THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 1904. PROGRESS OF NEW ZEALAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12546, 13 April 1904, Page 4

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 1904. PROGRESS OF NEW ZEALAND.

The Registrar-General of the colony has issued a concise " statistical view of fifty years'" progress in New Zealand," which is '-'compiled from official sources," and is evidently intended to help in that advertising which the country lacks. It tells us nothing new, o£ course, but it puts old facts in a plain, and, therefore, attractive statistical form, in spite of which we must confess that it reflects greater credit upon the compiler than it does upon the Government, Mr. Von Dal.dszen has but used the figures at his disposal, and we regret that his labours do not make a better showing. For when we sum it all up this little epitome emphasises the lamentable conclusion which many have been drawing that the colony is almost stationary. It is true that our trade has increased in an encouraging manner, and that we may appear to a casual observer to be in an exceedingly flourishing condition. But further investigation shows that this is mainly due to the natural development and expansion of industries long established and to the steady industry and unremitted toil of an already settled population. We might add that the heavy expenditures of loan money must have had some effect, but as the " statistical view" does not cover the national

balance-sheet we need not refer to them.

Mr. Von Dadelszen deals with fifty years of our colonial life, from

1854 to 1903 inclusive. He carries us back to a time, still green in the memory of our surviving pioneers, when land-hungry settlers came halfway round the world in sailing ships and came ashore with courageous hearts to build up another Britain under the Southern Cross. Of that

strong and sturdy influx these mute figures tell us, In 1854 there were but 32,000 Europeans in our islands ; a quarter of a century' later there were 463,000. Forty years ago, in 1863, our scanty population increased by 39,000, whereas last year it only increased by 25,000, of whom no less than 13,000 was by excess of births

over deaths. And if we turn to the last lustrum the five years from 1898 to 1903, during which we have unquestionably had "good times," what with expanding industry, high prices and general employment, we find a total increase, including that by excess of births, of only 89,000, whereas, between 1858 and 1363, with an initial population of under sixty thousand, we added nearly 105,000 ! persons to our numbers. We are ali ways hearing of the bad times from which the Seddon Government redeemed us, of the wholesale emigration from our shores which itstemmed, of the manner in which ituplifted the colony until New Zealand became the most attractive! country in the world. It the Government called Mr. Von Dadelszen as a Balaam to bless its policy, he has become a Balaam indeed. For j the increase of ouf population during j these five fat years was only 18,000 J more than it was during the preceding five lean years, when, in spite of bad times, languid industries and low prices, the colony increased by 71,000 souls. In fact, if one glances back along these most instructive tables of population, it is immediately evident that for some reason or other the Seddon policy has utterly failed to restore to the colony that virility and energy which we had every right to expect would return to it with the recurrent cycle of world-wide expansion in trade. If we go back to the 80's we find even as many births as in 1900, and 25 per cent, fewer deaths. This is not due to administrative methods, of course, but we may be very sure they would be quoted with partisan triumph were they the reverse. The reason for this astonishing paralysis of our recuperative and expansive energies is not far to seek. It is writ plain and large upon the tables headed '''Land and stock." ; The Government has practically throttled land settlement, and by that blind act have locked the door against any great increase of population. During the past five years it has become almost impossible for land-seekers to obtain access to our still vast areas of virgin country. In 1898 there were 62,639 " occupied and cultivated holdings" of over one acre in extent; last year this number had only risen to G0,092. That is to say in five long years of unprecedented opportunity, when prices were phe- _ nomenally high, when there was an | immediate and ready sale for all ' agricultural produce that could be . got to market, our settlers, all told, only increased by 3400. And we have but to look back to the causes which gave New Zealand birth and " to connect them with the bitter criticisms of hapless land-seekers to - be heard in every North Island land office, to perceive how sinister and how fatal has been the influence of. :• the land policy of the present Ad- _ ministration. There has been no attempt made to develop the lands of the colony, no strenuous effort to open up the back country and to . build upon indestructible foundations. A few miles of railway, a few . miles of telegraph line, a few bits of road, a few hundred settlers, have been the sum of recent'administrative victories in our colonial battle for the subjugation of the land. It is the energy of the neglected settler which, has made us prosperous, and i it is an ill return for his industry that a scanty handful should still have to sustain the enormous burdec of our public debt and the extravagant expenses of bureaucratic administration. To show how absolutely we depend upon the settler • wo have to look elsewhere. Taking one item of produce, butter: In the five years between 1899-1903 inqlu-

sive, during which land settlement' has been almost stagnant owing fooSlfl® the neglect of the Administration our Auckland dairymen . increased • ~ ' the provincial export of butter front 16,900 boxes to 71,300 boxes, lifting " the figures year after year with un, faltering regularity. They will sj, port over 100,000 boxes for the- sea- : son just closing. And yet we arelsSa told that the prosperity of the cous"-%-t;!f try is due to the manner in which iiWlllll is governed. ***'-■}