THE HON. MR REEVES IN SYDNEY.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1247, 23 January 1896, Page 36

THE HON. MR REEVES IN SYDNEY.

Sydney, January 16. The Hon W. P. Reeves, the new AgentGeneral for New Zealand, in an interview here, said the financial position of New Zealand was good and sound. The Colony was in a prosperous and hopeful state, and the people more cheerful and confident than for years past. The unemploy-ed difficulty-, he said, had practically disappeared, and there was every indication of an unusually- fine harvest. He was especially- sanguine at the marked revival of goldmining, With reference to the Pacific cable, he held very strong ideas as regards the route to be adopted, but did not think there was great difference of opinion amongst the delegates on the matter. He next referred to Mr Reid’s message to Lord Salisbury, and said Mr Seddon bad expressed himself with great confidence as to the completeness of the defences of New Zealand. For the last ten years the Government had been steadily putting the chief ports in an efficient state of defence and improv-ing the armaments. Sydney, January 17. The District Council of the Australian Labour Federation has adopted a resolution congratulating Mr W. P. Reeves on his appointment to the Agent-Generalship. The Daily Telegraph warmly- commends Mr Reeves’ appointment as Agent-General for New Zealand, and say-s that what the colonies want in London are pushing commercial representatives to advertise their resources and promote their trade interests in the central market of the world. Mr Reeves, say-s the Telegraph, is seized with the progressive ideas as to the colonies’ needs, and is just the man to fill the office. Sydney, January 19. The Hon W. P. Reeves left by express tonight for Brisbane, where he joins the steamer Merkara, en route for England.