A GREAT OUTLOOK

Hokitika Guardian, 6 January 1926, Page 4

A GREAT OUTLOOK

SIR JOYNTON SMITH'S VISION. WELLINGTON. Jan. 4. “A.s the nineteenth century in industrial development belonged to America, so the twentieth century will belong to Australia. 1 believe that Australia, with New Zealand as its neighbour, is oil the verge of a great development similar to that experienced by America, though the starting point is lower of course in tbo matter of figures.” So spoke Sir J. Joynton Smith, bead of Smith’s Newspapers, Ltd., and many other big enterprises to a representative of the “Lyttelton ’J imes” on his arrival by the Tahiti to-day on a holiday visit to New Zealand. “Since I left Wellington thirty-five years ago I have been in Australia, where I have seen amazing development in the Commonwealth, whose future will no doubt have a- parallel in your own country,” be added. li' Sir Joynton Smith lias a bobby it is the preaching of flic doctrine of self-development for Australia and New Zealand. In his papers lie urges steadily that the two sister dominions must be industrially self-contained. In that way, be urges, New Zealand and Australia will increase in population and strength, and the greater the strength of the integral parts the greater, lie says, the strength of the British Empire as a whole. “J.ook at the slor,\ of Australian manufacturing since the war,” 1.0 said. “In 1918-1919 the factories of Australia added £80,0::0.06n, to the value of raw materials they handled. In 1‘.123-24 this figure had grown to £161.009.09'.) such is the creative energy of Australian industrial workshops.

“The rate of advance gives woiidclTul promise for the future. It tolls us not to be afraid of any of our burdens and responsibilities, for if this is continued about twenty years Australia s workshop result in adtlod value will reach the astounding figure of U 1.800,000,000. That is enough to pay twice over the whole of the presentpublic debts of Australia, Slate and Federal, external and internal. Such results are bound to arrive, because tlie iudustril efficiency ot Australia keeps growing higher. Since 1919 the number of factory hands in the Commonwealth Inis increased IT per cent, from 270.000 to .629,000 in round numbers, but horse-power in industrial machinery increased 08 per cent, from 660,000 to 1,110,000. Even now the proportion to population ot Australian factory horse-power is only two-thirds that of the Lnited States, but we will move upward all the time. The young giant will never stoop under the load of '£400,000.000, left a.s a war debt. In public and private properly Australia has accumulated wealth in round, numbers reaching almost three tbousend millions, or £SOO per bead. In Now Zealand. I understand, even richer results have been achieved in proportion to population. From the Sir.rtisticia n’.s 'inures T believe that whereas Australian wealth would approach £9OO per head for every person over one year old. New Zealand can show an average per adult cf £969. It i.s a great advantage to Australia to have m, prosperous a neighbour as your country.” Sir Joynton Smith is confident that a. future of immense wealth and power awaits Australia and New Zealand together. “Australia grows continental,” lie said, "while New Zealand will retain that island character which in its own way brings special strength and riches to people. To me it seems thal the Dominion will live beside the continent of the southern seas, bearing the same commercial relation to Iho Commonwealth ns the British Tslcs to

Europe, the Japanese islands to the mainland of Asia. Both will be British. But New Zealand, I think, will be more British even that Australia. Until recently it had been customary to regard the population of Australia a.s 96 per cent British, hut over the past year the proportion of British migration to Australia as compared with European had been, not 96, but 76 per cent. However, the population, character and tradition of Australia will be British during the progress of the, century, and while Australia amt New Zealand thus grow together tho glory and power of tho British race in the- Southern Hemisphere will l» equal to any past splendour in the history of our race.”