Cheering Prospects.

Te Aroha News, Volume III, Issue 126, 31 October 1885, Page 4

Cheering Prospects.

While there are on all hands complaints of dull timeB, and while retrenchment in the Public Works Department threatens to retard the progress of the North Island, it is a pleasing task to have to draw attention to undoubted symptoms of a brighter future. There are many positive signs of progress in Auckland and neighbourhood — the most conspicuous being the rapid growth of buildings for purposes of business and residence— a growth which has been all the more marked last year because of the universal depression comp ained of, and which proves that our city's progress is independent of temporary fluctuations of trade. Then, as compared with other colonial cities, our advancement is really wonderful, as a glance at the statistics for the September quarter will enow. In point of population, Auckland now heads the list, and her ratio of increase appears much more rapid than in any other of the leading towns. Thus for last quarter the births in Auckland were 133; Wellington, 92; Christchurch, 30 j and Dunedin,6o. If population is the great, essential to colonial prosperity, the Queen? of the North will at this rate soon be able, not only to ensure her own advancement, but also to save the colony all immigration expenditure. That the business done here is now in excess of that done in the other leading cities is evident from the return of I money order transactions as under : —

In a leaser way the same results arebrought out by a comparison of the telegraphic and postal revenue derived from the foui central cities : —

It is in do spirit of jealous rivalry we point out the comparative prosperity and more rapid expansion of Auckland, but rather with the view of discouraging pessimistic feais of the future, and leading the commercial public to take a more hopeful view of things. Despite political machinations, and in face of every ohstaole thrown in her way, Auckland has advanoed and : will continue to db so if her people have but faith in themselves and in the ; resources of the district,— " Auckland Ste 1 * .;&,;,.

Postal revenue. Telegraphio revenue. Auckland „ Christ'ihurch Dunedin . . Wellinßton ..£5,678 10 11 .. 5,185 0 0 .. 4,838 1 7 .. 4,431 910 £4.829 16 11 3.181 9 5 3.557 6 7 4,191 8 i

Orders issued. Orders paid, Auckland Cnristohuroh Dunedin .. Wellington . . £27,635 14 5 .. 16,fi99 15 9 .. 20,319 9 5 .. 22,089 310 £26,839 13 i 17873 4 < 23.38 i 21( 17.407 12 I