COUNTRY'S PROSPERITY

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2202, 15 July 1914, Page 8

COUNTRY'S PROSPERITY

REVIEWED BY THE PRIME ' MINISTER. Figures which indicate the prosperity •of New Zealand at the' present time wore quoted by the Prime Minister (tho Hom. W. F. Massey) 1 yesterday, at the dinner tendered the delegates who are attending tho Municipal Association Conference. Mr. Massey said that he had just been informed that the Post Office Sayings Bank returns for June last showed that the deposits exceeded the withdrawals by, £138,861. Last year was fairly prosperous, and there was anexcess of deposits over withdrawals of £43,393 in the Inontli of June. . So, by comparison. June 1914 showed to better advantage than June 1913 to the extent of nearly £100,000. 1 When the country was prosperous, Mr. Massey added, tho deposits exceeded the withdrawals, ant] he was pleased to be able to sihow that- that was- at present the case. The prosperity of . the country denonded almost entirely on its exports. The exports for the year up to May 31 last totalled i £24,827.868, and for the corresponding period of the previous twelve months the sum was £22,705.025, which showed an increase of £2,122,843 in favour -of tho later period. (Applause.) ' The people of New Zealand, continued tho speaker,.'did not propose to remain at this stage of advancement. They had increased their exports by nearly fivo millions in the last two years, and he hoped that tho future would show a further increase. It was tho dutv' of everyone concerned to do everything possible, to make New Zealand,one of the grandest, little countries on earth. (Applause.) ' : , . i