MISREPRESENTATION OF NEW ZEALAND.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XII, Issue 947, 12 November 1868, Page 2

MISREPRESENTATION OF NEW ZEALAND.

A colonist who visits London is both surprised and pained to find that everything appertaining to Australia and New Zealand is matter of very little moment in any class of English society. He finds no interest taken in this part of the Empire. Conversation rarely if ever turns upon it, unless occasioned by the presence of an Australian or a New Zealander. The very deserts of Africa with their gorillas and lions, are more familiar to the English mind than the most populous cities in the Southern seas. The mass of colonists, who do not visit London and have consequently no means of ascertaining the tone of English opinion, believe,' in the simplicity of their hearts, that English statesmen, English journalists, and Englishmen in general, feel a lively interest in our progress —have all our statistics at their fingers’ ends —and regularly read thef ‘summaries’ of the colonial papers. It is a sorrowful sort of amusement to note the various little instances of this self-delusion which make their appearance from time to time. The discovery, brought to light in the H use of Representatives by Mr Potts, that the imports from New Zealand into the United Kingdom for the first quarter of 1867 are estimated by the Board of Trade returns at L2O, is an appropriate illustration of the attention paid to this colony by the Imperial Government. A paragraph in the Home News, expressing surprise at these figures, contains the following : —‘No doubt an explanation can be given that may be satisfactory; but as none can be obtained here that is satisfactory, inquiry should be made in New Zealand itself.’ This is even worse than the Board of Trade. No matter what absurd mis-statements may be put in circulation respecting New Zealand, it appears that an explanation cannot possibly be obtained in England. The writer in the Home News to whom we suppose the usual sources of statistical information were open, had no doubt consulted them in order to verify these extrordinary figures. But he could get no explanation, and accordingly suggested that ‘inquiry should be made in New Zealand.’ From Mr Stafford’s statement, we learn that the Government of this colony had previously called the attention of the Imperial Government ‘to the very great injustice done to New Zealand by the Boardof Trade returns.’ The answer was, that the Board of Trade couldn’t help it. Official returns are forwarded quarterly from this colony to the Board of Trade, so that, as Mr Stafford says, they have authentic information if they only choose to make use of it. They do not choose to do so. The result of this system therefore is, what whenever the-Board of Trade returns are laid before the British public, the export trade of New Zealand is estimated at about £2O per quarter. These returns are accepted throughout the United Kingdom as unimpeachable authorities, and the people generally have no idea that, as regards New Zealand, the returns are worthless. In what sort of estimation can the colony stand in the eyes of British merchants and capitalists, when information of this kind is officially circulated ? Mr Potts prefaced his complaint by pointing out that, in many statistical authorities, New Zealand is ‘hidden under the name of Australia.’ So little is known about this colony in Great Britain that it is generally regarded as in some way a part of Australia. It has no distinctive position in the Imperial world ; it is one of the‘ Australian’ colonies, and its imports and exports, with every other fact respecting it, are jumbled up under the head of Australia. We can have no reasbn for surprise if the progress of emigration is slow, when our unfortunate country is enveloped in so much fog as this. The suggestion made by Mr. Potts, that regular returns of the trade and commerce of New Zealand should be sent as advertisments to the leadingftnewspapers in Europe and America, is not i very pleasant one. It would involve a heavy bill for advertising, and it would certainly provoke sarcasm. But what is to be done in the present position of affairs? . have Mr Stafford’s assurance that there is no use in appealing to thelmperialjauthorities. Theexchangeof Gazettes and other 1 statisical -publictions with foreign consuls and consular agents in New Zealand has been going on for some time past ; but no practical results of anj' value can be obtained by this means. Mr Rolleston’s idea of a special compilation under the authority of the Government is decidedly a good one. Such a compilation micdit take the form of the well-known Annual Register, containing not statistical information only, but political, social, and scientific information also. A well-executed work of that kind, published once a year would be as useful in New Zealand as abroad and as it would probably pass into general circulation, it might command a sale more than sufficient to pay its expenses. Distributed by the Government among the libraries and other public institutions of Europe and America, it would serve to dissipate the clouds of ignorance that hang over us. —Otago Times.