SATISFACTORY PROGRESS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1974, 26 November 1889, Page 3

SATISFACTORY PROGRESS.

Attached, by way of introduction, to the catalogue of New Zealand exhibits at the Paris Exhibition are some interesting statistical tables, showing the progress of the colony. Taking a period of thirty years—from 1858 to 1888—some of the leading lines of figures compare as follows: —

1858 1888 White population, 69,413 607,380 £ & Public Revenue, 341,125 3,859,000 Government Savings Bank Deposits 7,862 2,407,776 Exports 458,023 7,767,325 Imports 1,141,273 5,941,960 Wool Produce 254,052 3,115,000 Gold nil 1,000,000 Frozen Meat nil 628,129

The people of New Zealand are great letter-writers and newspaper readers, but it may surprise some to learn that in 1886 the number of letters received and despatched was upwards of thirty-eight millions, and of newspapers nearly fourteen and a half millions; and the number has steadily increased since. In addition, nearly two million telegraphic messages were transmitted. Of land there was over eight million acres under cultivation in 1888 —more than in all the Australian colonies put together • and the average of erops show bushels of wheat, bushels of oats, and bushels of barley to the acre. In live stock, cattle and horses exceed a million, and sheep are counted at close on twenty millions, The number of holdings exceeding one acre is set down at 34,743. There are 2,000 miles of railway opened, and 4,646 miles of telegraph lines constructed and in operation,