ADDRESS BY THE HON. F. WHITAKER.

Timaru Herald, Volume XL, Issue 2904, 14 January 1884, Page 3

ADDRESS BY THE HON. F. WHITAKER.

(BT TKLK&KAfH.) AtjcSTJUH), Jan. 12. The following addi-M* w»e given at t Publio Halfi Kakanui, Waikatq,.by the B< F. TChitaker, who eontraeted, Austtatfa. wbl He h»8 recently visititd, with Now Ze>l»i und thus gavo hi* imprewwnf oi the peoj wbo have Cfcst. their lines m this part of t wuntry,Lor:4!n any part of : N«i»; Z-aUn laying, they hate no rtaaon to liotnplaio either lot :— I hare been travelling lately, you are doiibtlets a«are, «:rough the Ac tralian colOn^aml tbooeh gf«* wealth is be found Vh*^ this country ii a better or and I would 1 not ohnnge New Zealand f either Viotoria or New South Waiea. The mattera are entirely different. Great fortun are realised, but land is held m liirfie *'tat of hundreds of thousands of ao es, and tl oountry ia not nearly »o well peopled «s thi of New Zealand. For occupation by H people and for the people here we lave belt, opportunities by tbe settlement of tl coontry by a small d»»a of md pendent freeholders than they have i ehher Victorin or New South r ales. B and bye the population of N*w Zi«land wi be three or four times as great iw Mint of tbei other bolonies. Although Amlralia has a the elements oi' production of wealth, it lacl aur riven and water oourses, ftnd, above al our climate. There they are Bttbjeot to sevei droughts ; m some of the settled districts n mm bas fallen for as long a period as tbre jean. . I speak also of Hew Zealind itseli itnd compared with the rest of the colony yo tot* nothing to regret. The South has it Barge plains rt«dy for the plough, «nd is a onoe prodoetivo, but here work and tbe energ; of the eettler ha» amply turned the bnlanee. i jiew daws of prosperity is breaking upoi Waikato. Yon have a rnagniflcant oonntrj the climate, the population, and the atock t inaka it one of the richest and mow: produo tiv* ia the colony. Bvery man here am fine remunerative employment, and their b«ppi lies* i* protrot«d by all the faoilitiei afforded by nivilisation and proaperoui settlemeet for national eDJoyment. It thin prnit of the country you have all thi •laments of future wealth, good land and s good climate. Yonr coal and iron resource! are also very greit and as ite population filli up, and this is Vound rapidly to do, Waikata may be coogratolated on its immodiati- future. I have recently been to New South Wales to assist m devising measures for bringing ■ bo J lt tbe confederation of these colonial. Ey ij»»»» Hsw Zealand would be comparatively of nttln ntitional importance m our genentioo, but if tbi* object beaecomplisbed, and I believe it will upon a firm and naturally satinfaeM rr basis it will be briogintr about again the result of the old fable of tying the bundle of sticks together. It will giro us as an Australasian nation strength, wealth, power and importance. With confederation New Zealand may become • very great country. Before u» we see a great commercial and agricultural future. In none of these colonies hate peoplu thi) same opportunities of making for themseivei comfortable homes aim Sew ZeaUnd. You will nqt make large fortunes that arets be idealised m Naw South Wales, but you will fill the ooontrj up with a community of proiperou* though smaller seb&lers.