ADVANCE OTAGO.

Evening Star, Issue 19784, 7 February 1928, Page 4

ADVANCE OTAGO.

TO TEE EDITOR. gi r) —j. read with interest the letter by “Insomnia” in Saturday evening’s ‘ Star,’ and in the main I agree wilh him. The big Exhibition, thanks to those able men who directed, the effort, did much for Dunedin, but clearly wo have lost much of the good from it by not following on with steady sustained effort. “ One swallow does not make a summer,” and it is high time that vo roused ourselves to further effort. We have the men of brains, the nioucy, top, but do let us mix a little mure ginger and energy with it all. I a give with “ Insomnia. ” that the geographical position of Dunedin is a handicap, but that is simply another reason why we should go at it a little harder than om- more fortunately-situated brothers in the north Let ns whip up our energies and not rest content with the Big Exhibition. Like any wise shopkeeper. we must keep redressing our window and make an attractive display to the outside world.

Every new settler in our province is another customer for our shops, and population will give us power and strength. To absorb new settlers wo must open up new industries and farm lands. One rarely secs a new company formed having for its purpose the manufacturing of a new article or the development of some mineral wealth in Otago; but how common this is in tho North Island! I readily confess that 1 am no expert on such matters, but it would appear to me that too much of Dunedin’s money goes into “ gilt-edged securities ” and too little into new industries. Instead of an industrial crime wo are becoming a financial centre- Lending money to the North Island has its advantages, but it docs not make for expansion here. As your correspondent says, things are bad everywhere, but that, is only the more reason for ns to get busy and improve matters. Wo can do better if wo but try, and it is a great pity that able-bodied, willing workers should be prevented from working. To my mind tho unemployed should he provided for by the Government, so that all people, city and country alike, would he contributing their fair share. At present the balance is in favor of tho country dweller.

We have plenty of land suitable ior the growing of flax, yet there appears to bo' no real attempt to farm it on a. large .scale. In the North Island there ar<T several companies operating, and a good deal of the money is from Dunedin.

At this time of the year there is a very large -waste of fruit in the Roxburgh district, and the posibilities of successfully canning and drying fruit ought to bo gone into. The factories in our city are too far removed from the fruit farms, and much waste results. Jam making and canning at ■'Roxburgh moan railing sugar and tin to that town instead of bringing the fruit to Dunedin, but there are advantages in this. Much small fruit and fruit which has ripened with a rush of hot weather is at. present lost to the world after a. whole year of .patient work, and we should try and cut this waste down.

To show what can bo done in one class of fruit let me quote the returns which two partners in a little over an aero of strawberries bad this season. Between £4OO and £SOO net was realised, and the supply docs not meet the demand. Surely a." good return, when not much more than three months’ work in any year is required In keep the plants in good order ami gather the crop. The other nine months were used in rabbiting, orchard work, and work on other farms. Wc must, remember ilml every new settler in the country back of Dunedin, every now dweller in. a country town in Otago adds another small nick to our prosperity. The I rouble over irrigation in the (Viilral is very disheartening, and wo mdst lend a very sympathetic ear to the ' (roubles ol our Central ■ Iriends. They-kink to ns In hack them up, and wc iniist not tail them. The Central to a large extent, holds Dunedin’s future, and we must regard ilieir troubles as our own.

The problem of the poor lands close Lo .Dunedin still requires solving. The, suggested afforestation scheme is not heard of now. I hope that it has not been dropped. Unlike your correspondent “ Insomnia,” 1 am in favor of our advertising the beauty of Dunedin and Otago scenic resorts. The tourist is of great value, and it is all business. The North islander should be induced to come south, and not only will he be amply repaid with a good holiday in the bush, on our beaches, and amongst our mountains, but ho will realise that there arc, after all, two islands in New Zealand. A groat many of them appear to be ignorant of this fact. Thu Government, too, must be forced to give more prominence to our southern scenic resorts. There is undoubtedly far ton much North Island in New Zealand affairs to-day, and wc must got together and chance that. Why should wo not ask the Government to advertise the South Island resorts on the North Island railway stations and trains? Much can bo done with internal tourist traffic, and the Railways Department should do all m its power to get the Aucklander to conic south and the Southlander to go north. Tourists passing through Auckland should receive literature referring to southern resorts. It would appear that the Tourist Department was more of a North Island company that a Government department. 1 hope, too, that with the largo .lumber of visitors to Stewart Island for the Sanders Cup something will be done to let these people know more about tliis end of Now Zealand, After the races they should bo urged to “ Jo ’ Queenstown and other places, and last but not least, they should receive plenty of pamphlets and other advertising matter to take home with them. There are always next year’s holidays. The value of the visitor was clearly demonstrated during Exhibition time, and wc can well do with thousands of them.

Finally, J think that the Expansion League is on the right lines and doing splendid work, but the annual subscription should be made as low r as possible—even to suit a working man—and a big drive for new members undertaken. —I am, etc.,

Forward Otago

February 7,