OUR HOME LETTER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 7003, 28 April 1884, Page 1 (Supplement)

OUR HOME LETTER.

TTth Excellency the Governor returned to Auckland on the 31st of March from his visit to the wonderful Lake district of the North Island, which has now become famous over the whole world for. its beautiful terraces and medicinal springs and baths. Since then His Excellency has remained in Auckland, and will stay here till close on the assembling of Parliament. His Excellency's public appearances during the month have been pleasing to the public, and probably agreeable to 1. .mself. On the 19 th, in the afternoon, Lady Jervois held an " At Home " at Government House, and immediately thereafter a large company assembled in the ballroom to witness the presentation to Miss Oritfp, Superintendent of Nurses at the Auckland Hospital, of the Royal Red Cross, which had been awarded to her by Her Majesty for services in Zululand and Egypt. His Excellency has also visited the ELaipara district, where he was taken into the depths of the forest, and witnessed the felling of giant kauri trees. On returning His Excellency presided at the opening of the fourth annual Exhibition of the Auckland Society of Arts, and distributed the prizes.

At'the publication of our last summary, Tawhiao, the Maori King, and his party were in Auckland, on their way to England. Previously to leaving the Maoris had an interview with the Governor, who gave them some good advice, and presented them with a large map showing the route they were to take to London. They left by the Tarawera for Sydney, and there and at Melbourne they were the recipients of polite attentions at the hands of Ministers. The precise object which they have in view has not yet Deen ascertained, and we doubt whether .shey have formulated anything of the kind in their own minds. Meanwhile, native affairs, under the Strong and consistent rule of Mr. Bryce, are in a satisfactory position. At the request of the principal owners, a survey is being made of the King Country, so that the Maoris may have 'ample reserves made for their use. The Government has announced its intention of bringing in a measure next session to resume the pre-emptive right, so that private parties shall not have the right to purchase land fro n the iiatives. The efforts of the Government .re devoted to settling the native tribes ?n reserves which they shall not tlienate. The- land purchase system aas been injurious to the Maoris by zeeping them surrounded by jobbers <vho resorted to every means to obtain cheir land from them. They were Sept in a perpetual state of idle debauchery, and under these influences their numbers dwindled away mpre rapidly than by war. It is a question in the colony whether the policy of the Government will not result in" a checking of settlement by locking up large areas of'fertile land. That point will no doubt be fully discussed when the Government proposals are brought before the Assembly.

Politics in New Zealand are now beginning to feel the influence of the approaching session, and during the last month we have' had a number -of speeches from members of the Assembly of more or less importance. The Premier, Major Atkinson, addressed his constituents at Hawera, and subsequently spoke at a public meeting at Dunedin. Mr. Montgomery, the leader of the Oppdiition, has addressed his constituents at Akaroa. Mr. Oonolly, Minister of Justice, did the same at Picton. Major Atkinson, who is Colonial Treasurer, had to face the fact that the revenue, in several important branches, has fallen far short of the estimates. He acknowledged that the deficit might amount to £170,000. Customs had not come up to the estimate by £120,000; railways were £80,000 short; postal was £20,000 short. Major Atkinson pointed out how the Government intended to make savings. Some time ago pressure was put upon the Government to reduce the rates current for carrying grain, in order to facilitate the conveyance from the country districts of Canterbury to the port of shipment. It has been found that these rates are not payable, and have resulted in a serious loss to the revenue. While it is expedient that everything should be done by the railway administration to promote the commerce of the country, it is quite unfair that one interest should be relieved from fair payment for services rendered, with the result of severely burdening the taxpayers. The Government have determined to raise the rates, and this resolve has evoked a storm of indignation in Canterbury. It is likely that the raising of the rates will lose several votes to the Government. We may remark that the Southern provinces are still suffering from depression, but Auckland is brisk and thriving. If a beginning can be made with the North Island Trunk Eailway, a large extent of new country will be opened up for settlement, the whole commerce of which must come through the port of Auckland. :

During the summer, explorations I have been made from different points to discover the best route for the North Island Main Trunk Railway. In the session of 1882 an Act was passed enabling the Government to borrow a million for the construction of a railway to unite Auckland and Wellington by a line through the interior, but it was provided that the money should not be borrowed till the route had been surveyed, and the plans laid before Parliament. Since he has taken the portfolio of Public Works, Mr. Mitchelson has pressed forward the surveys, apparently with the intention of proposing next session that the money should be borrowed, and the work proceeded with. Three routes have been surveyed by exploring parties. There is no doubt that a line is quite practicable, and the surveys have shown that a much larger proportion of the land than was expected is of first-class quality. Mr. Mitchelson came up from Wellington by one route, and is about to go to Taranaki by another, so that he will, be in a position to speak of the nature of the line to Parliament from personal observation. The Japanese man-of-war Tsukuba, after lying for some six weeks in Auckland harbour, left on April 17. During their stay, the officers and men made a most favourable impression,. on the' people of Auckland. There was not a ~ single instance of misbehaviour on the part of the crew, although large numbers were on shore every day. The

officers made many Auckland. Most of them know; English, which is taught in the naval, schools. They are well-informed men, and showed great anxiety to obtain all possible information about New Zealand. The Tsukuba remained for several days at the island of Kawau, where the officers were hospitably entertained by Sir George Grey.

At. a meeting of the Auckland University Council on April 1, it was announced that His Honor Judge Gillies had given £3000 to the Auckland University College, in order to found two scholarships in natural science. One is to be called " the Sinclair Scholarship," in memory of Dr. Andrew Sinclair, the first Colonial Secretary of New Zealand, who was fond of the study of natural science; and the other " the Gillies' Scholarship," in memory of \J"udge Gillies's wife, lately deceased, who was a niece of Dr. Sinclair's.

Amid many complaints of the prevailing dulness of trade and general stagnation, it is refreshing to turn to the account of the proceedings at the half-yearly general meeting of the Bank of New Zealand, which was held on April 25, and at which .£75,000 were voted for distribution among shareholders, being the usual half-yearly dividend of this institution; and over, and above this amount, the balance of available profit carried forward to next half-year is £13,405. Snch a result, in such times, must be considered satisfactory, and while it is a subject of congratulation to shareholders, credit must also be given to the directors and others responsible for the conduct of the institution. The career of the Bank has been a long, continued success, and, from the figures put before shareholders yesterday, there would not appear to be any reasonable ground for apprehending a different result in the future. From the reasons assigned by the Chairman, any depression now existing is wholly due to special causes which are not likely, long to affect us. Seasons have been adverse, prices have been low, imported goods are still much too heavy in stock : these, although at present Berious drawbacks to business, cannot be regarded as likely to be continuous, and the concluding paragraph of the Chairman's speech seems to comprise all that needs to be said on the subject—that cantion is necessary, that it is being exeroised, but that, notwithstanding, a liberal support is being accorded to every deserving industry. Banking policy on such lines must be right, and we have no doubt the future of the Bank of New Zealand will prove not only that the best interests of the colony were consulted in its adoption, but that the support of the public will amply prove to the Bank the appreciation in which such wise and liberal policy is held.

Among the numerous associations having their head-quarters in Auckland, and creditably prosecuting their business with benefit to the shareholders and the community at large, there is none more deserving of notice than that of the Northern Steamship Company. The statement of accounts read by the Secretary at the annual meeting of the shareholders on April 25 shows the operations of the past year to have been highly successful, affording a dividend for six months at the,, rate of 10 per cent, per annum. There are, we suspect, very few steamship companies whose dividends can equal this figure ; and, considering that the company has been only three years in existence, it is to „be congratulated'on the results of its venture. As the means of connecting the numerous settlements in this provincial district, which have in the progress of colonisation been formed both north and south of Auckland, and on both coasts of the island, this company ocoupies a distinct and very important sphere of commercial activity, and it must be admitted that it 3 directors are doing their be3t to meet the growing necessities of the trade. The large sum they, expended during the past few months on the Wellington, appropriately described by the Chairman as "their best boat," and the authorising the building of new steamer, the better to supply the traffic of Auckland with Tauranga and Russell, and the Waitara and West Coast, furnish gratifying proof of their zeal and enterprise. It, moreover, is thus made evident that they are desirous to keep abreast with the times, and that they realise the expediency of adapting the carrying capacity as well as the comfort of their vessels to the expansion of their business, and the advancing taste of the travelling public. The time, it is to be hoped, will soon arrive when the company will recognise the advantage of extending the field of their operations, and when it will feel itself in a position to make Auckland the centre of that larger , coastal and insular traffic which her pre-eminently commercial position entitles her to command.