Poneke in Reply.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume I, Issue 65, 20 October 1893, Page 4

Poneke in Reply.

The New Australian Fad.

Some Official Reports.

infflv. ruhU'd •• New Australian " on a son'part 11. nm-oder* 1 am a most v indent tvpe a llnti-her. Pr-dahly | I am. at times A New Zealand 0010- j mat. leaving our shin a lor such a j placr aa Paraguay to hotter hiniaelf. j when the «M« are against his sodomy; ami aim condemning the moat Liberal ,i„| Shm • rinmnt in ihe the wrath of any Britisher -for such I j hr. Our land law- an lito ral ill the ] h-'of oiro nor qnalitT. and vet •• V>w •nemlistir knowledge. and the supsrl.r,„'jan.l. Morri-in. and lat. rlv -New Anotralian Lam-." are his ideals, and their I.rer.|.>- hate mastered him. Vow -Jin Awdroliaa " «ona| I fairyland True, (mm the fairyland that exist* in lil- vivid imagination—|«trtlv project.d !-v Lane and Co., and -tyl.-'lfh. N. n ~lian Comoitin gildo-rtsh." The language iachiellycon I am not'prepared to aay. as I have nevi r h**ar»l its winormii sounds. to vocalism. Your correspondent n, .. frntn notin' t«* th** land of milk and hon« >r No. no. Hut it is only fair that th*- *4'ttl**r» >h(»ulil know Imth "id - lion an«*nt this INnuiis' is irlcaniil thtfrrmt New Australian Co operatic Asocial km. U in** int**r» st»sl in reralpr. ss, I claim, at all events, a papers from who, at oiu* tiui. Iran * th Bit r P - **cal4ccn«in * nm>t satisfy m.-. lama ran Mm arai «M«I type of a Bnti-h**r *»“NVw Australian ’* says, f *lll uot surprised at old Australians *4 . n> th** flowing accounts of Socialistic' faddists, aikl packing up and xoing. The* depression existing, lone droughts, I tank smashes, heavy make anv sTttlrr disrontluted. but why New’ /«aiaiiders ahould follow when prosperity is dawning, ami sociu» gers me. (No stagger j u ice t*h i s time. s**ns«-s t«» reply to you.) N»m« peop e leap 111 the .lark, to write to the BritTsh fonsul at As uncion. Paraguav: or, if you an a Roman C atholic.* to the Hi-hop of the city mnmsl the rt'ligion i" Roman Catholic and, 1 am sure, i you will then have some reliable favorable. Mr A. Hrittlehank, a New j Australian colonist, promised to write J •-onnt. but so far, I believe, be has not i Still another communistic faddist has reproached me for my ignorance (iarden of Kden Paraguay. Nf w, if

slightest doubt h.’ will do that, for lie 1 seem* to me to lie as stubUiru as an J cuts. Well, there* is nothing to In* gained hv abuse, and it is not argument. as I snid before, so 1 will now give, with your permission, Mr Kditor. s*uue authenticated rv|*>rts on trie country aud the authority. The public may then judge for theniselv* r t!i merit* and demerit* of the country in I di-jHite. PAftAUItV A HKIKK HISTOHV. Where is this country Paraguay, or I *• New Australia?" scores of peopl .isk, for its name (Paraguay; Smr | Australia is the communistic name) iias sunk into insignificance 9ince the war against the united armies ot 1 Brazil. I ruguay, and the Argent jn* 1 it* public, during the year* 1MI'» and i i'"TO. Then it contracted a war deb j reaching 236.000,000 pesos, oi t’17.200.000. Paraguay extendi from - 7 d • 30 latitude, and from 54 degree* 32 to | 58 degrees 40 west longtitude, ami I forms a peninsula between the river Paraguay *ut] Parana. It i* bounded I bj Brasil, Argratim Confederation. ! ind Bolivia. Paraguay was discovered by Sehastian Cabot in 1526, and first J settled by Pedro de Mendoza, whe j founded th** City of Atcuncion. The Jesuits s«H»n after this period asserted their inftiience and held the country until ejected in 1768. The Christian work of the Jesuits manifested itself I for a long time after their expulsion. I 1 but -the barbarism of old returned. 1:. • •□junction with other Spanish StateParaguay threw off the yoke of th I mother country in INIO and declared I tin independence. l)r Francid (». awyen was declared dictator, ami I in Id office till 1840, when anarchy • nsued for two years. In 1844 a new nstitufion was proclaimed, and l)i Canos was elected sole president with Jiciatorial puwe. ll*' died in 1862 j .uid was succeeded by bis soil, Don { Lop* /. who distinguished himself ai j ii. battle of Aquidaban, but met with .left at ami death—lß7o. A new' conuitution was proclaimed, in same year, I vhe legislative authority being vested in a congress of two houses, and th* \eciitive in a president elected for six years siiuila. to the Argentine Coni' d* ration. Ascuncion is the* capita* and is connected by railway with ParaI guari. The inhabitants of the towns j insist of whites,of half-breeds, h/m’ciAt- | n'§ The native population o. ' . i uar;nil are Confined to the provinces, -|K;iking the Guarani language.— - \ • AREA ASI» POPULATION, j Area 98.U0U square iniies, about th. uu aa Hew /• aland The land i> : mostly fertile- especially so in tin* I 'ouiliern portion of the country —and ! '. ttleim nl is eucouraged by th Government. There are four agriculI hi nil colonies. Tie land consists of I siopc> and bills, richly wood**d, and of i neb alluvial plains, some of which arc j marshy and covered with shallow j (tools of water. The low lands on the Dank-* of the rivers Pui'uua and Para- ■ i.iy are destitute of trees. Among .he tree* are several species of dye wood and others yield valuable juices, ihe mat/ tree grow wild, and native ; (Mipuialion, in season, gather the »• aves, one of tin article s of commerce, ami known ns tin* Paraguan tea. The | population (Ihß7, last census), is ! r.uigbiy estimated to lx* 320,645, — 2 111,890 wonu n. I flu r« are be.sid* s 60,000 .iu*i 70,000, " .. Jixoi Indians, 5000 000 1 *l.l/ l itans, 710 i i. rmans, 500 French, 100 >wi 3 s, ami 100 Kngiish (Royal I ar emigrants not included). Popumtioii *»t Ascuiision, 24,838; Villa Rica, 11,000: Conception, 11,000; Min Pedro, 12,000; Lugtie, H(XX). 1 in . j* r r. nt of the children born . ar • ilhifitiHiati . Nearly three-fourths r »»l th«* land is National property, but the Government has sold a large portion of late years. Much of the j mud is held in large estates. IMPORTS AND EXPORTS. In 1890 un|M)rts, 2,725,611 pesos, ia |M"O is Is.); exports, 2,1)01,589 l* '•*'. All the imports from Rritian which are In percent) pass through the Argentine and Brazilian territories, - un* hundreds of miles up a river to their d«-<tillation. There is no direct Pa y and I Gnat Drilian. Chainlxirsand States- ! man s Year Book (1*92). THE PEASANTRY. The descendants of the Primitive Spanish M-uiers and their Indian i wive* have always preferred the seim•mvag«* life of the interior of the country to the mor* civilised one of ( tin lown. Born riders, ami they re- j on the lasso, boias. and a long knife, j for their work. The constant use of I j ill*’ latter against their fellow creatures 1 • i ■ sligh . - rov ication, and, in- j I «ie« d, often without any, has rendered them a terror, and associated with it | all that i horrible and bloodthirsty. I l ew countries offer greater natural facilities tor agricultural pursuits. I Th* s»»d is excellent and the climate t* nip* ral for the t ropiea. -Coßlol ' . b i y. FOREIGN AND NATIVE LABOR. For igu labor comp n s successfully | nun liair.t laoor; tne latter is ot an j interior cal jury, and mainly unskilled. in 1889 the vifH of nativo ! tabor varied from l*s to tl 16s a 1 j month, meat and verba mate tea) . I l * > ’ i,! -* n \ ptional ca-si's of employment on foreign farms (estaucias), or | ot dost* proximity to to vns tba. wages have now been increased sav I’-oiii 11 8m to t‘2 *s monthly. A ■ ■ ’ m*_'. r. **ling. tri turn mg horses' .In cNfc 100 she* p slit u ii. H re 5s i* J i \ J a.m! u half days w.uk. The highest j i • * * -r p. u , oiny 6,3 d. ltainm ; i el Mp. ui.ird .i\. m»sc,; French and j SO p . 1 rally it 4100) ud j »v S. ‘ IS CL. 11 lh . I h , u-ir place being :

fill, d by new arrivals —principally their fellow countrymen. Ibe Italian workman has a tfreat advantage over workmen of other nationalities, ihe lanje.iaee hi ine similar to his own, and his compatriot b- ing numerous. — consul t" Karl of lioseltery. WKIOHTS AND MKASI KKS. Th. Quintal —101-tlbs avoirdupois. Th, Arroha ‘iu Jlßlbs avoirdupois. The Fanega—li Imperial bushel. Lino (land measure) —69i KDgtish square miles. Hie Lena mudra—l!il English sqr. miles.

An extensive paper currency has ben introduced into thecountry. Hy a decree of the Government the value of the English sovereign was fixed at uve pesos. Besides the above the a lghts and measures of the Argentine Confederation, and the currency of Brazil are in general use.—The statesman's Year Book (1H92). PUBLICATIONS. “Seven Eventful Years in I’ara ,uay,” (Masterinan), “P.-rsonal >bs. nation of Paraguay (Washburn), •• Handbook of the River Plate, the Argentine Confederation an.l Paraguay ’’ (Mulhall). CONSUL. MINISTER AND ENVOY. Present Consul (1*92): Sir William Stewart: Envoy and Minister: Hon. 1. Pakenham.—The State-men s Y'ear Book. REMARKS. 1 could go on for a month or two ailing from the works, reports, and onsular information in my possession, nit must stop, as I have said and vritten enough to prove to Mr Bacon ..id Co. that the little 1 know is gleaned from the highest authority, iml should prove to him a source of manure and knowledge. A- I mainain, the semi-Latin races are experts .vith the knife, for all purposes, and for herinadec to hold them up as the <i-i nf manhood and bravery is outageous. A man with a large family -hoiil-1 never go to any of the South American Republics (so Consular (lasrell says), and I am convinced what he says is true. In Paraguay (in fact n all the mentioned Republics) edu.ation receives the highest consideraimi. which is a good thing, but the correct system of agriculture (Paraguay) suitable to the country does not ibtain. Farming in New Zealand and .South America is entirely different, uid a foreigner (unless he be an talian or a Spaniard) must become Accustomed to the manners of the ii-ople—not an easy task for an Engishman—and learn the tongue before he can expect to be on a par with the native or people already there. The Paraguayian Government assists ai/ri■nltural emigrants when there, I admit. hut their preference is shown for ■ilians, who work longer and harde •nt: who, owing to scanty living, save wo or three thousand pesos and exit. All immigrants will have to conform oi the laws of the country, and many will find, to their sorrow, I am afraid, hat the Dictator, or President, is a despotic individual, and will soon clear them out if they attempt to run tie Republic on their own lines and lictate to him. As to Mr Bacon's questions 1 think any man with common sense can solve them, and if misfortune overtakes a man 1 believe in his fellowman helping. 1 wish Mr Bacon all success and hope it will turn out better than the Kermadec. Poneke.