THE COLONIST. Published Every Mroning. Thursday, December 2, 1909. IMPROVING PROSPECTS.

Colonist, Volume LII, Issue 12711, 2 December 1909, Page 2

THE COLONIST. Published Every Mroning. Thursday, December 2, 1909. IMPROVING PROSPECTS.

I?r tiie course of a speech at Mackenzie last week, the Minister of Agriculture referred hopefully to the outlook for the agricultural industry. The harvest promised to bo bountiful, if all went well, and for the majority of our produots there should he satisfactory prices. Tliis applied specially to wool, wheat, cheese, and hutter. The -unfortunate' slump which spoil* last season's frozen meat tra-de has disappeared, a,nd if prices have not regained the buoyancy of h year or two ago, they ensure profitable business for the Dominion, and tlio outlook in this direction is steadily improving. Mr Mackenzie anticipates that the settlers of the Dominion, will reap fully £3,000,000 from tho increased - price of wool (based on the price in May of last year) and the increased output. The increase for tho year ending March 31st over the output of tho previous year was 2iU)[)o,oooybs, and lie remarked that the present season promises to mark a still greater increase. The Customs returns show striking evidence ofj. the returning prosperity cf our industries. For the first seven months of this year the exports of the country show an increase in value of more than £2,000,000 over the corresponding period cf last year. The difference betwoen imports and exports marks' sound commercial and financial progress. Dealing with the export of wool, in regard to which evcryth:Vs points to a continuance of the present satisfactory conditions, the Minister quoted some interesting statis_tices-. The total of tho world's flocks at tho end. .of 1903. tics. The total of the end of 1908. ho said, w;is 4St?.SS4,o2S as ayainrt .522,564,130 in 1893, and during the same period the world's wool-using population had increased from ■ 1522.---83(?,220 in 1895 to 610,391,508 in 1908. The flocks are thus decreasing, while the users of wool are increasing. It might ba interesting to note where decreases in flocks conw in. Germany li".s decreased her flocks from 2-3,000,---0i!0 to 7,000,000, and France from 32,000,000 to 17,000,000. "I might point out," he continued, "that docreases in flocks have occurred in those countries to which we have no accer-s for our frozen meat, so that does jiot ease us in that respect. Another interesting thing to note is the change that has taken place in tl'..e. populations of comparatively new countries, :>.!ul the effects on the production and consumption of their produots. The United States has not for a considerable period increased Ikmoutput of wool, whilst her exports of wheat and catt-ln have enormously diminished. This is duo undoubtedly to the fact of the great increase in her home consumption. With her population numbering some 88,000,000 souls, she has now reached the point of absorbing much of wiia.t she producos. On tho other hand, -the Argontiup, with bor vast amount of undeveloped country, is more than taking the position formerly occupied by the United States in exporting her products to the markets of the. world.' Tho diminishing exports of countries which have hitherto largely supplied the requirements of Europe, mean, of course, a corresponding increase in the demands upon ofchor producers, and offprs assured markpts to those that lay themselves out to supply tlie standard of produc? for which the markets are clamouring.