SECOND EDITION Wairarapa Daily Times. [Established 1874.] WEDNESDAY, NOV. 28, 1894. WOOL.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4888, 28 November 1894, Page 2

SECOND EDITION Wairarapa Daily Times. [Established 1874.] WEDNESDAY, NOV. 28, 1894. WOOL.

The reported fall' of a penny in a pound in wool is a serious matter for Now Zealand, and means tho ruin of mahy'a sheep farmer, If wool bo a penny a pound lower this season tbnii it was Inst, tlie loss to Now Zealand will be. at least half a'.million of money; and this threatens disaster to other interests than those of the runliblder. Tlio loss - of half a million may be taken to represent tlio loss of £300,000 in wages, for of all money that comes into ! tho country in exchange for produce, at least this. proportion must go, for labour. The fall,in )vool means bad times for tho-working man and bad times for the Government. ' Four years ago : when the-Liberals came into , office, the prices for" produce were high, the countiy was prosperous, and tho Government ...were credited with being the cause of the prosperity, It is, however, ono thing for a Government to sail along with a fair wind at its back and. another to, make headway with a galo in jts'jtcdth. . Gradually prices have receded,' and as ,'they have fallen the popularity of the Government has gone down, This further drop in .the market rate of our lead, ing staple will result in further trouble with tho labour market, and a diminished confidence in the Government, Of coui'sp there is somo hope that tlio drop in wool is only n, temporary fall, but'on the other hand there is' iio guarantee that rates' jivill not become further'depreciated, | It js a pity that atrouble of this kind should'; arise at a time when 'there exists a go6d' deal of distress and' privation: in the 'Colony,' and also: wlietiifc'^c^voaqysg/frie'Cnris^ mi Season, Wijuwjws |W|

the Government can do little, either to help or hinder beyond preparing for a. winter of discontent in tlio coming, year,