Untitled

Hokitika Guardian, 11 February 1924, Page 2

Tin.lll. ale prospects of cotton-growing taking place on the Coast and in this vicinity within a reasonably short time. A move in that direction may he exjucted in a year or so. On that ac-t-mint the following remarks may be ({tinted as being addressed to the people of Westland. They arc from a Sydney paper as follows: '‘To-day the country jieojtle of New South Wales have greater encouragement and ojjjiorttitiities, and their prospects for the future are brighter than ever before.” said the Frontier (Sir George Fuller) in performing the official opening of the Kia111c Show. He jiroceedod: There are oj'eiiing tijt through hitherto imexploited fields great avenues of prosperous activity. Foremost in my mind is the cotton industry, which in a few years will probably develojv into the greatest of all our primary industries. There are many people who believe that the shortage of cotton in the wot Id’s central market is lull a passing phase, and that when America solves her prchlom, as in all probability it will, :>f the boll weevil jiest. the Australian product, because of the competitive cost will he forced ofT the market. .But the trend of events points strongly to the contrary. Ameiican cotton mills arc gradually, hut surely, overtaking the American production, and the c.xjiort of American cotton is yearly diminishing. It is estimated that it will not he more than ten, and may he less than five years when there will ho no American cotton at all fm export. Great Britain must of necessity then look elsewhere for her chief and permanent supplies. There are also economic changes taking Jilaee in Amerhm which have a favourable hearing, as fa" as we are concerned, on the question of competitive cost of production. Negro labourers are leaving the plantations for tlie mines, factories, and ironworks, where their earning prospect- are better. Those remaining on the cotton fields am demanding mid obtaining higher wages. These changes are not new. Combined with the fact, howon r, that our cotton lias commanded higher jirices than American on the British market, they serve to emphasise the great opportunity provided for tins State and Australia generally." And Westland has been .spied out. as a suitable place for cotton growing. It is at; entirely new venture, but Britain needs the etoton, and it will come overseas for it. ft will he one direction in which Empire jireferettce can develop legitimately, and the movement is worthy of being fostered. On that account the people may hope patiently for a very important development in the net distant future.

Fun the first time in history a woman has been appointed a member of the British Ministry. This distinction has fallen to Miss Margaret Bondfieltl. who Inn- been appointed Parliamentary Secretary for Labour in tno MacDonald .Miss Bondficld was one of eight women successful ;it the last British elections out of 31 women candidates who went to the polls. She was elected in the Labour interests of Northampton, receiving 15,55(5 votes. Of the successful women eimdidntes she received the third highest number of votes. Miss Margaret (Irace Bondfield, who was horn in Somerset, has been one of the Labour leaders in the old country for many years, Assistant secretary of the Shop Assistants' ITiion l.n a number of years. Miss Bondficld is a lecturer and writer for the Sociali-‘ and Labour movements, and was elected president of the British Trade Congress in September Just. Miss Boudfield was a delegate to the Berne International Conference in 1918; she was also present al the. French Trade Union Congress in Paris and the C'nngiess of the American Federation of Labour at Atlantic City, and she was a delegate from the British Trade Union Congress to Russia in 1920. Miss BondBondfield lias idled many other responsible posts. She was Labour adviser to the Labour Convention at 'Washington in ID! St. and also at Genova in 1921, under the auspices of the League of Nations. Miss Bondficld is a member of the Central Committee on Women’s Training and 'Emplr;vniciit, and is secretary of the National Union of General Workers (women workers’ section).