Government and Education.—By the constitution the crown appoints the gov ernor; but the legislative power is vested in the General Assembly, or Parliament of two houses—a Legislative Council consisting of 43 members nominated by the crown for life; and a House of Representatives, which is made up of 80 members, elected by the people for three years. Women have the right of suf frage. The governor is aided and advised by a ministry comprising the chief of ficers of state, who are members of the General Assembly. By the act passed by the assembly in 1875, which abolished the provincial system, the powers previ ously exercised by superintendents and provincial officers were delegated to county councils or vested in the gover nor. The civil and criminal laws are the same as those of England. For colonial defense a number of volunteers have been enrolled (about 8,500) ; the chief ports are also being put in a state of defense. There is no State-aided Church, but most Christian sects are well provided for. The Church of Eng land is most numerously represented. Elementary education is free, secular, and compulsory. Secondary education is provided for in numerous high schools, grammar schools, colleges, etc. At the head of the higher education is the Uni versity of New Zealand, an examining body empowered to grant honors, de grees, and scholarships. Affiliated to it are several colleges throughout the col ony. There is also a separate university at Dunedin. There are training colleges for teachers, theological colleges, etc.
Industry and Commerce.—Stock-rear mg and agriculture are the most im portant industries, though mining is also an important occupation. There are about 30,000,000 sheep in the colony, and by far the most important export is wool ($60,000,C00 annually).
In 1917 the area planted with crops was 16,906,672 acres. There were raised in 1918, 6,761,000 bushels of wheat, 4,785,000 bushels of oats, 672,000 bushels of barley. During the progress of the
World War New Zealand was prosper ous industrially. The foreign trade in 1918 amounted to $256,500,761. The im ports were $117,934,488 and the exports $138,566,273. The chief articles of ex port were wool, meat, cheese, an but ter. In 1917, 543 vessels with a ton nage of 1,406,766 entered the ports of the dominion.
Labor Legislation.—New Zealand was a pioneer state in exactirT measures tending toward state socialism—e. g., income and unimproved land tax, 1891; subdivision of pastcral estates, 1893; compulsory conciliation and arbitration, 1894; old-age pensions, 1898. Widows, war veterans, .nd phthisical miners are also pensioned.
History.—New Zealand was discov ered by Tasman in 1642, but little was known of it till the visits of Cook in 1769 and 1774. The first permanent set tlement was made by missionaries in 1815. In 1833, a resident was appointed, with limited powers, and subordinate to the government of New South Wales. In 1840 New Zealand was erected into a colony; in 1841 it was formally sep arated from New South Wales and placed under its own independent gov ernor; and in 1852 it received a con stitution and responsible government. In 1865 the seat of government was removed from Auckland to Wellington. In 1873 the public works policy was in augurated, and large loans were raised for immigration, harbors, railways, roads, etc. In 1876 the provinces were abolished; the colony was divided into 63 counties, and all government central ized at Wellington.
New Zealand furnished over 100,000 men in the World War. Of these nearly 15,000 were killed. The total casualties were over 52,000. New Zealand troops distinguished themselves wherever they were engaged and took an especially prominent part in the operations in the Dardanelles, where, with the Australian troops, they were called Con scription was introduced in 1916.