the conditions of local Government, except that of pocketing the revenue, and spending it in and around the pleasant little settlement on the shores of Blind Bay. Why tie the West Coast to Nelson? why have Nelson province at all P " Let the dead bury its deadand Mr. Superintendent Curtis would aptly fulfil that injunction if he undertook the duty of grave-digger. But as long as salaries can be screwed out of the public, and patronage can be exercised, Provincialism will live.

We admire the " splendid audacity" of Mr. Superintendent Rolleston and the Canterbury Provincial Council. Their immigration resolutions are models of cool assurance. Canterbury has resolved to bo represented in England by its own emigration agent, who is to tout for Canterbury as of old—decrying every other part of the colony, and making capital out of Maori wars and war rumours. The salary of this officer is to be paid out of the immigration loan. He is to submit his immigrants to Dr. Eeatlierston for approval, and free passages are to be provided by the colony for persons nominated in the province. Thus Provincialism waxeth fat and kicketh. Forty thousand pounds' worth of public lauds were sold in Canterbury in two days last week, and they who divide the spoil are high-minded. Canterbury not only refuses to contribute a shilling of its land revenue to aid Nelson in constructing a trunk railway from Westport to the northern boundary of the province of Canterbury, and so complete the railway system in the Middle Island, but she will not even pay a shilling towards immigration, " unless arrangements cannot be " made with the "General Government " in. accordance with the resolutions" we have summarised. If the General Governmentsubmit to these proposals they will deserve the censure of the House. It would be a reversal of the policy unanimously sanctioned by the Assembly, and it will be no alnßwer to say that compliance was necessary, because Dr. Featherston pays no attention whatever to the instructions of the Government. The Agent-General is the servant, flud not the master of tho colony, and

the sooner he is taught that he ib a servant the better it will be for all parties concerned. Acquiescence in the demands of Canterbury, means opposition on the part of Auckland.

The same complaint appears to have been made in Australia that was made here, namely, that the minimum fixed for the four per cent. New Zealand loan was too high. But from our telegram in to-day'si paper, it seems that between the date of opening the tenders and the departure of the Tararua, £250,000 had been taken up at the minimum. This, certainly, is a satisfactory state of things ; aud is a complete answer to our New Zealand croakers, who say that " the " country is going to the dogs." In short, New Zealand credit never stood higher than it now does ; and the statistics of foreign trade for the March quarter, published by us to-day, are calculated to raise it much higher. The secret would appear to be that persons did not like to invest in New Zealand stock until the minimum was declared, and their readiness to subscribe since proves that our debentures are regarded as good investments for remittances to England, the interest being payable in London, Australia, or jScw Zealand. Indeed, when we remember the history of the Victorian -1 per cent, loan we must regard the result of Mr. Yogel's experiment in Australia as singularly successful. This financial operation must have a beneficial effect upon Nevv Zealand securities in London.

Tick outgoing Suez mail steamer is detained at Port Philip Heads, owing to the existence of small-pox on shipboard. About forty passengers have returned, and refuse to proceed by her. The detention of the mail will be a serious inconvenience to business men. W'e have almost ceased to take auy interest in the question of mails, however. Our last mail was received by the Nebraska Our fellow-citizens have got along very comfortably since, and as they cannot better themselves, they are beginning to think that mail subsidies are mistakes.

Imports. Exports. Auckland £324,453 £309,019 Taraiiaki 4,846 216 Wanganui 13,997 35,928 Wellington 177,851 265,733 Napier 32,179 140,326 Marlborough 4,492 52,901 Nelson 58,177 29,708 Weetport 11,346 56,583 Oxrey mouth 26,426 114,492 Hokitika 32,901 93,433 Lytleltou 295,992 507,770 Timaru 5,969 6,800 Dunedin 478,647 1,005,793 Oamaru 4)435 600 lnvercargill 22,932 224,150 Hlverlon 4,699 4,059