THE REAL STATE OF NEW ZEALAND.

New Zealand Herald, 30 March 1876, Page 3

THE REAL STATE OF NEW ZEALAND.

In the Belfast 2?eius-letter of January 19 appears a long letter from Mr. J. G. S- Grant, of Dunedin, on. the state of New Zealand. He says :—Sir, —Ail expatriated citizen of Belfast has put in my possession a copy of your journal of date July 3, 1875, in which I see a letter from a certain " D. M.," evidently a pious young man, who has been deluded under false promises to emigrate to this ill-starred and remotest colony under the Crown. As an old colonist, and one who knows intimately and universally the esoteric and exoteric operations within the four corners of the so-called Britain of the South, X emphatically endorse "1). M.'s" advice to intending emigrants—"l would advise no young man to come here." Nay, more, I would earnestly persuade all men, young and old, and especially women, to close their ears against the siren songs of the mild agents sent home from New Zealaud. Dunedin is the only apology for a city in this colony ; aud here there are thousands on the very verge of starvation. They are literally "dumb with an inarticulate disgust." We have imported 10,000 female servants during the past two years, and X verily believe that, in the nine quasi-provincial capitals of the colony, 1,000 of these have had recourse to the streets to earn a crust of bread in the market of shame. We have, as perhaps you are aware, nine provincial Parliaments, and a Federal Government in the filthy village of Wellington. Altogether, there are some 400 politicians—pothouse politicians—and 5,000 officials, for a population of 360,000 souls. The British and Irish aristocracy have education, breeding, and the manners of gentlemen ; but a purse-proud and illiterate colonial aristocracy who can bear ? An aristocracy, did X say ? Pardon me. This year, in the colonial Parliament, an attempt was made to abolish the provincial administrations ; but they have got another term's lease of life. .Meanwhile, during the recess, the infatuated squatters, and farmers, and shopkeepers, and contractors, and officials are going through a round of political dissipation, in the shape of getting up banquets all over the colony to their venal members, so as to prolong the existence of the New Zealand nonarchy. Our last session of Parliament actually cost the colony £30,000 ! We are £20,000,000 in debt, and our colonial municipalities are borrowing largely. Indeed, they in the aggregate owe some £11,000,000 over and above the colonial debt. The whole colony is one spider's web of mortgages. Upon this letter a leading article has the following comment: —" The Heal State of New Zealand " is described in a communication which we publish this morning/ So long as onr correspondents were artizans some people were unkind enough to say that they were wanting in truth, and on one occasion a flat denial was given to the report we printed in relation to the meeting of starving working men in Dunedin ; but the

report jvas jxuefor alLthat day-by*day we are effect from decent men and-womeiT-wHo-left Belfast-in- - summer ,and "who" .would- -not?* misrepresent the'colony. They were comfortable in the capital of Ulster, earning from 30s to 40s a week, according to their profession, and they were at home in a peaceable town, en-j joying all the advantages of civilization ; but? they were induced .to,-emigrate, and now) they one,and all confirm the statements wej made before they left our shores. They . would return now if they could, and we wish we had the means of bringing them, back from the double misfortune of the domination of snobs and the association of savages. Men are starving in thousands, women in thousands are dragged down to the lowest depths of immorality, and demoralization everywhere prevails 1 Is it any wonder we warn our people against running away from home 1 Mr. Grant repeats our warning, and he knows the colony of New Zealand and its wretched condition. Surely, under the circumstances, we are justified in suggesting that some member of the House of Commons should ask the Government to inquire into the condition of 1 the people who have emigrated from Ireland to New Zealand. We. are told that thousands there are starving, yet other thousands of our countrymen are invited to go and share in the starvation. 1