ADDRESS BY THE HON. F. WHITAKER.

Timaru Herald, Volume XL, Issue 2919, 31 January 1884, Page 7

ADDRESS BY THE HON. F. WHITAKER.

(BX TSKKOBAFH.) AttokWlND, Jan. 12.

The following address was given at the Publio Hull, Kakanui, Waikato, by tho Hon. 81.B 1 . Whitaker, who contrasted Australia which he has recently visited, with New Zealand, and thus gave his impressions of the people who have oast thoir lines m this part of the country, or m any part of New Zealand, saying they have no reason to complain of either lot : — I have been travelling lately, as you are doubtless aware, through the Australian colonies, and though great wealth is to be found there, this country i» a better one, and I would not change New Zealand for either Victoria or New South Wales. There matters are entirely different. Great fortunes are realised, but land is held m large estates of hundreds of thousands of acres, and the country is not nearly so well peopled as that of New Zealand. T?or occupation by the people and for the people here we have better opportunities by the settlement of the country by a small clasß, of independent freeholders than they have m either Victoria or New South Wales. By and bye the population of New Zealand will be three or four times as great as that of these other colonies. Although Australia has all the elements of produotion of wealth, it lacks our rivers and water ooursej, and, above all, our olimate. There they are subject to severe droughts ; m some of the settled districts no rain has fallen for as long a period as three years. I speak also of New Zealand itself, and compared with the rest of the colony you havo nothing to regret. Tho South has its large plains ready for the plough, and ia at onoo productive, but here work and the energy of the settler has amply turned the balance. A new dawn of prosperity is breaking upon Waiiato. Yon have a mogniflcant country, the climate, the population, and tho stock to make it one of the rioheat and most productive ia the colony. Every man hero can find remunerative) employment, and their happiness is promoted by all the facilities afforded by civilisation and prosperous settlement for national enjoyment. In this part of tho country you have all the oleinetito of future wealth, good land and a goad climate. Your coal and iron resources are also very great and ac its population fills up, and this is bound rapidly to do, Waikato may be congratulated on its immediate future. I hove recently been to New South Wales to assist m devising measures for bringing about tho confederation of these colonies. By itself, New Zealand would be comparatively of little national importance m our generation, but if thin object be accomplished, and I believe it will upon a firm and naturally satisfactory basis it will be bringing about again the result of tho old fable of tying the bundle of sticks together. It will give us as ao Australasian nation strength, we»Uh, power and importance. With confederation New Zealand may become a very great country. Before us we see a great commercial and agricultural future. In none of these oolonies have people the same opportunities of making for themeelvea comfortable homes as ia New Zealand. You will not mako large fortunes that are to be realised m New South Wales, but you will fill the country up with a community of prosperous though troaller settlers.