THE PROSPERITY OF THE

COLONY.
Much was said on Friday last rela tive to the prosperity of the colony, and he was pleased to be able to say from personal knowledge that the prosperity was not confined to one or two electorates, but was general all over the, colony. The cause of that prosperity was due to two things—to a remarkable series of years in Brit ish history and the wonderful energy of our population and productiveness of the soil.' In considering the pro gress of the colony they must realise the fact that no Government could make a good or bad season, or was re sponsible for loss of crops in bad weather. No Government could make the colony a success if the people were not industrious. That being the case, he desired them to eliminate from their minds the idea that any Government had been the cause of the colony's prosperity. When the people were prosperous so was the Govern ment.
Mr. Taylor then preceded to give details showing the great increase in the volume of meat, butter and wool exported, and showed that in 1898 the North Island exported 55 per cent— or more than half of the total amount exported

THE DEBT.
