New Zealand Times. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1874.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4293, 23 December 1874, Page 2

New Zealand Times. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1874.

We have to thank Mr. Hayter, Government Statist of Victoria, for a copy of the very interesting tables of comparative statistics of 1873, for the Australian colonies, Tasmania, and Now Zealand, published by the Victorian Government. These tables have been compiled from information furnished, on application, by the respective Governments of the colonies named, and aro therefore, as far as they go, reliable. With respect to Now Zealand, however, we notice that the " proportion of public revenue raised " by taxation," or ''ordinary revenue," is set down at £1,055,296. This is an error. The ordinary revenue of 1873 was £1,487,393 ; the figures quoted by the Victorian Statist being those for 1872. It is inconceivable how this could have occurred, except on the supposition that the mistake was made by the official in Wellington who compiled the New Zealand return. Such carelessness is wholly inexcusable, and we advert to it in the hope that in future any information of this character, when supplied by the Government, will be correct.

Mr. Haytee explains, in a short report to his political chief, the causes that induced him to compile comparative statistics of Australasia. The necessity for ft uniform system of statistics was recognised by the Intercolonial Confeience at Sydney, and it was remitted to the Governments, of New South Wales and Victoria to prepare "a plan for its attainment; but Sir Hercules Robinson first made the attempt to do the work systematically. Since then, Lord Carnarvon "has requested that the Australian colonies " should mutually agree upon a scheme " for the compilation, upon a uniform sys- " tern, of one of the most important " sections of the statistics, namely, those " relating to crimes and convictions." In consequence, it was resolved by the Government of Victoria to make an attempt to do the work thoroughly, and a printed form was issued, the returns to which enabled Mr. Haytbr to compile the valuable statistics before us. But although the circular from the Victorian Government was issued as late as August last, "scarcely any of the colonies were " able to furnish the information until " considerably later, and even up to the " present date [l7th November, 1874] " some of them have been unable to sup"ply it fully." In the case of New Zealand, it appears that Sir Hercules Robinson especially complained that "he " was unable tOiprocure a direct return" ; and as we have already pointed out, Victoria has since obtained an incorrect one. But the statistics as they stand are of the most valuable character. They convey at a glance the relative position of the Australasian group of colonies ; and as they are promised to be continued yearly, we shall be able to trace their growth from 1873 with comparative ease. At the outset, however, we are compelled to express surprise at what has already been done in the way of colonising the immense,territory which belongs to England in the South and East Pacific. The work has all been done within the span of an ordinary human life ; and the result is something stupendous. Let us take the totals of the Anglo-Saxon communities of Australasia, as grouped by the able Statist of Victoria, and this will at once appear. Thus:—

Australasia, December 31st, 1873. Area, square miles 8,114,470 Population .. .. .. .. 2,121,450 . Total revonuo ■ .. .. ..£12,231,503 Proportion raised by taxation *.. 5,813,740 Public expenditure 10,107,395 Public debt 42,076,423 Import value .. .. ... 42,215,025 Export value.. .. • .. .. 42,017,799 Miles railway open 1,499 Miles telegraph open • .. .. 20,837 Land alienated, acres .. .. 52,131,839 Land under tillage, acres .. .. 3,300,023 Bushels wheat 17,902,004 Ditto oats 5,054,377 Ditto barley 1,524,047 Ditto maize 4,931,411 Ditto other cereals 328,245 Potatoes, tons 252,254 Hay, tons 533,120 Vines, acres.. 16,104 Green forage, acres t • • - - 305,911 Other tillage, acres 450,409 Horses 843,217 Cattle 5,759,072 Sheep 55,052,150 Pigs 733,215 * We have mado the necessary correction under this head, for New Zealand, as explained above. Our total is correct. t This return is incomplete. The large area under permanent artificial grass in New Zealand, of 1,107,110 acres in 1878, is excluded from the general summary, as explained in a foot-note, whereas the land under permanent artificial grass in Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, and South Australia is included under the heading "green forage." .New Zealand is therefore placed in an unfair position for purposes of comparison. Adding the permanent artificial grass land of New Zealand to the total under cultivation or " tillage," as we have designated it, the comparison would stand thus : ACRES UNDER CULTIVATION. Victoria 904,098 New South Wales 456,825 Queensland 04.21 S South Australia 1,225,073 Western Australia .. ■ ... .. 51,724 Tasmania .. 107,031 New Zealand 1,410,033 Total 4,347,700 Instead of 3,306,923 acres, as set down in the general summary. This comparison places New Zealand at the top of the list, and we cannot well see why the permanent artificial grass land of New Zealand should have been classed amongst the "barrens" or wastes, and the same class of cultivation should have been reckoned in as "green forage" on the Australian mainland. Comparing the colonies fairly, we have these results : AUSTRALASIA: rSRMANENT GRASS LAND, 1873. Acres. Victoria 191,044 New South Wales 29,701 Queensland 1,100 South Australia .. .. .. 15,357 New Zealand .. 1,107,110 We shall, however, make a further comparison, and show that New Zealand has reason to be satisfied with the position she ocoupies, after her long and exhausting struggle with the Maori race. We have already shown that there is a larger area of improved or cultivated land in New Zealand than in any other of the Australasian group of colonies. South Australia comes within 200,000 acres of this colony, but it is largely in advance of any other in its wheat cultivation, the area being 784,784 acres. Victoria comes second with 349,976 acres ; New South Wales stands third, with 166,647 acres ; and New Zealand fourth, with 132,428 acres. The yield per acre is, however, largely in favor of the New Zealand agriculturalists. Thus :

Acres. Bushels. Victoria .. .. 349,070 .. 4,762,280 New South Wales .. 160,047 .. 2,238,414, Queensland .. .. 3,554 .. 47,730 South Australia .. 784,784 .. 0,178,810 Tasmania .. .. 58,010 .. 047,813 New Zealand .. 132,448 .. 3,391,034 Therefore New Zealand, with little over one-sixth of the area in wheat crop last year which South Australia returned, had a yield of considerably more than half the latter colony. The New Zealand yield was likewise proportionately greater than that of Victoria and New South Wales. Comparing the yield of oats in the only colonies where this cereal was largely grown in 1873, we have a more remarkable proof of the superiority of New Zealand for the growth of cereals. Thus:— OATS. Acres. Bushels. Victoria .. .. 110,901 1,741,451 New Zealand.. .. 110,472 3,292,807 These figureß speak for themselves. As nearly as possible, the yield per aero of oats in New Zealand in the harvest of ,1873, was double the Victorian yield : exactly two bushels to one. The proportion is not so marked in favor of New Zealand in the barley crop of 1873, yet it was very considerable, as the following figures prove : , . BAJILEY. Acrea. Bushels. * Victoria 25,333 002,001 New South "Wales .. 3,569 00,225 South Australia .. .. 11,287 120,398 Western Australia .. 5,083 87,529 Tasmania 0,440 124,459 Now Zealand .. .. 22,164 000,492 In concluding this notice, we must again congratulate Mr. Hayteb and his department upon the intelligible manner in which the information has been formulated. As a starting point it is invaluable ; and wo venture to think the suggestion which the Victorian Statist makes in his report, that a conference of the' heads of the statistical departments of all the colonies should meet to arrange a common system of public statistics, should be acted upon. The imperfections which we have pointed out, in the valuable returns under review,

and the unequal way in which the various colonies compile their statistics, are of themselves reasons sufficient for such a .conference. We shall return to Mr. Hayter's statistics at an early date.