The Waka Maori. WELLINGTON, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1874. IMPORTATION OF POTATOES.

Waka Maori, Volume 10, Issue 21, 20 October 1874, Page 261

The Waka Maori. WELLINGTON, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1874. IMPORTATION OF POTATOES.

We observe that several shipments of potatoes have lately arrived in various parts of New Zealand from the Australian Colonies. In the month of September last one vessel brought to Auckland no less than 2,117 bags, and other vessels brought smaller quantities. Considerable shipments, also have arrived in "Wellington and other ports, all of which have realized high prices. The cargo of the "Derwent" was sold at Christchurch by auction at £9 per ton, and at Napier they have recently been quoted at £ls per ton. "We in fertile New Zealand, a colony heretofore noted for the abundance and excellence of its potato crops, have of late actually been depende:it upon other colonies for our supplies of this most necessary vegetable! And there is every probability of the price of this article of food rising much higher than it now is, for we are told that private advices intimate an advance in the price of potatoes, in consequence of the demand in all Australian markets. The people in New Zealand are large consumers ol potatoes, and the population is rapidly increasing. It is therefore necessary that the cultivation of the potato, as well as of other articles of food, should keep pace with the increase of the population; whereas, in fact, with respect to the potato, we are not producing anything like the quantity we did when we were much fewer in numbers. If we have a potato famine in New Zealand, we shall have only ourselves -to blame. We have a fertile country, with a climate well adapted for the cultivation of the potato : we have at the present time a ready market within our own boundaries, and a certain prospect of an increasing demand in a large and ever-increasing population. What further incentive do we require to stimulate us to exertion ? It is a wise economy to import nothing which we can ourselves produce ; in other words, to keep our money as much as possible in circulation amongst ourselves. Every article which we import takes money out of the colony, and every article which we export brings money into it, by which every one is more or less benefited. If we have to import potatoes for our own consumption, we shall be sending very many thousands of pounds out of the country every year ; but there is no earthly reason why we should not produce sufficient, not only for our own use, but to enable us to export largely, thereby bringing many thousands of pounds into the country every year in place of sending many thousands out of it. This question is one which particularly and materially affects the Maoris. By cultivating largely they will.not only be benefiting themselves in a pecuniary point of view, but they will, in fact, be labouring side by side with their Pakeha brethren in the endeavours now being made to raise this our common country to a position of affluence and prosperity, and to a place among the nations of the world ; and they will find that by fixing their minds on industrial pursuits, they will cease to brood over imaginary grievances and difficulties which they are now so prone to do.

Formerly the Maoris used to produce very large quantities of potatoes, but we are afraid they are now not only less industrious, but much more improvident and wasteful. "We fear they too often dispose of the whole of the overplus of their crops not required for their own consumption, and squander the proceeds in drunkenness and dissipation, leaving themselves without seed for the next planting season. This is the reason why so many urgent petitions are continually being sent to the Government for seed potatoes. More applications have been received than can be entertained, and i£ the Maoris will not learn to practice economy and provide for their future wants, they must suffer the consequences of their improvidence. We trust, however, that they will profit by our advice, and follow the example of those of the Pakehas who have turned their attention to the extensive cultivation of the potato, so that New Zealand may not again be dependent upon other colonies for that which we can so easily produce among ourselves. You know the familiar Maori proverb : —" The power of war is a failing power, but the power of industry is unfailing."