WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 7 June 1926, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS

AGRICULTURE AND OTHER THINGS. BY PRESIDENT OF ROYAL SOCIETY (Special to “ Guardian.”) WELLINGTON, June 4.

Two casual observations made by Hr IV. Perry in the course of his address at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Royal Agricultural Society have attracted the attention of others than those immediately interested in rural pursuits. Mr Perry was understood to imply that the national system of education did not make for the production of farm workers and to cast some reflection upon the action of the United States in raising a still more formidable tariff harrier against the admission of butter to the Great Republic, lioth the manual workers and the school teachers have taken exception to Mr Perry’s allusion to the education system. The workers protest that it is the farmers themselves and not the system of education that prevents a larger number of boys turning to the country life when they have completed their school course. Did the farmers offer better conditions and wider opportunities for advancement, they say. there would be no scarcity of farm labour. The teachers, on their part;' hold strongly that the present system of education provides a much larger measure of instruction pertaining to the avocation of the farmer than did the system of twenty-five or thirty years ago when farm labour was available in abundance. The whole trend of modern education, they maintain, is towards the practical side and if it is not producing the desired results the farmer, above all people, should state definitely the reason why. All this seems logical enough. AMERICAN RECIPROCITY.

Mr Perry’s allusion to America’s fiscal policy was of a more definite character and it evidently was intended to convey the idea that the Dominion’s Friends on the other side of the Pacific wore not comporting themselves in a very neighbourly fashion. “As from April 5.” he said, '■ the United States of America has increased the duty on imported butter from eight to twelve cents. This would appear sufficiently high to prohibit exports of New Zealand butter lo that country, hi view of the fact that in 1925 the value of our total imports from the States was almost nine millions and that the States bought only a little over four millions from New Zealand this means that America is now practically refusing the acceptance of any butter as payment for what we purchase. The effect of the .revision of the Gerinan and American butter tariffs must have the effect of diverting more butter to the United Kingdom, which in itself will not tend to improve prices or even to keen them up.” Mr Perry did not suggest any means by which the balance of the trade between the States and the Dominion could be more closely adjusted, and the delegates to the conference appeared to think the New Zealand fa rmer had a very real grievance against the American politicians. THE CONSUL-GENERAL’S VIEIV. The United States Consul-General, Mr i.owrie, when seen here to-day said be had noticed the report of the statement made by Mr Poi rv. but bo had not read into it any suggestion that the president of the New Zealand Royal Agricultural Society had spoken with any ill-will towards Anierea or had inlanded to disparage its fiscal policy. It was quite possible, however, that his words iiad been misunderstood. Ailieriva, like New Zealand, nas a protectionist country. Whether this policy was a good one or a bad one. in either country, it was not for him to say. He could say. however, without any reservation. that the American people held a very high opinion of New Zealanders, as they had reason- to do, and were anxious to maintain The most friendly relations with them. He could understand. Mr Lowrie went on to say. that. New Zealand would he hotter pleased if the exchange of products and com-' modifies between the two countries' were more evenly balanced; hut A liter- 1 iea at least could sav that it was the largest purchaser of .Yew Zealand products outside the British Empire, a.! pleasant recollection to himself personally and one which gratified the American people as a whole. A TRIBUTE TO NEW ZEALAND.

Tlie fact that the* United Stales covered such ;t lingo expanse of latitude, with its varying Hiinato and products, Mr I rnvrie pointed’ out, was one reason wliy the exchange of trade between America and New Zealand was not so large as every good American, as well as every good New Zealander, would like it to he. Practically everything New Zealand produced the States produced in one part or another. Just at the moment among America’s exports to the Dominion motor cars and motor parts hulked largely—and incidentally appeared to have eontributed very substantially to the country’s revenue but already tlier.e were indications that New Zealand was going to push the States out of this business, just as it had done in the case of many other commodities which years ago were brought down from New York and San Kancisco to meet the roriuirements of; the early colonists, who had not had

time to develop their own resources. M, Uowrie—apologising for venturing upon prophecy in connection with a country of which lie, so far, had seen so little—declared that New Zealand’s destiny lay in. rapid development and in enormously increased production. Vour resources are so Jaj’ge and so varied,” lie said in conclusion, “that you need fear competition from no j country, be it ever so big, within your i own sphere. I have heard many Americans say what 1 am saying now, men with greater opportunities for observe-' tion than T have had, and I am satis-1 fied , their judgment is sound.” Mr Lowrie’s advice to New Zealand is to j make less of their country's limitation and much more of its vast potentialities.