THE IMMEDIATE PROSPECTS

Taranaki Herald, Volume LV, Issue 13877, 1 February 1909, Page 4

THE IMMEDIATE PROSPECTS

According to the Mercantile Gazette, a paper wheteo money articles arc very ably written, we need not expect any improvement in the money market for six months or so. The facts upon which our contemporary bases this opinion are: — That the whole of the primal y products of New Zealand, except butter and choose, are .at low levels in tho markets of tho world : that tho very heavy reclamations .to be mot on the wool clip of 1907 will only juvt about He mot by the increased pricqs now bring obtainnd, and the woolgrowcrs will therefore have no , surplus to spend ; Knd that the hemp, industry is in a jiarlous condition. With respect to dairy produce it is pointed out that dealers ond speculators are losing money, and that as a matter of fact tjhb market is lowpv than it was a year :*go. Upon the whole, on market quotations, tho primary produce should, in the Gazette's opinion, make less money than a year ago, but fortunately climatic conditions havo been favourable for anincrea&ed production. Some- j tiling more, however, than a moderate expansion in the aggregate value of tho (•xports is required to bring about a reebvory. Tho imports must shrink considerably to bring about an equilibrium between exports and imports. During I^B tho exports from the Dpminion valued at £16,317.541, while tho imports totalled £17,471.284, so that we not only did not meet tho charge fpr interest on money borrowed from London and elsewhere, but we actually failed to export sufficient value to pay for our imports. For a borrowing; community this is a very unsatisfactory siato or affairs, and it is evident that djuring tho current y«ar, even allowing that oxports increase in value to say £18,000,000, our imports must be curtailed by about two and a half millions il a proper balance is to bo restored! until this is done the stringency, is bound 'f6','continue. The exports for 1908 exceeded those > for 1907 by about £468,000, but -in the December quarter a< shrinkage commenced, arid probably each quarter during the current year will see a larc;c decrease as. compared with.' last year's" fixture's. On tlio other hand the exports during 1908 were> £8,754,095 loss than "in 1907, ,which isquite sufficient to account for the sdarcity of money. Our producers' income suffered enormously, while tho Dpminion as a whole continued to spend as though its income remained the same. The banks have done their be<t tq meet the emergency, but their available resources are practically exhausted and ifc is now very difficult to obtain accommodation. We can only h^pe that our "produce, wool particularly, will realise more than our brightest anticipations, and that the community as a whole will practise a little wholesome economy. Then a few monihs will ae.e greatly improved conditions,

There was a very large number of visitors in Pukekura Park yesterday afternoon. A large number of- local boys left tin* morning for JNelson College, where they will continue their studies. Two noticeable, features in town gardens are the fine crop of tomatoes in Mr Hodges' garden in Eliot Street and the wonderful display of blue agapanthus in "Lilydale," near Mr Corkill's house. ■ { It is a pity that people will pez*sist in taking dogs into Pukekura Park. On Sunday a little mongrel was seeu chasing the Russian goslings, while a la,dy apparently in charge of it strolled about quite unconcerned. No wonder the Board has been unfortunate with the water-fowl which it has from time to time introduced into the Park in order to make the place more attractive. , At the annual meeting of Library subscribers held on Friday night a proposal was. being discussed, that therti should be a committee appointed to visit ox inspect >the library 'monthly, when Councillor Browne interjected the remark that he did not believe in such an arrangement, adding that. i\ would be like the Recreation Grounds Board, the members taking turn about and I one man' causing a- path to be coni structed in his month while his successor the following month planted the path with trees. This remark was warmly resented * by Councillor Bellringer, who said that that might be the system adopted in the Western Park, in which Councillor Browne took an active interest, but nothing of the sort had happened in connection with Pukekura -Park. At the conferenco of dairy delegates at Stratford last Thursday Mr. Dive, M.P., made a few remarks on co-opera-tion in buying. "Tho manuring' of lands is a, growing neccssitj 7 , and if six, nine, or more farmers combine in purchasing they will save up to 15s per ton," said Mr. Dive. Th^ purchase could be made through the medium of the co-operative factories, he continued; and his idea was to have depots established at suitable places and an agricultural chemist appointed. The latter he regarded as a necessity, as much of the manure that was put on the land at present was wasted owing-to its xmsuitability to the s6il to which 'it was. applied. "I have seen," went on Mr. Dive, "an experiment where there was a difference of. several bushels to the acre .between a portion subjected «to suitable and a portion subjected to unsuitable manuring." The matter was 'not discussed.

Induced perhaps by the hot weather, enquiries are being received for the ' tenancy of the cottage on the mounf tain.

Church's Agency reports the sale of a tcction in the Paritutu township to Mr. Arthur Callaghan, of- New Plymouth.

The Opunake Times understands that thr Oaonui Dairy Company, at a meeting held on Saturday last, \v<jre fairly unanimous on a proposal to make cheese next season instead t of butter.

A glancp at the weather report will show that tho weather throughout the Dominion to-day was very warm, most of the towns reporting the thermometer reading as over 70.

There were several large parties from Now Plymouth and Ingiewood at the North, Egmont Mountain House during the woblc cnt,l. Those who' climbed the mountain o,n Sunday morning were "ratlfer" wot when they returned to the house.

Straying cattle have again left evidences ol their presence on the western portion of the Esplanade. - The path, has suffered severely. Tho Seaside Imp r.ovement- - Committee, • under.- authority. tr.onx the: Harbour Board, has now appointed Mi*. Fred Loveridge a ranger, and all cattle straying on the Esplanade in iut-ure will be impounded.

Mr. B. Dive, M.P;; urged the delegates* 5 at the conference of -dairy fdelegates at 'Stratford on-' Thursday to insure $heir factories with the Farmers' Mutxial. - This, course, he contended,, would assist in. lowering the premiums they were now paying, and would alsoput the Farmers' Mutual in a better position to meet any'losfe it might sustain through fires. ' l'"l '" ■ TheY Stratford seaside excursion organised by the District High School Committee will/take place at the ' Breakwater. I, on Thursday ' next: The Stratford bowlers and two or three tennis teams intend to take advantage of. the trip. "*•' The Stratford Band anticipates bcingi present. J; v The Unjon Steamship Companies Takapuna will carry tlie excursionists for[: a shot"t cruise around the Sugar Loayes. ' '• - ' 3IrJ F. J. ''Mm, grocer, of South Road, 1 has o ' introduced the first motor delivery van .tp. Sew l?Jymouth. For someS* timo M iV L Hill' has *- been d riving <a 10-12 h.p. Dairacq car, and this he has had -converted into a van by having a portable' cover erected which takes the place/ of, the . baclr seats. .. It- is. capable of holding a large quantity of goods. Is of hieat design, and should very ., soon: recoup Mr. • Hill for the expenditure he has mado, on _it. : ,

During the course of the attempt to get the Mana off the beach recently a piece of. ironwork snapped, and, accord-, ing to the Patea Press, struck a seaman named G. Olsen. breaking his left arm. Mr. F. W. Grainger, manager of the- West Coast Refrigerating- Co., whilst superintending the loading of the Mana, lost his footing on some cases of cheese on which he was standing and fell to >the_ f loor> • ife sustained a nasty gash on the forehead, necessitating tlio/ insertion, ©J several switches.

A big meeting of natives is to bo held at Taiporohenui on February 18, when representatives -are expected to be pro sent of all-hapus between White Cliffs and Waitotara. ,"The object of the gathering is to f ornuilate. a petition asking, that the West''-. Coast Reserves • land should be' cut off from th 6 native-elec-torate" 'so. that, the , Maoris may j.have their "ii ames-^put- oii^the^pakelia^eleiitoral . roll. We are told that the Maoris coni ccrned . consider themselves practically i unrepresented in Parliament at the preI sent timer 3 -i

A number of books of considerable historical interest and value havb been presented to the borough* of New Plymouth b^y Mr. W. -'fL Skinner. They, contain the garrison orders \issited dur* ing the war in Taranaki, including the orders for. the* Battle, of Waireka . Previously to his death Colonel Stapp, who commanded the Taranaki Militia District, gave them to Mr. Skinner. Mr. Skinner for some time intended to hand them."' over to^ the town, but did not consider the Town Hall, being a wooden building, a safe place for them. Now that the Carnegie Library has been 'opened, 'however,' a safer repository -for them is available. At Friday night's meeting of the Public Library subscribers Mr. Skinner declared his iutentions regarding the books. The Mayor (Mi\ G. Tisch) accepted the gift on behalf of ' tie borough, and thanked Mr. Skinner for it. ■ Interviewed regarding the discussion at the University Senate on the pronosal to provide scholarships for girls in secondary schools, Miss M. V. Gibson, a lady principal of £be Christchurch Girls' High School, said she was of opinion that to give separate scholarships for girls would not really prevent the strain at all, as if the present standard of work was maintained there would be just 1 ' as injurious competition among the girls themselves. ■ A girl did not exert herself to beat boys, but to gain a scholarship. On the other- hand, if the standard of girls' work , was lowered the strain of the University Colleges would bo disastrous for the girls, because they would go there less well prepared than the boys, against whom they would- have to compete. She thought that the work required for the junior University scholarship examination should be reduoed for girls and boys alike.

For real cheap lines for this seasonable weather read Ward's "wanteds."