The Pahiatua Herald. with which is incorporated THE PAHIATUA STAR. Published Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. FRIDAY, APRIL 13, 1894.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume II, Issue 135, 13 April 1894, Page 2

The Pahiatua Herald. with which is incorporated THE PAHIATUA STAR. Published Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. FRIDAY, APRIL 13, 1894.

The butter industry is one of quite recent growth—so recent that its dimensions at the present time are positively startling. An official return just published, showing the enormous expansion of export trade in this article from the various British colonies, during the last five years, is at once instructive and astonishing. Let us take New Zealand’s return first. In 1889 her export of butter amounted to £65,838 worth, in 1890 it had increased to £99,812; in 1891 to £135,801 ; 1892 witnessed a falling-off to £117,918 ; but last year showed a decided advance, the value of the export being £212,536. New South Wales shows a steady increase, as the following figures prove:—lßß9, £3,573; 1890, £83,032; 1891, £28,385 ; 1892, £32,152; 1893, £101,315. The principal feature in this return is the remarkable increase between 1892 and 1893, during which time the export of butter was more than trebled. Until 1893 South Australia exported no butter but in that year she sent away £9,615 worth of the produce. Canada’s figures are :—IBB9, £95,131 ; 1890, £60,739 ; 1891, £187,392 ; 1892, £255,652 ; 1893, £191,806. But most astonishing and most instructive of all are Victoria’s returns. In 1889 her export of butter was not worth considering, amounting only to £6,288. In 1890 it had grown to £31,086, and in the next year it had made an amazing bound to £105,761. In 1892 the figures reached £264,259 ; and last year’s return more than doubled even this large sum, the exact figures being £547,178. The remarkable development of the industry in Victoria furnishes a whole volume of texts ; but to us it is chiefly interesting as showing to what an extent tho export of butter is capable of being expanded. We have been accustomed to regard New Zealaud as the colony which of all the Australasian group had secured pre eminence in the production of butter, but Victoria’s record is a complete and unexpected staggerer. From being £30,000 behind in 1891 she forced her export in ono year up to double that of her island neighbour, and took pride of place amongst the British colonies in her output of this dairy product. England imports more than £12,000,000 worth of butter annually, so that despite the unparalleled expansion of the export trade in the colonies there are still almost illimitable possibilities of further expansion. With her great climatic and natural advantages New Zealand should na longer be content to take second place in an industry, the vast expansion of whioh more than any other, and more, too, than any promise or prospeot of political enactment, promises at once the prosperity of those engaged in it, and a reasonable and natural solution of the problem of the unemployed.