New Zealand.

By Sir Julius Vogel, K.C.M.G., Agent-General.

[Reprinted from "The Globe" of November 27th, 1878.]

We select New Zealand as the first subject of a series of articles on the colonies of Great Britain for the twofold reason that it is the furthest distant of all her Majesty's possessions, and yet in very many respects the nearest in point in resemblance to the mother country. It is, indeed, commonly called the Great Britain of the South, and there is probably no colony which commands a larger amount of consideration and inquiry.

New Zealand consists of three islands, the North Island, the Middle Island (or South Island), and Stewart's Island—the last small and comparatively unimportant. The area of the three islands is almost equal to that of Great Britain and Ireland. The configuration of New Zealand is peculiar. The three islands have a length of nearly 1,200 miles, by an average breadth of 120 miles. At no part do they attain to a greater width than 250 miles; at one point, Auckland, the opposite coast can be reached in six miles. The islands have a north and south extension of 900 miles, from which, of course, results a considerable variety of climate. The south has a moderate temperature, like that of the south of England; the north is similar to the temperature of southernmost Europe. It should be remembered that in the southern hemisphere the extremes of heat and cold are much less separated than in the northern portion of the globe. From its great length in proportion to its breadth, as well as its division into three islands, there is probably no country of equal area possessed of so extensive a seaboard. Another peculiarity of New Zealand is its distance from any other land of importance. Therein it differs from its northern prototype. Great Britain has only a silver thread between it and Europe. A thousand miles of ocean divide New Zealand from Australia. These two circumstances must page 22 inevitably make the people of New Zealand a self-reliant and a maritime race.

Although the provincial form of Government has ceased to exist, the provinces still continue as geographical facts. Auckland occupies a large portion of the north of the North Island, and extends from coast to coast. To its south-east and south-west are respectively Hawke Bay and Taranaki, and south of these again, extending from east to west, is Wellington, the province, with its capital town of the same name, the seat of Government. The south island is separated from the north by Cook's Straits. Nelson and Marlborough are easterly and westerly, the most northern of the provinces of the South or Middle Island. Westland runs some distance down the west coast till it reaches the northernmost boundary of Otago. Canterbury on the east side lies between Marlborough and Otago. The latter extends from shore to shore, and far to the south, but out of its southern extremity Southland has been carved. Auckland is the capital town of the province of the same name; Napier is the capital of Hawke Bay; we have already referred to Wellington; New Plymouth is the capital of Taranaki; Nelson the principal town of Nelson; Greymouth and Hokitiki the chief towns of Westland; Picton and Blenheim those of Marlborough; Christchurch the capital of Canterbury; Dunedin that of Otago; and Invercargill of Southland.

The population of New Zealand in March last, by census, was 414,412, besides 45,000 Maories or natives. In 1870 the population was 248,000. This was a time of extreme depression in the colony. The Imperial Government, after a long period of unsuccessful treatment of the natives, determined to withdraw even the appearance of having anything more to do with them, and so removed from the colony all the Imperial troops. The colonists were confronted with the probability of renewed disturbances with the natives, besides having to bear very heavy pecuniary burdens resulting from previous difficulties of the same character. The native question in the past had absorbed the lion's share of attention. The heroic work of colonisation had halted in consequence. The pioneers of Otago and Canterbury had, it is true, done a great deal in the way of making roads and bridges, and a railway system of an important character had been page 23 commenced in Canterbury and Southland. There was no want of desire for more railways, but hitherto the colony had given no assistance to such works; the native question absorbed too much attention. The colonists left to themselves adopted a new course. They determined that the whole strength of the colony's credit must be used to open up the means of communication, to promote settlement, and to increase by emigration the population. They argued that only by settlement could the Maori difficulty be met, and that for the rest the lands of the colony were fertile enough to warrant any expenditure necessary to open them to the operation of human energy. At the time we speak of, 1870, New Zealand had fewer railways than probably any other civilized country. The short interval of eight years sees it in the possession of a larger extent of railway in proportion to its population than any country in the world. The Government of the neighbouring colony of Victoria recently cited the following statistics, which, it will be seen, bear out the statement just made:—

Country.	Year.	Population.	Miles open for Traffic.	Miles open to every 1000 in-habitants.	Number of Inhabitants to every mile open.
a New Zealand	1877	414,343	955	2·30	434
aQueensland.	1877	203,085	359	1·76	566
United States	1876	45,627,000	78,653	1·72	580
b Canada	1876	* 4,000,000	6,412	1·60	624
(a) S. Australia.	1877	236,864	302	1·72	784
c Victoria	1877	860,787	931	1·08	924
d N. S. Wales	1877	662,212	598	0·90	1,108
Switzerland. .	1876	2,775,000	1,478	0·53	1,877
Great Britain	1876	33,093,439	16,872	0·51	1,061
e Belgium	1876	5,366,000	2,105	0·39	2,349
France	1876	36,905,788	12,723	0·34	2,900

In New Zealand there are 220 miles in course of construction; in Canada, 1,027 miles; Victoria, 161 miles.

The introduction of population was a cardinal feature of the policy adopted by the colonists. Superior to any feeling of jealousy of the new-comers, they have spent during the eight years some £1,250,000 in assisting 93,000 human beings to emigrate to their shores. The total population has increased by more than 60 per cent. The work of the eight years, then, has been the opening of over a thousand miles of railway, the increase of population described, and the construction of some 2,500 miles of ordinary road, chiefly through native districts. One of the most welcome results has been the disappearance of the Maori difficulty. With work open to them, with a knowledge of the value of their lands, and with an awakened comprehension of the advantages of peaceful life, they have aided instead of retarded the progress the colony has made on the path of settlement. The North Island is not so completely colonised as the South Island. As yet there is not a through railroad between Wellington and Auckland. But the last questions with the Maoris which stand in the way of the completion of this work are disappearing, and the North Island promises in the future to become as prosperous, and to support as large a population as the South Island.

Naturally the pecuniary results from the northern railways are less than those of the south. During the year ending the 30th of June last the railways in the South Island yielded, over and above working expenses and the cost of fully maintaining them in a good condition, a profit of 2·65 per cent, on the whole outlay. It is since the 30th of June last that the railway has been completed through from Christchureh to Dunedin, and even now there is gap between Dunedin and Invercargill. During the year, therefore, the result of which has been stated, the railways were only open in fragments of different lengths, and the result must be considered very good. The results in the North Island are not as yet so favourable. There the railways are more fragmentary than in the south, and the settlement of the country is less advanced. But there is no reason to doubt that the returns will improve. It must, however, be borne in mind that when the railways were commenced it was not expected that for some time they would yield a profit. The colonists argued in this way: If we construct roads, page 25 their cost is totally gone; no pecuniary result is derived from them. It is better to construct equipped roads. In course of time they will yield returns, and in the meanwhile, without having recourse to excessive rates, they will be infinitely more serviceable in opening up the country than ordinary roads.

It is not without a purpose we have dwelt so much on the history of the last few years. It is necessary to be aware of the facts disclosed in order to understand the present condition of the country. The construction of the railways and increase of population have created a large demand for land, and its price has gone up very much in consequence. The demand has not been of a speculative character. It has been based on actual results, and enormously as the value has increased is still far below the price which it should command on the basis of its productive yield. The following figures show the returns from crops for the four years ending 1876, irrespective of land laid down in English grass, of which there were 2,185,344 acres in 1877:—

There are several classes of people in this country to whom New Zealand affords the most tempting advantages. Persons with small capital, inclined to cultivate the soil, have every inducement to emigrate to New Zealand. The country is becoming essentially agricultural, and though the price of land is very much higher than it was, it may be obtained on easy terms, and ready for the plough. There are few risks in the way of droughts and floods; markets are readily available; and with ordinary frugality page 26 the farmer may live comfortably off his land, and largely increase each year its capital value.

For female domestic servants there is practically an unlimited demand. There are already a great many artisans in the country, and their number should only be increased with caution. For farm labourers the supply is unequal to the demand, and as the land is yearly being more largely cultivated, it is difficult to set a limit to the number of agricultural labourers the colony is capable of absorbing. The Colonial Government each year, from June to November, pay the passage of a number of emigrants from the United Kingdom. They are sent out in comfortable ships from Plymouth and Glasgow. The voyage is performed in about ninety days. The best practicable arrangements are made for the comfort and well-being of the emigrants. A doctor sails with each ship, who sees to the maintenance of proper discipline; the living is good, much better, in fact, than agricultural labourers in England enjoy on shore. The conditions of selection are stringent. The health of the emigrants must be unexceptionable; there must not be more than three children in any family under twelve years of age; the elders of the family must not exceed a stipulated age, and thoroughly satisfactory certificates of character have in each case to be provided. Notwithstanding these conditions, the Government are unable to provide passages for all the applicants, whilst outside the conditions the excess of applicants may be numbered by thousands. The number of persons nominated in the colony by their friends constantly increases. To these persons a preference is shown. Indeed, nominated emigrants are sent out the whole year round.

The gold fields of New Zealand have been very productive. From the year 1861 to the end of 1877 they yielded gold to the value of upwards of £33,500,000. It is probable that the yield will improve, as gold mines all over the country are being systematically worked. But we would not advise any one to emigrate with the sole object of devoting himself to gold mining. The pursuit is an uncertain one, and there are many experienced miners already in the colony. Coal exists in vast deposits in New Zealand. In some parts it is of the best quality, in others it is brown coal. Great attention is now being paid to developing the coal mines, and large quantities are brought to the ports for steamship purposes, which formally were supplied from New South Wales. There is reason to think that petroleum, copper, and silver abound, and evidence of a rich ore of quicksilver has been found. Ores of iron abound in different pails of New Zealand.

The limits at our disposal forbid anything more than a mere sketch of this splendid colony. We shall be glad to think that we have written sufficient to attract the attention of our readers to the more ample sources of information which in various shapes are available.