SIGNS OF THE TIMES.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LV, Issue 13991, 24 August 1909, Page 3

SIGNS OF THE TIMES.

A PLEVSURE-LOVING PEOPLE. PROfePECTS OF HILLS IJEING PAID.

"Hard times! It amuses nu\" interjected a theatrical manager « hen a Herald representative was difccussing with a keen financier ami la>id ownei the present outlook in the dominion. "New Zealand," he continued, "for its sise is the best country in tnc .. v . .rt for \ the theatrical business.. At present, when people are complaining of being 'hard up/ we are piaymg to full houses. Would you bdicvo it? Thirtyfive companies are in New Zealand this month, and each one of them » doing good business." . , "Yes " observed the financier, "and I suppose many of tho persons occupying your best seats are unable to pa; their grocers'*. bills." , The theatrical manager admitted that such complaints bad been made to him by tradesmen. "We have experienced a financial depression," Observed the financier, "but it has done the people and the Government good by forcing them to economise and to think. It is a pity the depression was not even moro pronounced in order to make the pleasureseekers you sneak of realise their duty to their creditors." • Referring to some of the good results brought about by the depression, the speaker informed our representative that farmers were now more careful about feeding stock. In. Hawke's Bay he knew of land, carrying 15 to 2o sheep to the acre (on rape) which formerly .upfeiorted only one sheep per acre. Few people reah*ed the tremendous advantage to be gained by feeding •hew and cattle properly. ''Broken wooL" for instance, was due to sheep running short of food in winter, and "broken wool" meant a lower price for * Farmers, ho went on to say, had now a more plentiful supply of labour. Some months ago it was. almost unpowiW* for them to carry out many urgent works. But those drawback* have been the mean* of a more general applioation of labour-saving appliances. The milking -machines atone had made a wondeSul difference. Men to4*y were to be found devoting muoh attention to dairying, who would not consider it a few year* ago owing to the drudgery the work entailed. When one realised that three men cotUd. now handle a nhole herd of cows in the milking season, he had on idea of the advantage* of labour-saving appliance. The low price ruling for rams last year tv auo having a beneficial effect. The average farmer never cared to pay higher than three or four .guinea* for a ram, and consequently m gool seasons often purchased weeds. .Last year he was able to buy exceptionally high-das*, ram* for thi* figure. The result of the purchases should be very apparent during the next year^or two. He also saw hopeful signs in the lamb market, which for some time has been very bad. In former years, he said, the farmers selected the very best of their lambs and sent them Home. This year, owing to the decline on the marY et. they kept the beat, of them, and their action thoxld lesult in an improvement in the flocks. ... , "Yon take a very hopeful view of the situation," observed our representative. "What do yeu think of the glut in meat at HomeP". "For the man who desires to make a s profit immediately, the position is serious," observed the financier. But in other respects it is the best thing that could happen. You never see h drop in colonial prpduce without its being followed by the opening of fresh markets. You may depend upon it that the men handling our produce at Home are doing their utmost to push trade wherever they can. ' . Dealing with the money market, ho observed that money was getting decidedly easier. Many of the financial firms had been holding back until they cauued from . the exports what the spending power of New Zealand would be dwing the next twelve months. H«£ the exports been as low during- tire first six months of this year as they nere for the corresponding six njonthe Of last year, the depression would have been very pronounced now. But they were most encouraging. In tht first half-year in 1908 tRe exports amounted to £1.760,522, wheroas in the corresponding period this year they amounted to £5,508,562. A banker fn an important centre in the North Islani re- ! cently asked a fond agent, who was - dealing with big block* of land, if he was able to put any business in his way where wool would be connected. He said he was prepared to allow an overdraft in sums anything up to £3000 to good clients. , "The general feeling. added the speaker, "is that the business men are perfectly willing to do good bora fide business, and that they have plenty of money to do it with. Several important industries in New Zealand have originated from hard times, and yon may depend upon it the recent depression won't prove an exception to the rule."