THE COUNRTY’S WEALTH.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 1491, 30 December 1915, Page 2

THE COUNRTY’S WEALTH.

In the monthly abstract ot statistics for December it is shown that there are 256,116 acres down in wheat and 214,247 acres in oats, as compared with 177,080 and 142,898 respectively .last year. Crop reports, however, are not entirely satisfactory from Canterbury, but are good elsewhere. Values of exports for the eleven months ended 30th November are excluding specie. The excess of exports over Imports this year so far is ,£9,237,588, a great balance of trade lit favour of New Zealand. Import* have shrunk from ,£19,358, i;f», for the eleven months ot 19H to £18,738,198 for the year. The principal cause of the shrinkage 1* the difficulty of obtaining supplies from the United Kingdom, and of cargo space to bring them to the Dominion even when they me available. While imports ot British .manufacturers have sin nnk from £13,312,193 to £n ,985,946 for last year, imports from the United States have increased hy over £ zoo, ooo, and when the 19x5 figures are available It wit be found that New Zealand has been still a greater customer to the United States. Exports of wool for the past eleven months have been valued at £9,047,722, as compared with

,£7,916,947. The sales of wool during December were all on a high level of prices, and included great catalogues offered in Wellington, Timaru, Dunedin, Napier and Christchurch. Exports of principal solely New Zealand products during the eleven months in review were valued at ,£27,652,434. The country’s wealth may be said to be derived entirely from the soil.