PRIMARY PRODUCTS AND PROSPERITY.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue LXVIII, 12 August 1914, Page 4

PRIMARY PRODUCTS AND PROSPERITY.

During the last statistical year 1,968,578 bales of wool were sold by Australia and New Zealand, and Dalgety's review for July observes that the money value amounted to £26,----079,536, an excellent result as compared with ten years ago, when 837,----497 bales were sold for £10,046,656. The second highest amount of money received for the wool clip sold in Australasia was £25,712,774, which was obtained in the 1909-10 season. The increase in the value of the wool clip sold iin Australasia in ten years amounts to no less than 160 per cent. But it is pointed out that to arrive at the exact value of the past clip, it is necessary to allow for the 447,068 bales which were exported without first being sold in the colonial markets. If the 447,068 bales shipped direct to London for sale are valued tit £13 4s lid per bajg in Australasia, the average obtained for oil the wool sold here—a very conservative estimate, considering that the wool; ■shipped to London is composed of station clips, and a big proportion of scoured wool—it will be seen that the total wealth derived from wool during the year reaches a total of £32,001,324, which is easily a record for the Commonwealth and Dominion, if treated either separately or collectively. An impartial consideration of the principal facts shows that the flood tide of prosperity which has been reached in Australia and New Zealand is entirely due to the primary producers. Not only has the wool clip given record monetary returns, but the export of frozen mutton and lamb has shown equally favorable development. From Australia during the last year (1913) no fewer than 4,425,619 carcases were exported, t valued at £2,896,532, as compared with 2,875,729 carcases, valued at £1,592,----378 for the previous year, and 478,037 carcases ten years ago. The sheep industry of Australia and New Zealand is thus closely interwoven with the general prosperity of the country. As showing the preponderating importance of sheep, it is only necessary to point out that of the total exports from Australia for the year 1913, amounting to £78,518,385, sheep are responsible for no less than £35,795,981, or 45.59 per cent, of the whole, and in New Zealand for £13,665,159, out of a total of £23,043,589. Taking the two countries together, tho sheep industry accounts for £49,461,110 for the past year, or 49 per cent, of the total exports. Then as to the future, it is considered that, given a fair average of seasons the outlook for the pastoral industry in Australia and New Zealand was never so good as it is at the present time. The world's demand for the primary products of thpse countries has unquestionably overtaken supplies, with the result that prices now stand at a very remunerative all-round level of values, from which over a period of years there is not likely to be any recession. Any- • way, at the present time there is a shortage of wool in all the great manufacturing centres, which promises to be further accentuated during the next few months. With prospects of a bountiful world*s narvest and good employment of labor »t steadily iucreaa-

ing wages, the purchasing power of the masses is more likely to expand than otherwise, whilst the wool using and meat eating population is an everincreasing one, as is the general wealth of the world.