COUNTRY'S RESOURCES

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2170, 8 June 1914, Page 5

COUNTRY'S RESOURCES

MB. MASSES VIEWS . GROWING IMPORTAMOS OF FRtfiT. CBy To"[eg*a ; p!i.—SroM Associftlfeft.) eiiristoJmrch, ikiie 6. Tfiero was a largo attcs-tdanoo ef members of t-bo Canterbury Branch of the Now Zealand Political Rcftrtn Longuo at tiro King's Theatre this ai'» tcifnooii t(7 hoar an address frtma tito IPrimo Minister (ttio lie'lit Hn.ll. W. V. Slassey). in the coarso ofljts speech, Sir. .M.at'.sey said that fruitgrowing ti ' s3 SP'iftg tn hk t>M of tlw mast Jftiportant wtitifi* tries of the Dominion. As Minister of Asricmiiijrc- ho had visited ttio -tlifforent frait-jjrovring diatriets ol tlio —North of Avidrtandj ttwj Ea:st Coast of Auckland, Neiso-n,- Geatral Otago, and pa:rt of Wostiand—auti ho had no* ohittiges. In tho NelS6» district there was a loealit-v fcn&wii a:s tlift JSloutwo Hilte. This laiid, froifl an aencaltm-alist's .point of yfow, looked liko ; poof secoiid-olas k«3, krdty Worthy of lioticfl. A Vcaf or two ago it eoald have Imsn bought at a very low figure, tat now it. eaaii aot Be bought uudc-r £2Q -pet acre. The .peason was that it had been dlseosrored thai it was suitable for fr(!,it.growi«g f and there were tt'io'iisairis rf acres 6i »t. Soffl(?f.hiug similar wis goinrr oil in UMitral Oiaee and hi tlw North sf AHoklftjul. In view of Mm- g.fowbg .importanro of the fruit-griiwitiij jndu'strv, m nail cmno to the cMthiswii tliat It was right tor tte Qovernnicnt to e,nthe- jwfestry as mmh as possible. CooJ storage wag necessary. And vrvntsaiiiiißfi i'aetories for stono'frttit.

For these pttrpeses Parliament Jiad voted £100,000, and he, as Jf.inister of Agriculture, when satisiWd with the ««> cunty offeree], was able to .rdva-neo suais up to £3000. This session .ho ruteaded asking Pitfliawent to inc-roiiso th<* amount that could lib fcnfc'iH .erro Sum, as it was painted out thai it. was better to have large cool .stores a't parts than ft Mm number pf small fcoo:l stores m otor tiro country. In view of tiio fctjit that, in-n very fow years.,. iJij* Dp. inimon would b? est>o'.r'tj;i{j awpks to the. mine at £1,090,005, it was thedlftv of tint Qorm-nmmi in encourage the fruit ministry. (Applause.) Ptow Use for eurri LantTfe The. utilisation of the gum lands in Auckland was .also taudicd' upon by Mr. ulassey. Bo .stated thai tie gum industry was atanst gone, and it'was HMMSibetit tiPOTi t&e Govewrroent- to '.piit Bflnwthiua in its ptae, *fliis land Was also sjjotsaliy suitaMe for frmt-gr-asittg purposes, q*rJ lie had arranged' wftti th-e ; Surrey Bcpaftiiicnt for scijtibiis of tweniy-frte acres a-i«l Upiwrfs to be cut tip. These boHiiigs cwtM bo fledtijjfejl.. for. five years without pa-vmcut of -ietibj mi if, at-the' cud of that ti m e> ; tni. tajaut had shown Jtifnseil to -bo ft- baiia* fide- settler, he would bo given the freeuqjd of his land at a nomfMl figure.. I A fflnnth ago tiio Smrey iepart-ment

foul toid him that tfey had. had 3SS ftprjlioatians, and had said .that ther fe liertHl that a rush would coin© wlsm people re-allsod what was being dime-. "That is only a sa-ijijife," said 3fr. Sfass.bv, "of what ive, have btfon. iking in New Zealand is th© last, sjiio years?' Imnii.graiicfi. Referring to uttmigration, Sir, iSJkesey Said that only two <Jct'sses of pie fead been enooiwged-Hiari!.estm s.oi* rants, and fanners, _or farm Jaioriref's. Domestic servants worn pracfcieally bcihfl brought, tare fi'co. of diargfc to was heavily iii debt, end it was necessafy to sftmire a targer population. "Bu| tto don't want, ffln.diis," fto ssid. "J>Wt scsfltoa I hope » put icgtsln't-'teh. that will make i;ii hiiposSiUo for Hiiidu »to .come to this ftQimtry. t feci vary strongly about fbi'S subject. \\'.<i doir't wsiifc , Hindus at .ait," jtAftplawsp.) Ho was pKiiscd, ho .id'dc'a, that Mew Zealand liaid bee-H aWe ti' 'hoM | lifir own so .fai* as Wiilw'gratioii was soft. l.ccvnctl jit Miapetiti&n with olJifir .yoniiuions. In view of t'Jio ftjea vciio ; rßst» frs« ik> ranks, and of the tijove- ! incut to the, town's, it was es : s».irf>ia ; l that the ranks of t]is .producers ghoidit be striJii.stheiKd -oy ttes supf}y «)i laboviro.rS. Tlib more pT(3dfleefS ft cqti.iiti'ry had. thfe hct'tor it wa,s for tli'ftt cotvntry. Mr, Massoy then «vtl'iiied tte recent schenira wMA had iiitroduCfrd a Mniber ■of boys tot* the country, and .replied to criticism agaittst tiicir inteoductfoUv