THE COUNTRY'S DEBTS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2208, 22 July 1914, Page 4

THE COUNTRY'S DEBTS

—— ; • HOW FARMERS HELP PAY THEM". Addressing the Dominion Conference of the New Zealand Farmers' Union '.yesterday! Mr. J. G. Wilson (the president) said that a comparative statement made by the Prime Minister as to the total agricultural exports from 1863 to 1913. and also the percentage of ttgrlcultural exports to total exports, showed that whilo the percentage was only 25 per_ cent, -in ' 1863, the proportion of agricultural exports to the total exports increased remarkably during the next tbirtv years, and continued to increase stetfilijy (luring the two sncceodihg decades, the percentages being 23 -per cent, in 1863: 76 per cent, in 1893; 77 per cent, in 1909: and ,85 per cent, in 1913. " Tho'returns wero:— '' Total • 'Agricultural : exports." .-exports. £ ;: . v , £ 1863 ............. 3.485.405 ,'849,961 1893 ............ '8.985.364. 6,851.038 1903 15.010.378 ' 11.511.200 1913 22,990,672 19.525,771 "These figures," add<?d ; Mr. Wilson, *''are remarkable and show how: the farmers can help New' Zealand to pay her debts. Our public and /private debts arc assuming imirfense sums. The following are the figures:— Net public debt 87,457,121 Local bodies <18,297,190 Bank .of Issuo Advances ;...' 24,005.038 Mortgages.......v.V.< : . 97,816,375 , iw,575,724 "Not all'.from outiido -the Dominion, but on which interest has to .be, paid, interest on this, sum 'amounts' to iiearly as much is oui 1 public.revehuQ.V '