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Te Aroha News, Volume VIII, Issue 490, 19 July 1890, Page 2

In our last issue we referred at some length to the sad state of affairs in connection witli the une nploye I’ in Victoria and New oufh Walen It is a cause for much thankfulness that in New Zealand there are hot few if any “ unemployed.” Wages are on theincrease, work is plentiful, and with good Government there is every reason to anticipate an era of solid prosperity for this Colony. Apart from the ordinary agricultural and olil established industries there are many indications that the flax industry is likely to become more and more important, and (provided of course the mill owners turn out a good and carefully prepared article) that the fibre will command a steady and ready sale at highly remunerative prices. The success or non success of this important industry greatly depends upon the mill owners themselves. Then again the prospects of the frozen meat industry are highly encouraging ; and it is satisfactory to note the large increase in tire number of sheep in the Waikato ; for there can be no doubt sheep-farming,£whpn systematically carried out, is one of the safest and most remunerative branches of agriculture, The rapid and steady advance in the frozen meat export trade year after year, is shown by the following figures :--Nine years ago, in 1882, the frozen meat trade sprang into existence. In that year the export was valued at L19,33{f, gradually increasing till in 1889 it‘ reached over L 700,000, while this year, which is justhalf over, promises to exceed any former one, as the statistics for the past six months show. Dealing with the figures for the year beginning July Ist, 1889, and closing June 33th, 1890, it will be seen that we exported 1,212,808 carcases of mutton, besides pieces ar.d legs weighing 73,748,427 lbs ; 260,204 carcases of lamb, weighing 9,324,266 lbs ; and 8,634,832 lbs of beef. There were also in store ready for shipment 111,590 carcases of mutton, 16,456 carcases of lambs, and 1,359,924 lbs of beef. The quantity exported during that period was worth, free on board, within a few pounds of £1,000,» 000, and with stocks in hand considerably exceeded that sum. Compared with the exports for the corresponding twelve months, there was thus an advance in value of over a quarter of a million sterling for the year under notieo. To eope with this enormous export business, our Shipping Companies have been called upon to provide an amount of freezing space undreamt of a few years ago. Within a short space of time there have been intioduced into the trade, twenty two cargo boats of large capacity, ten mail steamers, and nine sailing vessels. It is the frozen meat industry which lias given such an impetus to the settlement of land in the Wellington provincial district, where

large areas of Crown land have latdy been, opened. An I this Colonial industry, although comparatively a new one, is capable of expansion to an pnormous extent ; rim! in the North Island there are largt areas of good land at present locked up, which, when cleared and sovvji down in grass, would increase its sheep carrying capacity to a degree as yet scarcely thought of. A