The Bush Advocate. Published Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. TUESDAY, SEPT. 4, 1888.

Bush Advocate, Volume I, Issue 52, 4 September 1888, Page 2

The Bush Advocate. Published Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. TUESDAY, SEPT. 4, 1888.

It is so much the fashion now-a--days to bemoan the fate of the colony, owing to the " depression," that the people stand a chance of becoming chronic grumblers, and being afflicted -with the miserables, even if the colony were flourishing exceedingly. Now, the fact is, the j depression is vanishing fast ; turn where you will it can be seen that an immense improvomeht is talcing place in business and financial circles, which have a tone they have long been strangers to. There can be no question that prospects generally are improving. As pointed ,out by the Chairman of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce, the 'other day, " our wool is selling well, and everything points to present values being maintained. Frozen mutton is now realising a price that is remunerative to the sheep farmer, Wheat promises to return to something like old' level, when to grow wheat meant to coin money. The timber industry in the North is for the first time likely to be developed in a systematic and, therefore, profitable manner. The output from our coal mines is increasing year by year, and other of our mineral resources, such as gold, and silver, and" antimony, are becoming developed by the most scientific appliances ; and, even now, as we watch what we hope may prove the sunset of our depression, there are indications of a blighter morn;" This very satisfactory and hopeful view of the situation is more than borne out by Mr Q-. Or. Stead, who is one of the best authorities in the South I Island. Speaking at the same meeting of the Chamber, He said "he understood the President to say that the exports of 1887 were i in advance of those of 1886. In looking 1 into some figures for his | own information, he arrrived at the conclusion that the exports of 1888 would be in excess of those of 1887 by nearly one million of money. He thought that this was so important that he deemed they should at. once make it public, as showing that the depression was passing away. ! He would now briefly put before the Chamber how he arrived at the conclusion he had, that there would be a very large increase in the value of *the exports from New Zealand to Great Britain for the year 1888 as compared with 1887. These inoreases would probably be, in round numbers, as under : — Wool exported 84*000, 0001 b, at an increased value as compared with last year of Id per lb, cay £350,000 ; 7500 tons tallow at on increase of £2 per ton, £15,000. Then there will probably be 1,000,000 frozen .sheep shipped in 1888, as compared with 750,000 in 1887. For these it appears almost certain that the net results, owing to the reduction in freight and the rise in price, will give an enhanced return of say 4s per head in excess of last year. Therefore, 750,000 at 4s means £150,000, whilst the additional 250,000 shipped should net 12s 6d for the carcases alone, or say £156,250, so that the increased return for frozen sheep in 1888 will probably give us £306,250 in excess of 1887. They had then 1,500,000 bushels more wheat to ship in 1888 than in 1887, which at 3s per bushel, would give £235,000. The total of these increases' came to £896,250, or only a little short of a million sterling more business done in 1888 than in 1887. If to this they added the increased value for this year of our shipments to Austialia, consisting of butter, potatoes, oo ts, cheese, hams, bacon,' etc., the grand total of the increased va 7 ue of the exports of New Zealand to other countries will j almost certainly be not less than a million sterling beyond the exports of 1887. The prosperity of Australia was very great just now, but a great deal of it appeared due to speculation. He would point out, however, that if our prosperity came it would be, as' ho had shown, on a sound basis. He thought that, instead of preaching depresson here, they ought to look their position in the face, and see that their dealingswith the outside world were rapidly improving." There ! We consider these remarks of Mr Stead's are most valuable and encouraging", especially as coming from a gentleman wiio tk9*'QUgaly uw^eyet^^

what he is talking about. Mr Stead is a keen observer, and a clever* well-informed business man, and he tells us that we are progressing satisfactorily, a statement that is corroborated by the newspapers from most of the towns that reach us. We think the cry of " depression " ought to be laid by now; it has lasted long enough. Let the hopeful spirit that is iniusedinto Canterbury and Otago, the most "depressed" districts, be spread as much as possible ; it cannot be too widely felt. Prosperity will be reached in the near future, and although- tne old flush times will never return, there is abundant evidence that the energy and prudence now exercised throughout the colony will result in our welfare being restored upon a sounder and more lasting basis than ever before.