OUR RESOURCES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 8732, 19 February 1890, Page 6

OUR RESOURCES.

Sir. STEAD'S l'Al'Elt ON NEW ZEA-

LAND'S I'BOGKESS.

Mr G. G. Stead (of Christohurch) read ii paper on " Immigration and New Zealand's Progress " at thu meeting of tho Chaiabor of Commerce delegates, held on the 2Uth ult. :—

Now that the mantle of depression which during tho larger portion of tho lust decade cloaked tho progress ami hindered the productiveness of Now Zealand has happily beon laid aside, tho economic question forcing itdelf upon us is,' Would tho introduction on a large scale of mutable immigrants tend to increase tho wonlth of the coluuy aud beuelit it-j existing population'!1 lv tho discussion of this queiiti'ju wo are met on the threshold by v;hat has been ap'.ly termed 'the unreasoning dread' of iinniigiration. This singular dread is felt by many amongst ttio industrial classes, their apprehension being t'nut an iueroadfl of population would mean a decrease in wages, hence their bitter opposition to tho introduction of further immigrants. But does the past experience of of.her new countries justify this apprehension ? Has it. not been clearly shown liuio aud again, that every man who comes to a now country can only bo a competitor in one department, whilst ho must become n consumer in many. If he is an nrtisau he csn at mo.sC only compete with tho members of his own trade, whilst ho helps to give employment; to all the others. If he engages in agricultural pursuits he does not compete at nil with the artisan classes, and couucqueutly his advent must ba a distinct gain to them, for hia wants must add to the general employment. Scarcity of work, with a reduction in wagi's as a consequence, is far more likely to be due to th» absence of progress than to an influx of population. It is only where population inertsisss faster than capital that labour becomus redundant aud wages fall; and in point of fact the richest nations in Europe nro those which r.re tho most populous. W« find tho earnings lo,v in such sparsely inhabited countries as Kussia and Spain, and comparatively high iv :i dous-ely populate;! country like. Groat Britain. Statistics show that tho population of Eug'aud ia twelve times as dense m that of liusoia, and yet an Kngliohman's average wages sro about two and a-h>slf times us great as a .Russian's. It has been also pointed out that the richer a country becomes the butter will be the rate of wages. Therefore, if a dense population i.3 usually the richest it must be apparent that an increase in our population would tend, not to cheapen, bui to iucroaso the price of Übou . This theory has been practically proved in the United States as wages there have increased with the iucrua'ii! of wealth and population. In 1650 tho population of that country waa 23,1!)1,87G, whilst it is now estimated to be 02,000,000, some 12,500,000 thereof being duo to immigration, of which up less thau 4,573,177 arrived iv the decennial period ending 3'Jth Java 1537. Yet in that country ■ wages have not fallen, but, on the coulrary they are fully 50 per cent higher to-day thau in 1850, notwithstanding that £7 now will purchase as much of the necessaries of life as £10 would have purchased then. Thus it is ovkleut that iv ths United States wholesale immigration during tha past JO years has been coincident with » rise ia wages to an extent that has practically doubled tb.u iucoruo of tho wage earners. In fact, it ia now held as axiomatic in that country that in all manufacturing industries " the general tendency of wages is towards n maximum, and of profits on capital towards a minimum," through the competition consequent upon a rapid increase of population. This experience of the United States agrees entirely with that of all new countries, which, briefly put, is that a condition of great prosperity is inseparable from an. influx of population—in other words, the advent of every able-bodied man willing to work is a source of wealth. American statists, indeed, havegiveu figures to prove that every new adult settler, male or fomale, arriving in that country adds £200 to the public wealth, whilst Dr Farr valuts an English farm labourer as equal to an active capital of £246 Unfortunately, the majority of our wageearners seem to hold the opinion that each new comer introduced into the colonies intensifies the competition for work and so reduces the rate of wages. This it is that influences our popularity-seeking legislators to oppose every system of immigration. They appear to fail to see how untenable the position is. Its fallacy cannot perhaps bo better demonstrated than by assertiug the logical opposite, and stating that the fewer inhabitants a country has the greater will be the prosperity; in other words, if an iucrease in the populatian will impoverish the colony, ft diminution of the population will enrich it. It sometimes appears to be overlooked that the industrial aud agricultural classes, or what may be termed the bone and sinew of the world, must of necessity produce or manufacture not only sufficient for their own requirements, but also for those " who toil not neither do they spin." Hence, if the working classts produce ruoro than they consume, the surplus must go towards increasing tha wealth of ths country in which they live. The three • actors of wealth mo land, capital, aud labour. Land itself ia but au instrument, being useless aud valueless unless labour, assisted by capital, is employed upon it. There ia no readier means of creating wealth thau by making waste lands available for settlement. In New Zealand we have more land than we can utilise, and, having no difficulty in obtaining capital for our needs, the only factor wanting to create further wealth is labour. The more wealth there is created the more there is for distribution, and, as all the wealth that is produced is distributed, aa increase of wealth tends to give thß labour seller more of physical comforts and less of physical toil. As however $ have already indicated, the wage-earning classes iv Australia and New Zealand are practically the first to formulate the singular theory that " the more numerous the people the poorer they will become." These colonies are the first young countries to discourage immigration, and it is not surprising that thoughtful men. in England experience a difficulty in understanding how countries with such splendid resources and with so much unoccupied land can be overcrowded. The fact is that if trade has expanded slowly it has bean for want of a home market, and the only way to- increase tho demand is to increase the population. If instead of having a few tens of thousands on our lands we had as many hundreds of thousands, an suiormous demand would spring up for every conceivable article of manufacture. To be a successful manufacturing country, however, machinery and labour-saving processes must be availed of, and the population must be Urge enough to enable its different sections to devote thenwelves to the particular branches of work for which they have special aptitude. Here, with our sparse population, expensive machinery cannot be remuneratively employed, and a proper division of labour is impossible. It has Deen clearly pointed out by Atkinson that: 1. In the great competition under which service for service is rendered, those nations which apply machinery to the fullest extent, and to th« most adequate resources, mike the largest product at the least cost of labour. 2. Id their exchanges with the baud-working States of tho world, or with those nations in which machinery has been applied to the arts in least measure, they gain the most for themselves ■wh le rendering the greatest service to those with whom they deal. Within the past few.years, and especially within the last five or six—since immigration has almost ceast-d—we have seen a large growth of the public expenditure. Latterly it has grown more rapidly thau the population, as, despite the cessation of immigration, we have not ceased to expend considerable sums of borrowed money upon public works until these works are now on a scale far in excess of the requirements of the population. Adding to our numbers would assist us to utilise profitably oar railways and other public services, thereby obviating the necessity, which now exists, for obtaining by taxation what ought to be got out of railway earnings. Another important advantage claimed for immigration is, that eich newcomer, by contrihuting through the customs and other channels of taxation, his share towards the cost of governing the colony, would thereby assist to reduce the high rate of taxation per head, which now falls upon our limited uopulation. The question however is often asked, "How vrould employment be provided for the newcomers if immigration on a large scale were resumed?" But does it need answering ? Are not the teacbmgs of the past sufficient to satisfy tho most sceptical that new-comers can readily find employment in all new countries ? Have not the 12,000,000 that settled in the United States during the past 40 years found employment ? Take our own case. Thirty yeais ago there wero only 59,413 persons in New Zealand who had to exist as best they could, without the advantages of railways r.nd telegraphs, and with but a scant number of roads and bridges; yet despite these earlier disadvantages there have been 293,095 arrivals in this country in excess of depirtures during the last 30 years, all of whom have practically been absorbed to their own as wv.-il as to the colony's advantage. Surely now that our waato lands are opened up by railways aud roads, and that we havo an efficient postal and telegraph service, as well as other public works and institutions, all of which tend to make living iv New Zealand similar to what it is in- tbo old world, there should be no question about all able-bodied and industrious new-comers finding employment. But leaving generalities and entering somewhat into details, we Hud that there are 06,341,050 acres of land in New Zealand. Out of this area it is estimated that 26,000,000 are level or undulating country, suitable for agriculture or capable of being made so by felling timber or drainage, whrlsi some 27,800,000 acres are suitable for pastoral pursuits, or may become so when cleared of forest aud sown down with grass seed, Of the total area only 19,244,344 acres havo up to 31st December 1:588, been sold or otherwise disposed of by the Crown, leaving some 36,000,000 acres suitable for settlement still in the bands of the Grown, Is there then any need to question how new arrivals are to find employment while these lands are still undisposed of? Moreover, the coalfields of New Zealand are practically untouched. These are estimated to contain 1,200,000,000 tons of coal, 500,000,000 tons of which are pitch coal, of a quality almost unequalled in the world for steam purposes. The bituminous coal is reckoned at 200,000,000 tons, and is considered equal, if not superior, to the best descriptions i

of gas coivl found hi any part of the world. There is already au excellent ilomaml for it for ynspurposcs in both Australia and the Hast, but muru labour is needed btl'oro the mint's am be properly developed. Havo wa not also our goldiii.lds, at which liny industrious man cun reiulily earn v rato of wage tLat would bo considered almost priucoly by tho working Classen in many parts of Europe; to say uotuing.of miles mid miles of alluvial beaches whioh sro only muting to be worked by tho moat Gcientificidty-con-blructed dredgiujr machines to yield a haudsorue return to both owners and employes? lfurtuer, wo aro constantly bearing of tho dilliculty txiierii'.uced in getting hands to carry on tho tlaxmills in tho North Island, whilst 10s per day is oll'ured in vain for ftjlfiny; timber on bumu of tho splendid lauds whioh aro now being opened up in the North Island. And yet we are asked, " What should wo do with new-comers 'I" 'l'lioso (ii-lds lor employment, however, havo only reference to outdoor work, or what is considered mote or lcS3 unskilled labour. If wo refer to last census returns, it will bo found that between December 1880 and December lSßsthe otitablishments employing mechanical or skilled labour had increased in number from IGJ3 to 226'tf, or at the rate of 33 [ior cent, for tho period, whilst the number of hands employed had increased from 17,833 to 25,055, or ub tho rate of 43 per cent. During the siuae period tho steam eugiues employed increased from 56'S to 815, with a corresponding increase of horse-power from 13,601 to 19,315, whilst the estimated vahio of tho mr.nuffusturus in the latter year was put down at £7,-!35,6t9. The manufacture of woollens is probably tho most important of our industries. As evidence of its growth it may be pointed out that in ISBO ouc woollen mills only nsocl 917,2231b weight of wool, tho manufactured v.iluo of which was less than £200,000, whilst in 1888 tho quantity used by them had increased f0'1,079,5b'31b, the manufactured value of which is eatimnted at over £750,000. Yet this industry is still only in its infancy. With a clima'.o spr-ciully suitable for dyeing wools, giving a superior lustre to the highest qualities of tweeds and fancy coatings, wo cannot even guess the possibilities that thu future has iv story for tilts industry. Such figures us the foregoing must eleiuly indicate thai already there U .icopo for a large number of artisans, us well as for the farmer, the labourer, aud the miner. Aud "(f wo sec nothing but improvement behind us, why should we not anticipate similar progress in the future, each fi-esh ii.dustry creatiug a new demand for labour and offering ample employment to now comers ? Having endeavoured to prove that our present population, including the wage-earning classes, would hi benefited by a broad scheme of immigration, and that there would bo no difficulty in finding employment for suitable immigrants, it may be profitable to consider tho further question :—' What prospect of distinct advantage to themselves does New Zealand hold out to new comers ?' This perhaps can be roost readiiy douo by showing what' Productive Now Zealand' has accomplished in the past. In the period between 185S and 18S8 her white population has innraaswl from 59,413 to 007,380, and the following figures, taken from the official statistics of the colony, need dd explanation:— 1859. 1889. Acrea. Acrs. Land under cultivation, including land willi sown grasße3... 156.940 7,670,167 1858. 1833. Sheep ... ... ... 1,523,32.1 15,122,133 CnUte ... ... ... 1-'<7,204 853,358 Horses ... ... ... 14,013 187.353 Savings Bank depositors ... 715 103,040 Amount on deposit at 31st December in each .vtar ... £7,8G2 £2,691 ,6!>3 Letters received aud <3esi.atched ... ... 482.8513 40.598.020 Output, of coal (tons) ... Nil. (513,895 GROWTH 01' OHDLYAItY UAXIUNG BUSINKSS. De;)Oßib. Assetß. 1557 ... £ 313,316 £ 419,860 18Sa ... 11.594.U03 17,751,412 During the 30 years ending the 31st December 18S9 tha total exports represent a value of no less than £179,963,733; aud if ub examine the figures which go towards making up tbis total, the expansion iv the production of all the principal exports will be seen to be enormous. Quantity axd Value of Exports from Nkw zealand foil thk yeaks ehlixg 316t dkckm--IJKU 1859 AND ISB9. Quantity. Value. Articles. 15 5 9 . , ISS .,. l!lS9 _ 18ag I £ £ OoVl ... o/. 7,33'» 197,49 a 28,427 785,290 W001... Ju bfi9i,'iol\ 101,706,10-1 339,77!) 3,978,375 Fln.x ...tons 77 17.054 1,593 361,182 Qiim...tons 2,011 7,510 20,770 329,580 Grain... bus 118,710 5,318,810 39,016 849,814 Fro z c n Meafc...cwt Nil. 658,822 Nil. 783,374 Provisions, \ Timber W&> 91,717 2,253,640 Suudries ) Total ... 521,308 9,339,i'65 But probably the following comparison, showing the colony's progress during the past 10 years, which have been considered as a period of more or less depression, will best illustrate what a promising field for employment already exists in New Zealand. Quantities of Principal Articles the Produce of the Colony. b'xnortedl Exported r- , „ 1879. I ISS9. "Joreiise. Wool ... Ih 62,220,810101,7156,104 39,5-15,234 Meat, frozen ewfc Nil 656,822 858.822 Moat, preserved ... „ 22,332 47,518 25,214 Tallow ... „ 92,710 159,020 63,310 Shecp3kiuß... number 186,922 1,637,351 1,159,432 Hides .;. „ 23,8241 55,162 31.538 Butter ... owt 339 37,954 37,615 Cheese 172 26,557 25,355 Hams and bacon ... „ 682 9,021 8,342 Potatoes ... tons 1.725 21,608 19,883 Wheat ... biißhels 2,518,457 2,694,175 175,718 Oatß 842,649 2,654,671 1,812,022 Barley 106,692 494,676 387,984 ?lour ... tons 1,278 16,153 13,8.5 Seeds and grasses ... bushels! 18,885 238,471 269,586 Flax ... tona | 445 17,084 16,639 Bum ... „ \ 3,228] 7,519 4,291 Timber (sawn •" and hewn... ft 5,103,189 42,568,600 37,465,411 Coal ... tons 7,144 70,204 72,040 Decrease. Gold ... oz ] 284,100; 197,492! 86,008 These figures, together with sundry items hot included in the above, represent t. total value of exports for 1879 amounting to £5,743,126, and for £9,338,265. It will be seen therefrom that the value of our productions has increased by £3,596,139 in the latter year as compared with 10 years ago, or nearly 63 per cent., a ratio of increase probably uaI equalled in any other portion of the globe. Thus, after providing for our own wants, we have sent away during tha 10 yearn ending 31st December 1889, £8,735,926 of breadstuffs aud feeding grains. During the same period we have sent away £2,361,238 worth of dairy produce, vegetables, and preserved meats, whilst iv a single year, ending December 31, 1889, wo have, after feeding ourselves lavishly upon fresh meat, been able to spare 1,065,831 sheep and 11,880 cattle, valued at £783,374, to feed our kindred in Great Britain. Had there been twice as many people here the results would probably have doubled, as it is only by increasing our population that our resources and our annual income be Droporly developed and augmented. Within "the last quarter of a century we have constructed 1777 miles of_ railway and 4790 miles of telegraph lines, which I venture to say is a greater mileage per head of our population than can be shown in any other country, whilst the gross private wealth of the Colony, according to the Property "I'm returns in October, 1885, was £137,138,317, or, deducting £23,832,507 for foreign indebtedness, £113,305,630 net. The foregoing figures clearly indicate how rapid has been the growth of wealth in proportion to the populatiou, greater, in fact, than anywhere else in the world for the same period; and, as the wealth is undoubtedly more evenly distributed amongst all classes than in any old country, the result is & high average standard of well-being. We can also point out to intending emigrants that we have a popular Government, whose enceavour is legislate for tho many rather than for the few. At tho same time its aim is not to pull down aud abase the rich, but to raise the general condition of the people, and to add to the sum of human happiness. We have no class privileges—all are on a common platform, and success is practically assured to the frugal and industrious. Bread and meat are cheap aud plentiful, the hours of labour are short, and there is absolute political freedom. Compare this with tho position of the masses in Europe— the agricultural labourer with his scanty wage and toilsome life, the miner in danger and darkness hewing out his brief existence, the factory hand sacrificing his manhood by long hours in a reeking mill—each and all cannot but feel that th« life for them and for '■ the children around their kneea " promises to bo a joylesa pilgrimage. Is it not certain that their condition would be distinctly benefited if they cast in their lot with üb, where the wide field for activity assures physical comfort to the industrious, where the ploughshare is better known than the sword, and where a maximum of work '< is obtained at a minimum of friction between the employer and the employed ? The Crlonhl &mpir B of Great Britain is universally recognised as a marvellous phenomenon, not only ,n her own history, but in the general history of the world. Its area is estimate, at 7,938,422 equate miles, whilst all t ,» colonies put together of all other nation, are confined within 2,014,131 square miles So valt and unique a series of possessions has become the envy ot all other European countries. But of a!, these colonial possessions none can be found acre for acre to equal in fertility our own fruitful soil, aud even though our bracing climate is not all sunshine and gentle breezes, yet for health and physical enjoyment it is unsurpassed by any in the world. Our early settlers were men who had courage and endurance, ambition and determination to succeed qualities which are amongst the highest a nation :an possess. It is vow only 50 years thi3 month iince the colony was founded, aud during the whole of that period it has made remarkable md continuous progress in all the essential tfementa of prosperity. As I have said elseivhere, the earnings of labour have increased joth absolutely and relatively, the cost of iving has been generally reduced, odueation ins been provided for the poorest, the ncidence of taxation has been adjusted so is to press least heavily on the lowest ncomes, aud comforts and conveniences that vero unknown in Europe less than a century igo, except to tho wealthiest, have now been irougbt within the reach of all. In looking iack upon 4 the last year of our half century's

existence, closing as it does in a rosy sunset of Hiicci-ss, we may will believo that it has heralded thidrawofa still brighter mill happier period, and I auk has not tho time arrived when we should hold out our hands to our kin across tho seas and welcome them to share our prosperity ?" Mr Stead concluded by moving—" I'hab in thu opinion of this conference the introduction ol suitable ianuigc-.iuts (in .1 largo scalt! would tend to iucrciisa tlio wealth of tho colony and benefit its existing population." After discussion, Mr Stead's motion was carried with tho foliowlng addition:—" And that this conference strongly recognise the rotiuniptiun of nominated assisted immigration on 11 liberal scald."