The Feilding Star. OROUA & KIWITEA COUNTIES GAZETT. Published Daily. MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1894.

Feilding Star, Volume XVI, Issue 94, 15 October 1894, Page 2

The Feilding Star. OROUA & KIWITEA COUNTIES GAZETT. Published Daily. MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1894.

BETTER TIMES. From to-day the Bank of New Zealand intends to reduce the rate of interest for fixed deposits at twelve months to 4 per cent. As the other banks doing business in the colony have all done the same thing, it is safe to assume that the money market will now become easier, and private enterprise will again be awakened into active live. Although the claim made so early by the Government on the farmers for payment of their contributions, in the form of direct taxation, came somewhat in the nature of a disagreeable surprise, yet it was, almost, cheerfully met, while the number of defaulters was infinitesimal. The returns from the wool-clip — the season for shearing being now at hand — will relieve them of a considerable portion of the debts incurred under the Chattels Securities' Act, now borne on the sheep's backs, and leave a fair margin with which to begin the new year. The advance in the market value of this stapl« product, combined with the " hope for better times " inspired by that pleasing fact, will doubtless tend largely to increase the public confidence in the future — a mental condition which has too long been conspicuously absent from the community at large. Dairy farmers have also a bright future before them, because both the cheese and butter manufactured in the colony are rapidly growing into favor in the Home markets, consequent on the better class of milch cows now in use, the greater skill of the makers, and the scientific principles which have been gradually adopted in place of the obsolete " rule of thumb " which obtained in " the good old days of comfortable ignorance." We take it that the colony has, in the words of one of our sapient legislators, " touched the bed-rock of trade stagnation," a poor simile, but easily " understanded of the people," and even during the few months to run of the present year a marked change for the better will be apparent. In order to prepare for the increased demand of haulage on the railways of the colony now to be expected, all the hands in the work-shops wbo have been working half-time from to-day go on for full-time, an arrangement which will put the men and their families in a better financial condition and tend to improve trade in their immediate vicinity. Other signs of better timeare evident, and wo trust that our anticipations will be more than realised.