PATHS TO PROGRESS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1917, 17 August 1888, Page 8

PATHS TO PROGRESS.

Editob Witness.— Sir, — In your issue of 10th inst., I noticed a report of the " annual local meeting" at Auckland of the " New Zealaud Loan and Mercantile Agency Company (Limited)," and that the chairman in his address pointed out what he considered " the country's prosperity depends on." Whilst agreeing with him in the main, and fully believing that the wealth of the country must mainly come out of the soil and the bowels of the earth, still I cannot think that settling more people upon the lands at the present juncture is particularly advisable, as it is a wellknown fact that the whole of the farming and squatting interests of this fine colony are in a deplorable state. It appears to me the position of those already settled first wants improving, and it is such powerful institutions as the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company (Limited), Nelson Brothers (Limited), National Morfcgago and Agency Company (Limited), and the Loan, Mercantile, and Land Companies of New Zealand which could very materially assist to this most desirable result. The backbone of New Zealand— i.e., those settled upon the lands, cannot possibly prosper, nor consequently can the colony as a whole, until such times as the products of the country are placed fairly upon the English market and sold in a fair and legitimate manner. j It is a well-known fact that the producers of mutton in New Zealand have been most unmercifully robbed ever since the commencement of the trade both in price and weight, and not alone they, but the British consumer also. It is an open secret that the bulk, if not all, the best New Zealand mutton is sold as best English and Scotch, and that the inferior English and South American is disposed of as New Zealand, thus doing a double injustice to the producers of this colony. Large fortunes have been made out of New Zealand meat, and it is only very recently that I heard through a colonial gentleman now at Home that butchers who three and four years ago had difficulty in finding means to open one shop now possess 10, 15, and 20 shops, each in different centres. Whilst the above state of things is going on, the London consignees have made no etfort to effect a change and put the trade upon a healthy and sound footing. In this lam of opinion they j are much to blame, and I cannot but think they j prejudice their own interests in not doing so, as it must be well known that directly and indirectly they are all largely interested in land, j which would possibly double in value and become saleable were a scheme established for fairly disposing of our products. The landowners, the mortgagees, the producer, and the colony i\ generally would prosper, and with sensible and economic government regain its credit and good name in time. The sale of colonial wools in London is in a similarly unsatisfactory state to that of mutton, for with regard to it also the consignees appear to have taken no action to place the sales upon a more fair and satisfactory basis ; indeed, it would appear that they act entirely in the interests of the buyers, and the unfortunate producer is sacrificed at every point. Amongst some of the evils requiring correction, I may specially mention the following, viz. : — The reduction of bids at auction from a halfpenny to one-eighth of a penny per lb (when wool realised two and three times its pressnt value the high bids were not so much felt, but now the sh®e pinches very severely) ; that all "samples" should be paid for; that, after allowing bhe weight of the woolpack, the draft of lib to every 1001b of wool sold be discontinued. In this last item alone the poor colonial producer is fleeced to the extent of about 12,827 bales each year, worth about £200,000, a most iniquitous charge, but legalised by the term " Custom of the trade." — I am, &c. Dunedin, August 4. Wm. Royse.