SOME IMPRESSIONS OF NEW ZEALAND.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 7927, 19 July 1887, Page 4

SOME IMPRESSIONS OF NEW ZEALAND.

" A Recent Visitor," who is giving his impressions of New Zealand in the columns of the Sydney Daily Telegraph, takes a sanguine view of the position of the colony. After dealing with the depression and the finances of the colony, he says:—" In Auckland, in Dunedin, in Christchurch, and, in a less degree, in some of the other towns, those citizens who take a delight in impressing upon the mind of a stranger the gloomiest of all possible views of the affairs of the colony direct his attention to the architectural monuments of the folly which prevailed in the days when the wanton extravagance induced by the Vogelian policy was at its height Capital wa3 then ' locked up' in massive piles of stone, brick, and wood. In this direction the numerous financial institutions have been the chief sinners. Many of the commercial palaces are absurdly disproportioned to the decentralised business with which they are connected. But the aggregate of this monumental folly is not very dreadful to contemplate, and it must be allowed that the steady growth of the colony tends to reduce it. A building which is an excessive charge upon a business now may not be more than adequate to its requirements in 10 years' time. What is 1 much more serious is the over-indebtedness of the landholders. In every new ceuntry the temptation to indulge in excessive expenditure upon improvements when cheap money can be had for the asking is an irresistible one. Our own pastoralists have blundered terribly in this way. They have brought themselves in nnmerous instances to the verge of ruin by their anxiety to 'secure' and improve their runs. And the small holders in New Zealand, with much more excuse and less risk, have committed monetary errors in their natural desire to quickly develop the full productive capacity of their properties. But time is on their side, and is pulling them through their troubles." After giving the taxation of the colony, the writer says:—"l have no; hesitation in saying that the difference in taxation between New South Wales and New Zealand is far more than made up by the difference in the price of food. Bread, beef, mutton, pork, fish, potatoes, butter and cheese are as remarkably cheap in Now Zealand as they are remarkably good in quality. In all these commodities, except beef and fish and probably they will shortly be added to the list, the colony does a big export business. When New Zealand-grown food competes in the markets of Australia and Great Britain, as it docs to the value of millions sterling per annum, it is sure to be uncommonly cheap at home. And with cheap and excellent abundance on the table the New Zealand householder can face the taxgather with a lighter heart than is possible to householders in most of the other civilised countries of the world. The people of England's southernmost colony are carrying their financial burdens strongly and bravely. They are living comfortably, not luxuriously, and meeting their obligations, however foolishly some of these were incurred, more promptly and honourably than is generally imagined. Evidences of the pressure of bad times of course meet the eye of the visitor at every turn in his journey, but some of these evidences are of a nature upon which New Zealand may be heartily congratulated rather than thoughtlessly commiserated."

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