THE New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) TUESDAY, APRIL 11, 1893.

New Zealand Times, Volume LIV, Issue 9880, 11 April 1893, Page 2

THE New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.)

TUESDAY, APRIL 11, 1893.

With which are incorporated the Wellington Independent, established 1815, and the Hew Zealander,

The Hox Mr Ward has, on his return from Australia, said just what it was evident he would say if he liked. When ho spoke in Brisbane about the removal uf fiscal barriers, and the effect in that direction of the princely contribution from New Zealand for the Queensland sufferers, his words found an echo, it will be remembered, at Adelaide in the mouth of Sir John Downer, the Premier, addressing h's constituents. Mr Ward had spoken with Ministers in Melbourne ; he had been to Adelaide and spoken with Minister* there ; he had slopped a while in Sydney,and sppken with Ministers there. Sir Jchn D«wner said that Now Zealand and Victoria concurred, and that Queensland and New South Wales might; and at the very time he was saying these things Mr Ward was advocating intercolonial Freetrado in Brisbane. It became suddenly manifest that Australasia had actually begun to discuss the formation of an intercolonial Customs Union. Upon this fact Mr Ward has lost no time in enlarging. Clearly the movement is commercial in its inception and scope, rather* than political. While the politicians are hanging fire with their Federation proposals for obvious reasons, the mercantile men have come forward with their proposal for a commercial federation. Our trade with Australia reaches a volume of between two and throe millions, chiefly kept up on our side by New Zealand produce. Mr Ward is reported to have said (in a Southern journal) that prices are so low in the Australian grain market that it will not pay to send grain over there ; that we must therefore rely on the Home markets. But it is clear that he refers to the present time of stagnation, and that he hopes much—as all commercial men do —from the expansion of trade which must follow free interchange throughout the Continent. There is much to be said for that hope. If intercolonial Freetrade will ‘boom’ Australia solidly and permanently, then Australia will bo a grand country for New Zealand to trade with. But trade in these days is impossible with our friends over the water without some sort of reciprocity. They have so decided it bv placing an embargo on our products. The question is what terms ate they prepared to offer us. They are talking of a Customs Union as if our acceptance of the principle would satisfy them. There is no objection that wo can see, provided the common tariff which has been mentioned is a tariff that we can work under. If that tariff does not disorganise our finances, the project will commend itself with much force. If, on the other band, our finances will suffer by the tariff, then we shall be compelled to the conclusion that the Customs Union is too expensive a thing for us. Everything depends on the tariff question.

Messrs Huddart, Parker and Co. appear to havo made up their minds that more profitable trades must be found for their near steamers than the trade which they have lately made lively by their vigorous opposition. Henoo we have the proposal for a Vancouver service. It is an unexpected development, but on the face of it none the worse because it is unexpected. New Zealand will probably be requested to join, for the obvious reason that in the matter of a subsidy—which is the mainspring of all concerns of this kind—the premier financial colony of the Australasian group is not likely to bp left out. 11 is for those interested to make out. a case which shall tempt us to devote some of our surplus cash for their and our benefit. In the meantime, it fs one of the signs of the time that in the United States public opinion is becoming much alive to the value of Canada. The Americans are beginning to realise that Canada is larger in area than the Union and pojeewed of resource* which they

admit to be in some respects unparalleled. A school of thinkers in the Union has bef{un to advocate commercial federation with the Dominion. Its members regard the Dominion as the country from which, before ten years are over, the Union will be drawing bread-stuffs to supplement their own supply. They recognise that the resources of the Dominion are ‘ of a character largely supplemental to the needs of the Republic of the South.’ They urge that ‘ the Dominion of the North occupies a relation to the future growth of the Continent extremely important and quite as fruitful of consequences to the people of the Union as to the people of the Canadian Confederation.’ The resources of the Dominion, they insist, are ‘ vast oncugh, and of a character sufficiently attractive to invito a people even so great as those of the United States to the highest efforts.’ They conclude that as it is for tunate for the people of the Union with ‘ their wasted areas and pre-empted opportunities ’to have beside them a country equal in size to their own, possessing potentialities of wealth second only to their own, and ready for an expansion of trade of Continental dimensions, it ia most important to form a commercial union at once witli that country. These are opinions which by no means lessen the attractions of the Canadian connection, which ia part of the destiny of Australasia. The establishment of the Vancouver service may bo the first step towards the fulfilment of that destiny.

Oub old friend Mr Taylor, who has, we are glad to see, recovered sufficiently to meet his constituents and get a vote of confidence, has, we observe, broken out in a new place. Mr Taj lor has taken to the study of agriculture. Alter watching the development of the Cheviot plan, it lias struck him that the establishment of certain industries would assist greatly in the development of the estate. One of these is the beet sugar industry, Mr Taylor told his constituents. Ho docs not seem to have studied the voluminous reports upon that industry which were embalmed in the Blue Books some fifteen or sixteen years ago, and revived at a later period to bo embalmed once more. But no doubt his knowledge of the existence of these reports lias impelled him to the conclusion that the industry can bo as successfully conducted in this Colony as in France and Germany. It requires no skilled labour, said Mr Taylor, and is in fact the very thirg tor the unemployed in and about Christchurch. The usual crop (quoting Mr Murphy, the well-inforn.ed secretary of the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association) is, he told his constituents, eighteen to twenty torih per acre, ' and as it was a fallow crop and wheat did better after it, it would be a valuable adjunct to the products of the settlers.’ As for the prospects, we import nearly half a million worth of sugar every year; therefore, concluded the impressive Mr Taylor, 'if it required L 20.000 or L 30.000 to establish the industry, it would bo money well spent.’ Above all things he would like to see it started near Christchurch, as it would give a good deal of employment. The aspirations of Mr Taylor may be a little vague in matters of detail, but his instinct is right. We want above all things labour-employing industries. Wheat-growing has reached a level of discouragement which threatens to be fatal. If the Southern farmers take to grass, what ia to become of the population ? That ia the process which is emptying the country of Great Britain into the towns, and which the advanced thought of the day ia seeking to stop. Mr Taylor has got on the right line. If skilled enterprise would follow his example with capital, it would be a grand thing for the Colony.

Mr Hadfield’s letter throws some light on the management of post offices, colonial and Imperial. A valuable parcel was consigned to him from London by parcels post ; it never reached him ; the united post offices could not, as he says, tell within 10,000 miles where the loss took place. This is unscientific and deplorable. There is nothing 10 show that the parcel was registered, and there is no reason for believing that if it had been registered it would have been any safer. Keduced to the merest guessing we can only venture to suggest that the loss occurred on the Imperial side of the postal partnership. We think so, because the honesty of our officials and letter carriers generally is superior, as a matter statistically proved ; and because the low rate of pay of subordinate officials in the Old Country is a scandal and a disgrace to the richest department of the Government of the wealthiest country in the world, A department that makes a neb profib of more than three millions a year, ai d gives its letter carriers wages which will scarcely keep them in shoo leather, and when they complain hectors and bullies them, and threatens them with the pauper opposition all round, cannot expect to be served with exceptional honesty or zeal.

Yesterday the Minister of Lands accepted the tender of Messrs Randall and Musgrove for the right of pasturage oh the remaining block of the Cheviot Estate, consisting of the Homestead and Port Hills country, containing an area of 12,900 ac-es, and estim*ted capable of carrying 14,700 sh ep, the rent offered being L 550 for the six months. Two tenders were received. This completes the disposal of 83,300 acres out of the 84,500 acres acquired, the balance being reserved around Cheviot House, which will remain in the occupation of Mr Campbell for a time at a fair rent, not yet arranged. The manager’s residence, stables, and some other buildings have also bion let, at about 5 per cent of their value. On the whole, the pasturage has realised LBB4B per annum, or about 2s an aero, if to this bo added the rent of the Homestead, the annua! income will exceed L9OOO on the very short tenure offered. Should 30,000 acres bo put in the market in October, it is reasonable to expect a much larger annual Income from the whole estate ; but, meantime, the rent realised is reassuring. The Cheviot experiment is getting on decidedly well.