TARANAKI'S PROSPECTS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 190, 31 December 1912, Page 4

TARANAKI'S PROSPECTS.

Turning to oar ojvn individual interests, it is quite certain that Taranaki more than reflects tlie general prosperity. People talk of us as a district of cows,- l)iit they are buttering their toast with our butter as they do so, and our cows are very good cows, of which we are not ashamed. Our dairy produce lias brought very good prices throughout the year, even though the bulk of it has been shipped on consignment, and it has more than held its own in the fierce competition of the world's mar; kets. It promises to do equally well, if not better, during the coming year. Of course, it is our stand-by, but it is just as useful and just as dependable as Dr. Johnson's sjtafT of literature which was "excellent as a staff, but unsafe as a crutch." And our eggs are not all in one basket. The opening up of the hinterland of Taranaki has given room for the depasturing of many sheep, and our export of wool is growing materially as a result. Indeed, this phase of industry promises to become a most important one in the very near future. We have lots of room in the province for being both agricultural and pastoral, and we intend to prove this very soon. And right here conies the question of our communications. Wc want all that back country opened up. Wc have a flovernnient in power that, possibly through no fault of its own, is parlously poor, and as a result our round-the-mountain railway has (led into the clouds of Mount Egmont, reading which has had Parliamentary authorisation luis been stopped for want of the necessary dollars, and, generally speaking, the province, in common with other parts of the Dominion, is being judiciously starved, where it is not being ■•"butchered to make a Ministerial holiday." It is no moment for a political dissertation, but, in passing it is not amiss to remind the electors of these tilings. With regard to our harbor, it is progressing admirably, and the one impressive fact, that strikes us is that bbc harbor promises to be ready for us before Ave are ready for it. Once Ave get the ocean liners they will have to be fed, and hungry cormorants as they are with their big iron maws; they will want a lot of feeding. We want a local coastal service that will bring grain, and butter, and cheese, and wool, and meat from all the smaller coastal ports to feed these hungry giants of the ocean, and to distribute the goods tliey will bring from the Old Land. This is a matter for our commercial men. who should be up and doing; otherwise they and the district will be 'Heft." Facing the New Year, too, we are blessed with the knowledge that the oil industry is in process of proper and exhaustive exploitation. We are exploiting our industries, we are exploiting our scenic reserves, we have exploited our visitors, within reason, our tradesmen have had an excellent Christmas harvest, and, if indications count for anything, \ve may face the New Year strong in the confidence that never in the history of the province has the outlook been so bright. The voice of the farmer is heard in the land, crying, "Lord, send the rain," but .even if this sweet solace is denied us for a while, 1013 bids fair to be a record year in the

aninals of Taranaki. In the hope that this may be so—and it is a very confident hope, we cau but wish all our readers l A HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR.