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New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4219, 28 September 1874, Page 2

Again we have to regret the want of direct telegraphic communication with Australia, inasmuch as no means exists of flashing across contradictions when our wires aro made the innocent vehicles for the distribution of distorted if not absolutely false information. It is not long ago that a startling paragraph appeared in the Australian papers announcing the failure of a firm in Auckland, and giving a ridiculously exaggerated amount as its indebtedness to a certain Bank. There were no means of immediately ascertaining the truth of the report, and some uneasinoss was felt which was not dispelled till the arrival of the next steamer rovealed the real state of affairs. There was no doubt about the first news having been accepted by tho Press,as bona fide intelligence from Now Zealand, and grave suspicions were entertained as to the motives which led to their being furnished. Now another instance is at hand, and tho telegraph has brought Melbourne information which surprised everyone who knows anything of the trade of New Zealand. By the Tararua telegrams were received last Friday among which appeared a statement that valuable statistical papers had beau published showing the relative position of the various Colonies. After taking notice of the indebtedness per head of this Colony, the telegram went on to say—" The value of her imports per head is within £l2. Victoria i 3 the highest on tho list. In regard to exports, New Zealand i» only above Western Australia." The error was palpable ; so the valuable statistics wero eagerly looked for, and were found in the Argus of the 16th inst. From them it looks very much as if the wording of the telegram was expressly meant to mislead, as tho table has, with some exception, been correctly compiled from New Zealand returns, and as it gives a sum of £23 6s. 6d. as the value of our imports per head, nearly double the amount stated by the wires. Further, Victoria is not the highest on the list, that position being occupied by New' Zealand. With regard to exports the telegram is also wrong, as New Zealand ranks fifth, and the comparison between her and Western Australia is absurd, the latter exporting per head to the value of £lO ss. 10fd., while the figures for New Zealand are, according to the Argus table, £l7 Is. BJd., Victoria showing £l9 7s. 2d. The table has, however, an error in the population, which is put too high, and which thus affects the calculation of values of imports and exports per head. Taking the population returns up to the latest date, the imports mount up to £24 3s. Ojd. per head, and the exports to £lB Bs. 3§d. There is also an important omission in the column of railways, New Zealand not being credited with any lines of rail or telegraph, either open or in course of construction.

From the above it will be seen that the telegram contains a double blunder, not to uso a harsher but perhaps more merited term. In the first place, it asserts what is not true with regard to our imports and exports ; and in the second place, it has falsified the return given in the Argus, usually so correct and careful a journal. No excuse can be made by a suggestion of errors in transmission ; there is internal eridonce that the message has been delivered just as it was written. How are we to account for this ? If the publication of the telegram were confined to New Zealand, its evident incorrectness would be hardly worth while noticing, and might be put down to carelessness or stupidity; but it may be presumed that the other Australian Colonies have received similar information, and we fear that there must have been some intention at the bottom. For some time past it has been apparent that in some quarters in Australia there has been a growing jealousy of the progress achieved by New Zealand, and that the undisguised efforts made by the Colony to obtain the leadership of Australasia have not been very palatable on the other side of the water. So long as such feelings led only to honorable rivalry we could heartily sympathise with them; but attempts of the kind above noticed to cry down the credit of the Colony betray h spirit worse than jealousy. We are confident that the Press of Australia will unite with us in condemning such unworthy mean 3 as the diffusion of false intelligence for any purpose or on any pretence whatsoever; and, after the receipt of a telegram like the one mentioned above, it should be the duty of the New Zealand journals to watch carefully all information touching the Colony which emanates from any doubtful source. The only consolation is that this display of animosity is an evidence of a fear that, after all, we are not so v»ry far wrong in our expectations ; and of a dread that, with our increasing population, with our soil so superior to that of Australia, with our mineral resources, and with our climate, which permits a degree of energy hardly obtainable m too \»<uum. J—i~.a;„„ ol.'mos. we are justified in the belief that New Zealand is predestined to assume the position of the leading Colony of the South Seas.