FRANCE PROSPERING.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 November 1916, Page 6

FRANCE PROSPERING.

•REVIVING INDUSTRIES. The well-known political economist, Edmond Thery, notes with satisfaction in the Matin -how French industrial and economic activity is reviving, although some of the richest districts of France are in the bands of the enemy, and although France has already spent in two years of war nearly £2,000,000. Thus French exports, which had fallen during the first six months of 1015 to 1,415,000,000 francs, as compared with 3,352,000,000 for the first half of 1914, have risen to 1,71S,000,»00 francs for the first six months of 191-6, an improvement oi over 21 per cent, on 1015. Railway receipts show the greatest resumption ol prosperity, the total for the Ouest Etat, P.L.M., Orleans, and Midi Railways reaching 720,000,000 francs for the first six months of the present year, as against.ol7,ooo,ooo francs for the first half of 1015. This total actually shows an excess of 08,000,000 francs over peace time—that is, for the first six months of 1914.

A great portion of the Northern Railway system, and some part of the Eastern Ifiiilway system are.still in the hands \i the enemy, and both systems are almost entirely in the zone of the armies. Nevertheless, the Northern receipts reached 119,000,000 francs for the first half of 1910, as against 74,000,000 francs for the corresponding period of 1015; and the Eastern receipts for the same period were 114,000,000 francs for IPI'G and : 70,000,000 francs for 1915. As regards navigation, 21,704 vessels, representing a total tonnage of nearly 1-7,000,000, entered or left French ports for the first half of 1910, as against 17,521 vessels and 10,000,000 tons for the same period of 1915.