N.Z. MAIL PUBLISHED WEEKLY. FRIDAY, JANUARY 24, 1890. HOME AFFAIRS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 934, 24 January 1890, Page 16

N.Z. MAIL PUBLISHED WEEKLY. FRIDAY, JANUARY 24, 1890.

HOME AFFAIRS.

No more conclusive demonstration of the improvement in the Colony’s affairs eoißd

have been desired than the heartiness and vivacitv with which the Christmas and New Year’s holidays were kept. Revived and strengthened by abundant production and good markets, the country overflowed into the towns and deposited that most fertilising of sediments —--ready cash in the coffers of needy tradespeople. Not a town in the Colony but reaped its harvest, the larger ones particularly. The holidays were kept in downright earnest, and the return to work has been just as decided. Playtime has been attended to with a free band, and then business claimed it s due and received it in full. The Jubilee Anniversary celebrations have made another break, or rather breaks, for the Colony has not yet seriously attempted ts induce the various tricts to reconcile their anniversary differences and elect to rejoice together on a common day—a day to he regarded as the Colony’s birthday. It may well be termed thanksgiving day also, for no section of the Empire has greater cause to rejoice and be thankful, for- the value of its birthright—soil, climafp, resources, natural features, are upriyalled. New Zealand is indeed the gem of the British dominions, and this groat fact is only just dawning upon the people themselves—and it is for the people to turn it to account. We Ray people, not paupers, for New Zealand no more produces provisions ready cooked than the virgin soil of other countries. IVtost excellent facilities for settlement are provided by statute, but good as they are they are of only small acccount if the would be Rettler has not some means to keep himself going until he can clear and crop. So much bush must be cleared and so much land stocked before anything like returns come in sight, but, once the preliminaries are disposed of, the steady, hard working settler’s position is assured. Population of the right kind is what the Colony is fainting for. How very straitened the labour market is may be inferred from the fact that there were only seventy unemployed men on the

books of the Government from end to end of New* Zealand about a month ago.

The immediate outlook is quite assuring. The harvest promises to be good ; neither rust nor any other evil thing threatens to mar it. Wo expect the fullest returns from every district, and also early returns from all the Northern districts, where harvesting indeed is in rapid progress now. The flax industry discovers no abatement in its force, as is evinced by the magnitude of the exports. Thousands of bales are shipped away monthly, and, providing prices do not fall below a certain limit, the industry will be permanent. The mineral resources of the Colony are responding liberally to the calls made upon them. Some very fine gold returns are to hand from the Marlborough field, and the reefing and sluicing districts of the West Coast are decidedly redivivus. Mining development is a slow process, as a rule, aud hence we have nothing definite lo state about the Puhipuhi silver field. But the prospects are encouraging. Ore full of native silver has been found, aud clamorous appeals have been made to the Government to throw the district open to, prospectors. But, as we stated in a former summary, the Government is very chatyaboutdoing this, because it would imperil an extensive and exceedingly valuable kauri forest. Still, as a measure of response to the appeals made, an experienced mining surveyor has been despatched to the district, and if he reports favourably a silver field will, we presume, be proclaimed. And, in the event of good results, to the Colony, will be administered a stimulant and tonic combined, of which it stands in some need. It is true New Zealand is on a high way to prosperity. If its progress is not by « leaps and bounds,” it is substantial and sure, and no one grumbles if the way is a little dusty and the pace plodding. At the same time all would hail a good mineral developoaent with much satisfaction, for, apart from its intrinsic value, it would attract population from abroad. We may observe that the outlook of the new gold district at the back of Mercury Bay, on the Coromandel Peninsula, noted for its rich gold deposits, is exceedingly promising. Not the least of the Colony’s resources are to be found in the magnificent Alpine district of south-west Otago, in the Middle Island. A great deal of exploration has been prosecuted there lately,and fairly easy country to open has been discovered between the large and picturesque. Lake To Anau and the Sounds. The country is described as magnificent in the extreme, rivalling, if not excelling, anything of the kind to be fouud in the European Alps. The Government is taking first steps toward opening it up by cutting foot-tracks from point to point; but this, of course, will be immediately followed by more extensive operations —good bridle tracks and roads wherever practicable. From Mount Cook, over 13,000 feet high, southward the scenery is of the grandest character. The country is a sea of peaks ranging between 11,600,feet, IMount Sefton, to 50001 aud 6000 feet high. In it is situate the lovely Sutherland waterfall. And its exploration for the benefit of tourists is only just being attempted. But, the plough once put in, the hands, will not be withdrawn from the stilts till the work is done. There is a mine of wealth in the h swi I airland of New Zealand that the Colony must exploit, and will. 3?<>r * we can assure our English readers that the Wonderland of’ the Cqlqny is not confined to the North Island. The volcanic region there is unqqestionably marvellous in its way ; hut equally stfi generis, and taking in another way, is the grand _ lake and mountain country of the Middle Island. To the adventurous of Europe and America it will well repay a visit. It is attracting Australia now, but the radius of that attraction is fated o belt the globe, Political!v, the Colony is in a Mate of quiescence. There are no burning questions under discussion, and it seems to be enough for the people that the administration of affairs tends to making both ends meet. Some little time since the outlook was so promising that a surplus of a couple of hundred thousand pounds sterling was anticipated on the year’s transactions. But since then Customs returns have not quite come up to anticipations, and there has been an unexpected sluggishness of the traffic in I com ection with the Dunedin Exhibj--1 tiou. It is just possibly t&at tjiis

month and February may pull up in Customs, but wo fear not, and in that case the result of the year will not be so gratifying as hoped for. But for all that, there will be a surplus which, at present, mav be estimated at (rorn £60,000 to £IOO,OOO. I his, however, is particularly good, considering the sparseness of population and the weight of indebtedness. 'The population of a little over 600,000 of this Colony is working wonders, and the conditions are unparalleled in the world : A. burden of so many millions on so few shoulders comparatively! And they carry it with ease —romp along under it in fact —but there is a de .cided and general disinclination to increase the weight. It is specially on this point that the Colony is so thoroughly in touch with the Atkinson Administration. The constituencies are confirmed in the belief that no more financial kite-flying is meditated, and in that belief they rest content.