A CHEERFUL PROSPECT.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 301, 22 September 1888, Page 2

A CHEERFUL PROSPECT.

Mb G. G. Stead, of Cbristchurch, seized the opportunity afforded by the annual meeting of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce last week to proclaim to the world that the depression is passing away from New Zealand, and that prosperity established on a sound basis is promised in the near future. There are few men in the colony whose opinion on such a point is of more value than Mr Stead's, and the fact on which he based his statement undoubtedly justified the conclusion which he announced. He i pointed out that not only had the exports of 1887, been in excess of those of 1886, but that from figures which he j had carefully compiled he was convinced that the exports of 1888 would exceed those of 1887 by nearlyja million of value. ; The increases, he said, would probably be in round numbers as under : Wool exported 84,000,0001b5, at an increased ralue as compared with last year of Id per Ib, say £350,000 ;7500 ten* tallow 7 atan increase of L 2 per ton, L 15,000. Then there would probably be 1,000,000 frozen sheep shipped in 1888, as compared with 750,000 in 1887. For these it appeared almost certain that the net results, owing to the reduction in freight and the rise in price, would give an enhanced return of, say, 4d per head in excess of last year. Therefore, 7so,poo at 4s meant£l 50,000 whilst the additional 250,000 shipped should net 12s 6d for the carcases alone, or say £156,250, so that the increased return for frozen sheep in 1888 would probably give us £306,250 in excess of 1887. They had then 1,500,000 bushels more wheat to ship in 1888 than in 1887, which, at 3s per bushels, would give £235,000. A total of these increases came to £896,250, or only a little shortof a million sterling more bnsiness done in 1888 than in 1887, If to this they added the increased value for this year of our shipments to Australia, consisting of butter/potatoes, oats, cheese, hams, bacon, &c, the grand total of the increased value of the exports of New Zealand to other countries almost certainly would be not less than the sum he had named, in excess of the previous year's exports. Mr Stead wisely pointed out that these figures exliabiled a more substantial basis of piosperity than that afforded by the speculation now so rife in Australia, and he concluded by urging his hearers to cease preaching depression, assuring them that if they would look their position in the face tbey would find it was one rapidly improving in respect to dealings with the outside world. — Post.

A beautiful lady in Paris, belonging to the diplomatic circle, lately met with a most peculiar accident at a ball, to the in-* tense delight ot her " bosom friends " of the fair sex. The lady in question wore a low-bodied dress of artistic design, which attracted general admiration, but what most riveted the attention of the ball guests were her shou'ders of dazzling white Suddenly her brooch, a splendid cameo, became unfastened, dropped to the ground and fell to pieces. In her alarm the fair owner quickly stooped to pick up the fragments. But the rapid movement caused something still more valuable to fall to the giound, viz., a portion of the charming white shoulders of the lady, a piece of a mass resembling porcelain, delicately touched up in blue and pink. The gentlemen gazed in blank astonishment at ths damaged beauty, while the ladies giggled in their pocket handkerchiefs, and the husband ran for a shawl to conceal the misfortune. Tableau ! — London Figaro.