Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-12-05
NEW ZEALAND.
AZ INTERESTING LETTER FROM HON. ALEX
CAMPBELL.
TIC Many Advantages Of Splendid Counry-H'F
Trade in Foreign Meat, Wool and Flax.
Necessity For Free W0ol-Da-
scripion Of the PeOpla
Labor Well Paid.
OCCIDENTAL HOTEL
WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND
Sentember 3, ls9l.

,~s.i,i Coyrsspon6saes orths Rsqistr.
In a short letter one could convey out
limited idea of the vast resources oil
this wonderful colony. Ine totSi afss 5
NJ New Zealand is about one huhGreu
thousand square miles, or SlXty-Iour
nilltops Of acres, Her territory Is less
than that Of Great Britain and Ireland.
Tbe colony consists OF three Islands
the North and South Islands anu
Stewart's Island, a small Island OF
about /. 200 square milos. Inc North
and South Islands are separated Oy
Cooks Strait, about thirteen miles vice
in the narrOwest place.
This strait is like great river and
q ~ grest advantage, as steamers can
come through and are not compeiieu 10
circunnavgate the whole colony 10 get
on the east or west coast. The total
length OF the colony is about eleven
hundred niles, with an average Wldth
of one hundred and forty miles. The
climate is delightful winter and sum
msr. and the health OF the colony Is
surely the best IN the world, as II no
country is the death rate so low.
The population OF the colony is about
six hundred thousand, including about
fortv-four thousand native MaOrlS. The
soil of the colony is in many places very
fertile, producing wheat oats ana yeGe-
tables Of all kinds in perfection. In no
country 10 the y>0rld does the irish
potato flourish as it does here, often
producing six hundred or more bushels
10 the acre. The grass lands in the
north and south islands are such as
sheen, cattle aad horses delight In.
There are q little over sixteen millions
of sheep here, mostly Of the long WOOL
breed, but many still breed the marinO.
The long wool sheep are the best NUT
ton and are now bred extensively.
When I was here in lSSS, the largest
number OF frozen CarCaSSeS that were
ever shipped in one refrigerator ship
was about sixteen thousand. Il
few days since the steamship
Ionis left here for England with fifty
thousand frozen sheep and a consider
able amount of frozen beef. The frozen
mutton business has increased wonder
fully in the last year or two and has
lifted New Zealand out OF the slough
of desDond" in regard TO her finances
which she was In three years ago and
made her a prosperous country. She
now ships annually two millions OF fro
zen sheep, besides beef in great quantl-
ties. The colony has fOrty-fve millions
OF dollars worth Of products 10 export
and only imports about thirty millions
worth of goods, so you see she is on the
road to great prosperity. Her wool is
the best of the kind in the world and Is
sold IN London where American manu-
facturerS purchase IL, when they ought
to come here and purchase and ship d.
rect home, thus saving Q vast amount in
commissions and freight.
I have not time nor space to go into
a description Of the wool question, but
trust the American people will soon
awaken to the necessity of free wool.
There are now In this harbOr two ships
loading for America, one an American
bottom the other a Norwegian, one
for Boston and one for New York. The
principal part OF their cargo is flax.
The farmers Of the West demanded a
reduction Of the tariff on binding twine
and the Mckinley bill let flax in free.
Now there is one thousand tons OF this
fax goes to America to every fifty tons
that 20 to the United Kingdom. This
fax is a native plant in New Zealand.
] saw it growing Wild in great guam
ties on the mountain sides and in the
valleys. II Is now an important indus
try here since the Mckinley bill let il in
free.
The indigenous forests Of this country
are evergreen, and there is variety of
valuable timber. The marinka tOtara
and blade birch are among the most
valuable; much is exported to Australia.
an kinds OF imported trees flourish
here. When l see such q field for
American trade as there is here feel
that our people at home have had their
eyes shut. The future will show that
there Is a much larger field for Ameri-
can manufactured machinery and agri-
cultural implements in this colony and
in the AusTa,ias that there is in South
America: then we would be dealing with
our own kith and kin and those vino are
fully up 20 Us, IL not ahead, in civiliza-
tion. Time and space will not now 0d-
init of a detailed statement Of the min
Q al resources Of this Colony. Suffice 70
10 say that they have gold. silver, iron
and Tin. We have no State in our
Union with so small q population Of
whites as New Zealand that produces
SO much wealth for export. They have
an abundance here TO live on
I'm the way OF meats aud vege-
tables have visited the
the meat markets, and better, fatter or
nicer beef and mutton cannot be found
IN the world. They have a surplus of
. wheat also. 1t will not be . very long
time tin Semi-monthly line OF steam
ers viii be established between the col
OnieS aud the Pacific coast. Steamers
with a higher rate OF speed than are
now on the line, and when we have
free wool and free tin you will see a
new world opened 20 us. II is a great
satisfaction 20 know that there is no
danger of the world being over-crOwded
in q few centuries. There is room
enough here and in Australia for many
millions The Worlds Fair will no
doubt have a great influence on our
trade relations with this part OF the
world. From present indications there
Will be q considerable OutpOUring Of
people from New Zealand 10 Chi
cagO in 'g3. was shown yes
terday a collection Of Maori
curioS and paintings. IL is the largest
and finest collection Of these things
ever made, Some OF the paintings were
inexpreSsibly beautiful. Sir Walter
Butler, the owner of this collection, is
the author OF book on the New Zea-
land birds, two very large volumes, with
Illustrations. This collection has been
exhibited in London and greatly ad-
mired. Sir Walter has also a large col
lection OF birds, rugs and everything Of
interest nertainlng 10 New Zaaland lie