THE PLACE WE LIVE IN.

Waipa Post, Volume XXI, Issue 1280, 12 August 1922, Page 7

THE PLACE WE LIVE IN.

WEALTH AND PROGRESS.

A STUDY IN. STATISTICS,

.'An Australian Premier was once asked what was the first article he packed in his portmanteau, prior to leaving for the Imperial 'Conference. He replied, ‘ ‘The Official Year Book.” On ocean-going steamers, when the :smoke-room gossip turns on countries that have been visited, it is always the man who has given more than a casual glance at the statistics of the wealth and progress of his country and of the world in general whose statements carry greatest weight among his fellow - passengers. To paraphrase Kipling’s query, and give it a local application, “ What do they know of New Zealand, who only New Zealand know ?” For it is only by comparison with other countries that we are able to arrive at a correct relative assessment of our progress.

Cost of Living.

A statement (appeared that the index figure of the prices of the three food groups—groceries, dairy products, and meat—was down to 1528. The statement in itself would be arcepted as hearing good news, hut, when one compares the achievement of other countries in getting prices down to something like a normlal level, New Zealand results are convincing indeed. The country that has succeeded best of all in getting prices down is South Africa. What cost the housewife -there £1 before war broke out, costs her now £1 4s. The New Zealand housewife plays £1 Bs, but -she has paid as high -as £1 16s, during -the period when prices were at their peak', two years ago. And that is how she reckons her gain or 10-sls.

Our Population.

The population of New Zealand is 1,217,000, according to the latest estimate. For every person in New Zealand there are five in Australia, six in South Africa (four and a half of whom are coloured people) and seven in Canada, thirty-six in United Kingdom and ninety in America. Yet, although New Zealand may be behind other 'countries in population, an examination of her commercial activities reveals interesting facts. Take the overseas trade, for instance, and compare it with that of other countries.

Tlie Export Trade.

Japan’s overseas trade is worth £7 per head of her population. New Zealand is worth £B9, and that is the highest figure in the world. Switzerland is next, with £75 ; others are United Kingdom, £53 ; Canada, £SO ; Australia, £4O; France, £3O; and United States, £lB. Prior to the war, Belgiuml had the world’s greatest trade per head of population. Due allowance must be made for the circumstances of other countriesi in effecting a comparison.

Our Exports.

The cfiief exports of New Zealand, in order of their value, are wool, meat, cheese, buitter, hides, tallow, Coal, and timber. The Dominion’s best customer, Great Britain, -takes nearly three times as much as all her other overseas customers’ together. Next, in order of the value the goods they take from here, are America, Australia, Canada, and the Pacific Islands. The chief articles New Zealand buys from overseas couh-tries, in the order of their value are wearing apparel, boots', and shoes, iron and steel, machinery, hardware, and metal manufactures ; njiotor-cars ; tea and sugar, oil, beer, spirits, wine, and tobacco ; •paper, books, and stationery ; chemicals; leather; and fruits. From the United Kingdom we get nearly half our imports. For every £3O worth of goods New Zealanders get from the United Kingdom, they get £lO from £2 from Canada, £2 from Fiji, £1 10s from Japan, £1 from India, and 15s from Ceylon.

The Railways.

New Zealand has 3000 miles of railwa. compared with 21,000 miles in Australia. A little over forty millions sterling have been invested in the railway® of the Dominion. The annual revenue' from the railways is about 3J per cent, of the capital invested. This itf slightly higher than the net return in Australia.

Post and Telegraphs.

The .articles posted annually through the Post Office per head of the population in New Zealand are : 109 letters; 3 post-cards, 25 books, anfi 14 newspapers. There lis one telephone for every thirteen people in the Dominion.

Our Crops and Minerals.

The total area under cultivation in piew Zealand is about 18,000,000 acres, and the principal crops are wheat, oats barley, and maize. There are a million dairy rows, two million other cattle, 23 million sheep, 350,000 horses and 267,000 pigs. Flive million sheep are .slaughtered annually for food purposes. There are four sheep in Australia for every one in New Zealand. India is the cattle country of the world. There are forty head of cattle' for every one in New Zealand. United States has 20, Brazil 10, Argentine 9, Australia 4, United King-

dom 4, Canada 3, and South Africa 2. Twenty-eight thousand tons! of butter are produced, and 25,000 tons exported in the year. The value of minerals won from the earth in the Dominion is nearly 150 millions sterling, of which -gold amounts to 90 millions and coal 27 millions.

Financial.

The revenue of the 1 country is £2B per head of population of which £lB comes from taxation. The expenditure is about £2O per head, and nearly one-third of it goes towards tbe payment of the national debt, which equals £162 per bead of population, or about £2O more than the Australian debt. The deposits in the banks of New Zealand average £SO per head of population, or a few shillings less than the average in Australia. The assets of the banks here are 56 millions. Thirty-eight people in New Zealand 'have an income of over £IO,OOO a year.