NEW YEAR’S OUTLOOK.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 January 1921, Page 4

NEW YEAR’S OUTLOOK.

PRIME MINISTER CONFIDENT BIG INFLUX OF SETTLERS. The Premier of New Zealand has no misgivings regarding New Zealand in the year about to open. While he naturally looks for a change from war conditions, and the happy state of things originating from war prices and Imperial Government payments for “commandeered” produce, he does not anticipate that the transition period through which the Doinion is going will be attended by any grave dislocation of business or industry. “Naturally,” said the Right Hon. W. F. Massey, chatting with a reporter of the Auckland Star, “we cannot expect war prices and the conditions created for ue by the war to go on for ever. We have reached the point where the return to normal is becoming more and more obvious. The chief thing to be remebered is that we are dependent on the outside world for the greater part of our prosperity. We sell our wool and meat and other products in a world market, and whatever changes occur in that affect us in spite of ourselves. Just at present meat prices are reasonable, but the wool market is our chief trouble and it is hardly to be expected that we shall have a retiirjj to the high prices we got during the war. The gr&at thing now is to get back to a sound basis, and that will largely depend on the manner in winch the wool now in England is disposed.” WOOL REALISATION SCHEME Reference was made to the Australian wool realisation scheme, but Mr. Massey did not see much hope for New Zealand in that connection. “The difficulty is this,” he explained; “it is easy for Australia, for it is disposing of the finer grades of wool, but ours is mainly crossbred, and is sold in a different kind of market. We shall, of course, do whatever we can to restore the wool market to a sound state, but naturally it will take a little time for the readjustment to be made.”

Asked as to the general financial out look for 1921, the Premier was not as pessimistic as the bankers. “I do not see why New Zealand should) not go ahead in the coming year,” he Baid; “though, of course, we cannot expect to have the prosperity that we had from the huge sums of money paid into the country by the Imperial Government during the war for the produce they bought us. We are still enjoying the prosperity brought about by the millions we received in that way, but sooner or later that must come Io an end. and we must bo prepared to take what prices we can get in the markets of the world. But on the whole I think the financial outlook is reasonably good, and that there has boon an improvement to some extent of late, although perhaps that would hardly bo admitted by financial authorities ” A reference to the prospects of extending the meat, trade to the United States brought from Mr, Massey the hope ihat such a market could bo secured. But he was not over sanguine. “Tn that market.” he pointed out. “what’ they chieflv want is our lamb, and we cannot sell that exclusively without nrejiidicin" our market in Groat Britain. and that, after all, is the best market we have. But wc natnralh’ want all the markets we can secure for our products.” GREAT INFLUX OF SETTLERS. Immigration from Great Britain being mentioned, the Premier disclosed the remarkable fact thgt there were no less than one thoHsand heads of families in the United Kingdom waiting, to secure passages to come to New Zealand. ' 'We arc in a position tn secure great numbers, of settlers there at the present time,” hp said. “We take were care to see that they are suitable, and > the chief difficulty at the moment is that of securing shipping accommodation. The. advantages of New Zealand are becoming better known, and wo should during the next year secure nil the immigration we can absorb. There are over one thousand heads of families in England at the pro-ent moment wait- ‘ ing to come to New Zealand tr settle.” In a. final worjj the Premier said that the outlook for the coming year denended on two factors: the state of the f British market—the purchasing power there of thp public that bought what New Zealand had to sell—and the state of industry at Home.