THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. SATURDAY, APRIL 13, 1907. SOME IMPORT FIGURES.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8399, 13 April 1907, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. SATURDAY, APRIL 13, 1907. SOME IMPORT FIGURES.

As illustrating the movements of trade the following table showing the imports into New Zealand of the lines enumerated for the years 1906 and 1905 is interesting:— 1906. 1905. Candles, lbs... 2,396,558 1,836,155 Cement, brls.... 123,820 128,414 Currants, 1b52,288,785 2,789,561 Raisins, lbs 2,902,642 2,662,143 Other dried fruits, lbs 1,967,596 1,660,583 Iron—Bar. bolt and rod, tons 18,128 15,203 Cor. sheet, cwt 232,082 246,871 Fencing wire, i tons 6,501 7,789 Barbed wire, tons 2,660 3,902 Kerosene, gals 4,304,764 4,567,271. Rice, cwt 64,988 69,823 Salt, tons ... 12,611 13,'004 Tea, lbs 5,646,526 5,426,215 Tobacco, lbs 1,758,443 1,472,412 Cigarettes, lbs 342,153 280,522 Apparel and slops £597,789 £535,586 Boots and shoes £273,635 £258,936 Cotton manufactures £531,552 £432,114 Drapery £471,110 £417,657 Woollen piece. goods £405,760 £364,645 Pianos, No. 4,059 4,191 These figures may be taken as fairly representing the generally prosperous conditions which prevail in New Zealand. There is a substantial increase in the outlay on tea, tobacco, clothing and cigarettes, and this may be regarded as a x'eliable criterion of the spending power of the people. Singularly ( enough fencing wire shows a decrease compared with the large imports of the previous year, but is greatly above the totals of both 1904 and 1903. Year by year cement keeps falling off steadily. This is not because the demand

is less, but owing to the greater use of the colonial article. When the boot and shoe industry was started in the colony it was expected that the imports in that line would be checked; but on the contrary, they have kept mounting lip and last year they were over £40,000 more than they were in 1903. The musical tastes of the people of this colony are shown by the fact that over 4,000 pianos were imported in 1906 of a total value of £93,868. The choice of instruments, however, does not favour the British manufacturer, for more than half of the pianos importof foreign make.

RATING ON SPECIAL AREAS. On more than one occasion during the past few months the Master ton Borough Council have been approached in regard to the question of constructing new streets and levying a special rate over the land, deriving benefit therefrom. The equity of the principle of specially rating land benefited, let us say, by the construction of new streets is generally acknowledged, and power to apply the principle has been very properly provided by the Legislature. The extent to which the principle should be applied must, of course, be left toS the discretion of local bodies, and each case should be considered on its merits. No hard and fast rule can 1 be laid down. The objection that, streets should not be constructed in any area, specially rated for the same, because some ratepayers are likely to be more benefited than others, cannot be accepted as altogether conclusive. In some cases, no doubt, such an objection should be maintained, but in other cases —and here I again the question arises, that must i invariably crop up when such matters are considered (viz.), how far should the principle be applied? It is impossible for a municipal body to undertake works of general improvement without benefiting some ratepayers more than others. A case in point: It was recently proposed that the Masterton Borough Council should construct a street from Chapel Street to Queen Street, opposite Essex Street. This work would specially benefit certain ratepayers. Upon this ground can the Borough Council properly refuse to do the work? The question is of some importance and interest, and we, therefore, mention the following letter received recently by a legal firm in Masterton from the Town Clerk of Carterton. It is as ■ follows:—"In reply to your letter, re raising loans under the provisions of 'The Local Bodies' Loans Act, 1901,' for constructing new streets, and levying a special rate over the land deriving benefit therefrom, as security for principal and interest, I have to state that the machinery of the Council has been used on two occasions for this purpose with very satisfactory results. Prior to the roading the lands were rated as paddocks, but immediately the .roads were constructed, and a new valuation made, the lands were then rated as building sites, thereby considerably increasing the general revenue of the Borough."