Transport, &c.

Somewhere about 30 millions of British money have been spent on our railroads and other public works. Our country roads are in good order, our streams are well bridged—all we want is a stream of industrious and thrifty people to make our tight little islands flourish. The idle and vicious we have no room for—clerks, mechanics, lawyers, doctors, and other professional men we have plenty of. The English yeoman we have ample room for, and if any of the other classes named like to take to a country life there is no reason why they should not, especially if they begin in a small way, as a little observation, patience, and civil enquiry among their neighbours, will soon give them enough experience to work on, and we can offer them a better home, more of the comforts of climate and civilisation, good orderly government under British rule, all commodities at reasonable prices, and a more convenient market than they can find in all America, North and South, from Canada to Patagonia. Australia is liable to droughts where sheep perish by millions. Even as we go to press comes a telegram from Australia, which we cut out of the Auckland "Herald," of January 9th, 1893, and here insert:—" Brisbane, January 8th. Deplorable accounts have been received of the drought in western districts. On many stations half the stock have perished. The heat is terrible, registering 120 in the shade. It will take the country three or four years to recover." New Zealand has had what its people call dry seasons, but a drought never, and irrigation compared to natural rainfall is as gas light compared to sunshine. Let the Asiatic have his irrigated lands under a burning sun with their accompaniment of malarial fever, for the Englishman the trout streams of New Zealand and the rain of heaven.