OUR FAME ABROAD.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 937, 14 February 1890, Page 28

OUR FAME ABROAD.

Fipty years have rolled by since the attractiveness of New Zealand was

first practically put before the British public. During that period we have grown from a handful of people settled in au almost unknown country into a respectable sized community of well doing colonists, who have made for themselves comfortable homes in one of the finest lands on earch. During the past half century we have made considerable progress in ascertaining the actual resources of our adopted country. We have proved that we possess mineral resources second to those of no other colony in the British dominions. We have, as far as was possible with the small amount of money at our disposal, developed them sufficiently to prove their value, but as yet we have only scratched the surface. We have vast deposits of gold, silver, copper, iron, coal, and other hidden wealth, only awaiting capital to work them. Tn every class of mineral New Zealand stands almost peerless, and yet few besides ourselves are aware of it. The light of our fame is hidden under a bushel, and why? "We have, since it was first known that we possess mineral wealth, neglected to adveriise ourselves, and the result is shown by a paragraph which appeared iu a late issue of the G lobe, an influential evening London paper, to the following effect: —

“New Zealand is becoming known as a mineral country. According to the recent blue-books, there are quartz and surface gold mines on the North Island, at Thames and Coromandel, and at lleefton in the Middle Island. Antimony is got at Endearn (?) Inlet, and tin at Stewart’s Island, while bitumen coal is worked on the West Coast of the Middle Island. Three Schools of Mines have been started—one at the University of Dunedin, another on the Thames goldfield, and the third at lleefton.”

This is fame with a vengeance. Here is a Colony in which her people wrested over 43 millions’ worth of gold from the soil, and posseses hundreds of miles of auriferous sea beach, upon which gold has been slowly deposited for thousands of years, and up to the present only the surface has been worked. Then, too, there is the possibility ot a second Broken Hill being worked in the far north of this island. We have mountains of copper and almost endless miles of coal, while our stores of iron, hematite and clay stone, are practically unlimited, and yet a leading London paper has found out and informed the world that “ New Zealand is becoming known a 3 a mineral country !”

The fault of such ignorance of our mineral resources is not to be laid at the door of the London journalist so much as at our osvu. We have been too modest in proclaiming to the world what we posseas. Modesty is, no doubt, a great virtue in private social life, hut iu commerce modesty must be flung to the wind. The patent pill-maker does not rest upon his oars in simply making his pills and taking a dose himself or giving a dose fto his children. They may benefit from them, but ho wants something more extensive. He wants the whole world to use them, and for that purpose he puts

modesty far behind him when be proclaims from the housetops the virtues of his unrivalled pills. Nowadays a nation or a colony requires to be run, not on abstruse theoretical, but strictly commercial lines. It is a business concern iu an extended form, and to be successrul must be conducted in a businesslike manner; and to this end we require to advertise ourselves. "We have been not over fortunate in our previous advertisements of our mineral wealth. Such things as New Zealand wild cats have been not unknown on the London market. Eor years past we have not been m a condition to advertise. We resembled too much the seeay, impecunious individual —baggy at his knees, greasy at his elbows, and barely shod—who implores, but in vain, for credit. But to-dav we can stand, dressed in the glossiest of broadcloth, cut in the most fashionable shape, with the latest ideas in hats and boot 3. We are no longer begging for credit. We can boldly enter the world’s market, and, showing our samples without lear or favour, offer our unrivalled commodities, ana solicit custom. Our very appearance, thanks to our rapidly improving financial condition, carries weight with it and proclaims our substantiality. In our poverty-stricken state to advertise would have made the world laugh, but to-day we need not fear of meeting ridicule or rebuff. We are, by our self sacrifices and energy becoming financially sound. We have reached the bed rock of our difficulties, and are building up a sound superstructure, and upon this we are in a position to advertise to the whole ot the world our wares.

The American people have never been over modest in letting the world know what they have for sale, and the result is seen in the millions of English capital that are now flowing into that country. A leading New York paper lately said —“ America is rapidly becoming conquered by the British people, not by force of arms, but bv the force of capital.” English capital has secured the breweries, ironworks, cotton factories, the greater part of the distilleries, many of the mines and cheese factories, beside real estate, hotel and house property. British capital, too, is rapidly pouring into South Africa, but what about New Zealand ? True it is reported that £30,000 is t.o be subscribed for Taranaki iron and oil, but what is that sum compared with the millions poured into America ?

The real grip of the question is, What ought we to do to develop our resources ? It is plain we cannot do ourselves justice with our own capital. Then let us call capital from that home of wealth, London, not by wild-cat speculations, but by putting before tbe British public attractive advertisements-. As we suggested some short time ago, no advertise ments are so attractive as photographs. We believe that if photographs on a large scale, accompanied of course by descriptive letterpress, concise and graphic, were exhibited free to the public of Great Britain at the railway stations and other places there would be less excuse for the ignorance displayed by the London Globe. If we are to develop our country, as is our bounden duty, we must advertise. Government after Government have neglected their duty in this respect. Now as the Federation question is attracting more attention to the colonies, and as it is impossible to say what will be the result upon the world at large, we think the present Government should endeavour to solve the questiou of bringing before the world, the many attractions —mineral, scenic, climatic, and otherwise—-of this highly-favoured corner of the world’s surface. Mr C. E. Malfroy, assistant Commissioner at the Paris Exhibition, who has just recurned to Auckland, said on the subject, to a leporter, “ The photographic views were not so numerous as might have been desired, and being scenic views they did not give any impression of the resources of the country. There were no views of the towns or industries of any kind. This was a very great want.” We hope the Government will take steps as early as possible to remedy tbis apparent waut.