THE EMPIRE’S FOOD SUPPLY

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 51, 24 November 1926, Page 12

THE EMPIRE’S FOOD SUPPLY

FULLER INFORMATION

NEEDER

IMPERIAL BUREAU OF STATISTICS

Mr. B. Tripp, of Canterbury, who arrived in Wellington yesterday by the Marania, after a visit to England, has made it a bobby to inquire into the marketing of the Dominion’s produce, and he is sure, if this country is careful, and adopts scientific methods, New Zealand and' all producing countries ought to be in for very prosperous times.

Mr. Tripp states he was very interested in remarks made by Sir Daniel Hall, chief scientific adviser to the Ministry of Agriculture, England, in which he stated: “The white population alone of the world is increasing by some five million mouths a year, and to fill these mouths an extra twelve million acres of cultivated land is vearly required.” Sir Daniel says: “Where" are the acres to come from ? There were plenty waiting for the settler and the plough during the great expansion of white population last century. Now, it is suggested thev are filled up, or nearly filled up, and there are no others of good quality to be had in the quantity that is necessary—not even if mankind resorts to the desperate remedy of turning vegetarians and renouncing the use of alcohol.” That would effect a saving in food, remarked Mr. Tripp, but Sir Daniel Hall himself did not recommend it, for he believed that the race who adopted it would sink into a “permanent slave type.” Mr. Tripp considers that one of the most important matters that ought to be striven for is an Empire statistical bureau, to be established in London. This would issue monthly returns as to stocking of meat, butter, wool, and other "produce in store. This matter he brought up before the National Sheep Breeders’ Conference the night before the Royal Show, and is very pleased to sec it is now a matter before the Imperial Conference. Mr. Tripp says there is no way of getting any returns of what is in store in England, and he is sure if this buerau were established it would do more to stabilise prices than anything else, and also our produce boards would know how to act, instead of working in the dark, as thev are at present. “There will, no doubt, be a great opposition to this suggested statistical bureau from the large speculators in England, as they make their money bv a see-saw market with rises and slumps,” said Mr. Tripp, “but the only thing is to keep hammering at it from all parts of the Empire, and it will become law if we push hard enough.” Mr. Tripp gives Mr. Forsyth, manager of the Meat Board, all the credit for being the first to bring forward, the idea that returns should be given for meat and wool in store in England. Mr. Forsvth had also done wonderful work in pushing the matter whenever he had had an opportunity.