IMPRESSIONS OF NEW ZEALAND

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 42, 13 November 1926, Page 26

IMPRESSIONS OF NEW ZEALAND

BRITISH M.P/S VISIT

“SCENIC RESOURCES SECOND TO NONE”

WONDERFUL DEVELOPMENT NOTED

Delighted with his trip through the Dominion, and highly impressed with the scenic wonders and remarkable development of the country, Captain H. F. C. Crookshank, Conservative member for Gainsborough in the British House of Commons, sailed for Home by the R.M.S. Makura last night, after a two months’ tour of New Zealand. Having made himselt familiar with the progress and requirements of the Dominion, he thought, in view of the general situation as regards world finance, that it might be advisable for Mew Zealand to curtail borrowing except for solely reproductive works, although there was no country whose credit stood higher in London.

“I have visited the chief scenic re sorts of the Dominion, including the thermal regions at Rotorua, the Wai tome Caves. Wairakei. and Mount Cook, said Captaiu Crookshank to a Dominion representative. "They are really wondetful This country oilers scenic wonders equal to anything in the world. There is, no doubt, great scope for more publicity abroad in letting people know that the country possesses such splendid resources. The High Commissioner in London has done a great deal of publicity work on behalf of the Dominion, and a Government scenic film I recently saw should, when screened abroad, do much to place the country on the map, and make it more favourably known among English tourists. The innumerable point's of similarity between the Dominion and the Old Land make the Britisher feel quite at home m New Zealand.” “Agriculture a Business.” Referring to primary production. Captain CrooTtshank said that what was true of other agricultural countries was equally true in New Zealand. Agricultural operations were becoming more and more a question c f business, with costing and accurate bookkeeping, With the high cost of labour 1 nd the increasing use of fertilisers, unless accurate accounts were kept the farmer could not ascertain his position and know along what lines it would be economically profitable - to develop. ,Agriculture is a business proposition, declared Captain Crookshank, ‘but apparently few farmers at ITome. and I dare say the same is- true out here, realise it. Institutions such as the- proposed Agricultural College and the newl.v* created Research Department are undoubtedly goinf? to be an t norm.ms help in this ‘ direction.” , , He had seen the boys’ and girls Flock Houses and the Salvation Army farm at Putaruru and was impressed with the work being done at these institutions. When people asked him was it worth while emigrating to live in New Zealand, his answer would be one given by Mark Twain, "that it depended entirely on the liver,” remembering that in no generation and in no country did more than ten people in a hundred die financially any better off than when they were born. There were, however, opportunities here second to none' and he saw no reason why suitable immigrants should not make good, while the standard of living and comfort for workers out hero was exceodinMy high, compared with Home conditions. Great foresight, lie said, had been displayed in the laying out of our towns and (own bolts and in the width of our streets, particularly at Invercargill. It was, however, a great, pity that New Zealand had copied the Old Land by allowing enormous hoardings along the finest roads, such as the Hutt Road. At Home various societies had taken the mailer in hand, and were endeavouring to educate public opinion to call for their abolition. The movement was obtaining considerable success. Public Works, The development of the last SO years was quite incredible to anyone who had not seen it, but many people had told him, and the general world situation as regards finance made it possible, that during the next few years it might be advisable for the Dominion to take short rather than long views in the matter of great public works. That was to say, loans would probably be hard to raise, although there was no Dominion with a better standing in the city of London than New Zealand. Having done so much in 80 years, it might very well be the wiser policy to go a bit slow unless absolutely certain that a particular direction along which development was going was the right one. This was particularly true os regards road and railway development. He had seen the h vclro-electnc works at A rapuni and Mangahno, and was impressed with the magnitude of the undertakings, as w-»U as the way in which electricity was being utilised in rural areas. The great lore which New Zealanders had for the Motherland greatly; impressed Captain Crookshank. He said he now realised tlie full force of a remark of a New Zealand friend of his during the war. When someone was congratulating him on coming all the way Homo to fight, the reply was, "It is no more a matter for congratulation for a New Zealander to go to France than it is for a man from Sussex or Yorkshire.” People here spoke of England as Home, and he Hoped ther always would. A risitor hero ccrtainlr found himself at home. "I found.”'added Captain Crookshank, “as I trarelled around the Dominion that there was a rery prerabnt liew that unlimited numbers cf foreigners were admitted to Great Britain ercry venr, goino’ thero to work Ft the pense of the British worker. Such an impression, howerer, is quite erroneous, as anr foreigner who goes to take a job in 'England has to hare a special permit from the Ministry ot Labour. Tn 1925 there were only .>319 such permits granted.” The Dole and Unemployment. Alluding, to the dole, which be had been frequently’ asked and about which many people seemed rery concerned. Captain Crookshank stated that it was nothing more than a system of vnemplorment insurance. Erery wageearner with the exception of those following agricultural pursuits and domestic servants, automatically and compulsorily contributed week by week all the time they were working, and when out of work’derived benefit liy an allowance, erroneously known as the “dole.” Tn addition to the wageearner. the State and the <mployers of labour also compulsorily contributed. The dole, as many people apparently imagined, was not handed out to every person who asked for if. The returns of those given as unemployed were also rather misleading, and last December, when about l.lOO.fHlfl were cut of work, only some 977.000 were drawing the dole. It did not necessarily follow that all (hose out of Work were drawing the dole. Many unemployed could not draw unemployment benefit, owing, for example, to the exhaustion of their relief, which only ran a certain period, proportionate to the amount of their contributions. The whole idea of contributions for benefits, ultimately disbursed thronvli the State was crowing. Last rear, for example, the whole system of old-age pensions nas changed from being merely a q tate grant to n contributory one, and at the sama time

pensions for widows were introduced ou a contributory basis. The same principle was true of health insurance. British Car* and Overseas Markets.

Dealing with the motor industry, Captain Crookshank said be had been frequently told that the English manufacturers did not cater for the overseas motor trade, and as a consequence thousands of pounds, which otherwise would find its way to the Motherland, annually went to other countries. It was pointed out, however, that the total number of cars in England was only about a third of the annual American output. Therefore, the British manor facturer had up to now, naturally concentrated iu making the Home market a British one, before opening out in the Dominions. During the war the British manufacturer could not, ami. in fact, was not allowed, to manufacture cars, but had to concentrate on the output of munitions. Since the war a 33 1-3 per ceut. tariff had been placed on for-eign-made cars. This had been a great asset iu the direction of getting British cars back on the English market, hut a temporary check was brought about by the Socialistic Government taking off the tariff when it came into power in 1924. The Conservarive Party, however, when it was again returned fo power, restored the tariff. He mentioned that 10 percent. of the cars imported into New Zealand were of British make. Both the Hon. S. Bruce and the Hon. J. G. Coates had visited the manufacturers at Home, and the result of their discussions n 6 doubt, should improve the automobile trade between Britain and Australasia. , , • "Perhaps,’’ said Captain Crookshonk, "the difficulty in importing British cars into this country lies not with the manufacturer, but elsewhere. It seems to me that, a reduction in freights, not only for motor-cars but for all British products, would do much to increase inter-imperial trade.”