The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1910-01-01
NEW ZEALAND.
Dominion Which Has Tried
Manl EXperirnents.

siStS Of q group of islands in the
South Pacific, about leo miles east
by south frcm Australia. The area
Of the dominion is 10l471 square
miles. The white population is 929,-
4S4 and the Maori population 47,731.
The capital is Wellington, with
population of G3,S07. The other chief
cities are Dunedin, 5000; Auckland,
S2,101: Christchurch. G7,S7S. The an
neSaton of the Cock or Heryey Isl
ands TO New Zealand in 1900 added
$50 square miles to the area and
about 5000 to the population OF the
dominion
The Government of New Zealand
is carried on BIZ a Governor with 4
responsible Ministry There are two
houses Of Parliament. The Legisla-
tive Council consists of fortyeight
members appointed by the Governor
for life, as in Canadian provinces,
where such councils still exist, and
the House Of Representatives of
eighty, including Maoris, Members
are elected trienn;aIly on an adult
suffrage. The electoral quaifica-
tons are residence in the Dominion
for at least one year.
For the purpose Of local govern
ment the country is divided into nine
ty-six counties and 103 boroushs, the
counties beng further divided into
town districts and road districts.
There is q Government Insurance De-
partment and most Of the important
public services are carried on
by the Government or other
public bodies and have been carried
out for the most part on the CO.
operative system. Some unique ex-
periments in government are being
carried out in New Zealand. The
public works are constructed by the
providing the materials
and letting out the work to parties
OF artisans and laborers at fixed
rates. An eight-hour day prevails
and a Cancellation and arbitration
act is in force There is universal
free and compulsory education
voluntary and compulsory purchase
by the State Of big estates. to be cut
up into small farms. The State Dor
rows money at low rate of inter
est and lends it to settlers. In this
way wcrkmen, too, have been as
sisted in erecting dwellings. A pen
sion OF 10 shiliings a week is grant
ed to all persons over IS years Of
age who have been twenty-five years
in the Dominion, if they have no
other adequate means of support.
The arbitration referred to is COM
pulsory in trade disputes, and strikes
or lock outs are made illegal. A
minimum wage is fixed by law.
The education, which as stated is
rec and compulsory, is purely secu-
ar There is University Of New
here are colleges at Dunedin. Christ
church. Wellington and Auckland, as
we'll as other educational institutions
affiliated with the university.
The majority OF the people are en-
jagged in agricultural pursuits and
IN enormous business in frozen meats
5 carried on Mining of coal, gold
nd silver are successfully carried
IN. The Government operates about
,475 miles of railway, and there are
roads and water cOmmunl-
alton. The chief articles Of export
re wool, frozen meat, sheep skins,
allow, butter, gold, hemp, gum and
rain The imports 190T) were $780,
100000: exports, s9S,S00,000. The
evenue in 1907 was s45,200,000, and
be public debt, 1892, 100000.
A new tariff measure was passed
1 September, 1907. It enumerates
list Of duties in what is called
chedule A, q free list in Schedule
!, and in Schedules C, D and E, the
GODS which mot being the produce
r manufacture Of some part of the
ritish Dominions,'' have to pay adj
iti0nal duties to those set out in
chedule a. Thus Schedule A applies
, British goods, which are given 4
reference by making specified for
gn goods pay an additional duty
9rying from 10 to 100 per cent In
ertain cases the existing duties on
ritish goods were increased. -