The Feilding Star. THURSDAY, SEPT. 10, 1885. The State of Trade

Feilding Star, Volume VII, Issue 39, 10 September 1885, Page 2

The Feilding Star. THURSDAY, SEPT. 10, 1885. The State of Trade

In obder that we may the better realise our own actually happy condition, it is well to compare it with that of other countries which we are in the habit of looking upon as better off than our own. At the annual meeting of the Christchurch Chamber of Commerce, we learn from the report in the Press, Mr Joseph Gotod, referring to the depression, said that in the countries he visited, especially in America, the struggle for existence was awful. Throughout the length and breadth of the United States not only had the farmers to work early and late, but their industries 'were in a most depressed state. They also limited their output of production. Whilst in Chicago there was a meeting of ironworkers, who resolved not to go beyond 33 per cent, of their production. The farming industry also cut West was most depressed, and he was glad to find the farmer here in a much better position than in the countries he had visited; What had struck him was that people here earned their money far more easily than in. other countries. As he had said, lie was glad to find, when he came, back, that, compared with other countries, farmers here were in an excellent position, and were enabled to make money. While he looked forward to better times, he felt this, that' even were matters to remain as they now were, their people would be better off than the people in many of the countries in the world. Mr Stead, the retiring President, drew attention to the importance of increasing our population. If the right class of people were brought out by the Government j and if an increased number of working capitalists could be imported at the same. time, we might safely resume the introduction of imigrants. But— says the Press — it must be distinctly remembered that the population we want is a rural population, a mixture of laborers and capitalists. To suddenly increase the population of the towns would only be doing harm. If we wish to be saved from the canstant recurrence of these periods of depression, economy both public and private must be our watchword. The cycles of trade are chiefly caused by a period of great extravagance being allowed to follow a period of great depression. If the electors will bnt remember this in their private affairs, and insist upon their members remembering it in their conduct of public affairs, we should very soon have nothing of the depression left but an unpleasant memory.