NEW ZEALAND'S PROSPERITY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 612, 15 September 1909, Page 10

NEW ZEALAND'S PROSPERITY.

STATEMENT BY'SIR J., G..WAED. Sneaking on'the present position of Now Zealand, Sir Joseph Ward ■said to a "Standard of Empire" representative:—"Our country is progressing well. Of course, eighteen months ago we suffered; like all wool-producing countries, by the great-fall in wool., We lost £2,000.000 in a year on this product alone. Immediately an exaggerated impression was conveyed as to the financial disaster that was coming upon us in. the wakp'of the full years we had had, and thero wero plenty to prophesy lean and bad times. Well, as a matter of fact, our oxports for tho first five months alone of this year amount to X 1,500,000 inoro than the exports for the corresponding.period or last year, and therefore I'say the country is progressing well, though .fluctuations must bo expected in New Zealand, ■' as elsewhere. _ "Our country is but a small one—with a population 'of only a million—but it is a.wonderfully productive one, and our exports iion: are actually something between .£18,000,000 and JC19.000.000 a year; all products of thosoil. And these figures are not obtained from .tho prices put upon goods by tho people E6ndmg them out, but are got from the , Custome, who', assess, if anything, on the low side of the value of the goods. We never mislead ourselves By assessing too high. . ,', ■ , . , "One of the causes that ;helped to produce the tightness of money from which wo suffered a littlo time ago is .the (Treat activity in new settlements going on in different parts.ra'tno. country, in pursuance of our'<'closo ■ settlement policy. There has been such a rush of people for the land that the Survey Department has not been able to get-sufficient surveyors for the~ surveying of this land. Peoplo who, take up. land generally want money,,. ana there'is building, etc., to be done, and this demand for'money and the.decline in the value of wool produce; a tightness in, .the money market. ■ ' ' . . ." ; , .'",. ~ , "All our towns now have electric light and electric tramways, and, with the exception, of two or three places, these commodities and con-, veniences are supplied' and \controlled by tno municipality itself. Our telephone service nas been extended all over the country, and is now so complete that practically any man, even up in the. littlo "back-blocks', .settlements can telephone, for his. .wants." ". i ./.-..' .