CORRESPONDENCE.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 13250, 19 October 1908, Page 8

CORRESPONDENCE.

. t . THE CAUSE OF PROSPERITY. TO TIIE EDITOR OF "THE PRESS." Sir, —As ono of the audience at Mr Dickie's meeting at Lyndhurst, I was astonished at some remarks . made by him. He asked us to compare the present prosperous times that wo are enjoying'in the Dominion with those previous to 1891, the year tho present party came into _?ower. : . "Discontent was general, bands- of unemployed perambulating every country road, settlement at a standstill." J3ut Mr Dickie did not say that for years previous to 1891 our farm products were practically unsaleable—fat lambs from 4s to 7s 6d, butter 4d to 6d per lb, wheat Is lid to 2s, and very difficult to find a market at these prices. Contrast tihose prices with present market rates, and any fair-minded man will admit at once that it is the prices our products aro bringing in tho markets of the world that our present prosperity is to be attributed to, and not to any political party that may bo in power. The present party on tho Ministerial Benches has iust as much to do with the present prosperity of the Dominion as Mr Dickie has to do with the rising of t*ho sun to-morrow morning. Mr Dickie was very careful not to mention that through* tho action of tho present Government in borrowing every penny they could lay hands on mv tho Dominion from Post Office Savings Bank, insurance companies, etc., it is now almost impossible to raise private loans, even on first-class security, at less than 7 per cent. But Mr Dickio is in his political infancy yet, and must be excused.—Yours, etc., SELWYN ELECTOR.