WEALTH OF THE DOMINION.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 19 April 1917, Page 3

WEALTH OF THE DOMINION.

ABOUT £800,000,000.

According to a statement by the Hon. G. W. Russell, Minister for Internal Affairs, the wealth of New Zealand is in the vicinity of £800,000,000. This opinion he expressed at Wanganui in making an eloquent appeal to the people of the Dominion to assist the proposed loan indicated by the Hon. A. M. Myers, ActingMinister for Finance. After referring to Great Britain's tremendous undertaking, he said that we in New Zealand were in a remarkably prosperous condition ; in fact, the wealth of New Zealand was enormous. He had recently made a calculation of the public and private wealth of this country, and after most carefully examining the same, found that it could be safely estimated at £800,000,000. He was prepared to justify at any time this calculation. To ask, therefore, the people of New Zealand for another year's supply of money to maintain our forces and to provide for our own responsibility as an integral part of the Empire was but a small thing. Indeed, he thought it possible that after the war New Zealand may consider herself honourably entitled to assist the Mother Country to carry the huge burden which she has taken upon herself in order to defeat our enemies, and maintain those principles of liberty and justice for which Great Britain has always stood.