PUBLIC OPINION.

Hokitika Guardian, 9 April 1927, Page 4

PUBLIC OPINION.

Clearly it is better from the national point ol view that the wages portion ol the cost ol a pair ol hoot should fie paid to a New Zealand bootmaker rather than to one living in America Ol course this is an old story, hut we want the Government to take this phase of the problem into consideration and do what it can to encourage New Zealanders to buy New Zealand goods and to keep New Zealand workers in employment. A policy of that kind will he far more effective and do far more good than will any scheme of low-wage relief works. Surely it is hotter that a man should earn tho award rate of wages in it regular trade than that he should live from hand to month in a temporary job. The country has to keep him either way. and tho difference is that under a sane policy the country reaps a profit from his lalronrs, whereas under a makeshift semieharitable scheme the man is a burden. In the meantime the relief works are obviously necessary, and equally obviously they must not become a. permanent part of our economy.—"Lyttelton Times.”

Adequate and suitable employment of fertilisers and a proper knowledge of the chemistry of the soil and ol how to keep the flocks and herds clean would revolutionise farming in this country, and the new order is surely coining. Such training has in the past been regarded as a waste of time, but the farmer of the next generation will he one who applies knowledge to the solution of difficult problems, and does not depend purely on experience gained in a school largely directed by ignorance and rule of thumb methods. Our belief is that- when the value of this education is fully realised two ag-