The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. TUESDAY, JULY 15, 1930. NATIONAL ASSETS.

Hokitika Guardian, 15 July 1930, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. TUESDAY, JULY 15, 1930. NATIONAL ASSETS.

The financial .situation of the Dominion, considered from the asset point of view, is not without interest at a time when national affairs awe uppermost in consideration because of the world situation regarding unemployment, and the depressed markets for primary products, As a contemporary put, it the Dominion presents the paradox of I lower prices and higher production, ami if anxiety is caused hy the first condil tion, confidence should be stimulated j by the second, The sheep returns for I the year ending in April are a record. Tlie Dominion now runs well over thirty million sheep, which total is nearly seven millions greater than the figure ten years ago. Jt ia worthy of note that the North Island, despite the attention it gives to dairying, has Increased its lead over the South Island. One might expect that this,general increase in the number of sheep would have been achieved at the expense, of cattle, but this is not so. There were 52,000 more dairy cows in New Zenland than the previous year, and the number of other cattle also increased. Against these figures has to be set a decline in pigs. Though, there is promise of a very good .export trade in pig products, there, were 73.000 fewer pigs in New Zealand in April than there were twelve months previously.

We may expect critics of the wheat duties to stress the connection between this falling-off an I the high price' of grain. Despite a protective tariff especially designed to 'make the country self-supporting in wheat, the production last season was 1 .oCO,(XX) bushels let's than in 1928-29, from a smaller acreage. This local production was well below the country’s requirements. On the whole, however, there is much that is encouraging in the country’s production figures. Better methods of farming are having their effect, and the nation is meeting the world-wide condition of lower prices by producing more. The process of adjusting values to the new conditions is bound to be slow, but there is no,occasion for any discouragement. Extension of land settlement, prudence in national, local and private finance., general encouragement of primary and secondary industries, and a policy to meet unemployment are what the times require. The responsibility, however, lies not only with the Government, but with all citoizem. On this point the GovernorGeneral has given New Zealand some good advice last week. Speaking at the Wellington Winter Show, Lord Bleflisloe appealed to individual New Zealanders to think when they visited such an exhibition just what they could do to help the country. He pointed to imports of goods that could be manufactured Imre, and he rightly said that if the public demands locally-made good? the manufacturers and the retailer will supply them. Simply standins still and demanding that the Government pull the country along the present rather rough road will do little good. The difficulty of course is to secure the praetbud interest of, the citizens in this obligaiory movement, Tt suffices for most to blame the Government of the day for the situation, and leave it to the Government to right things, and when the Government sets about its task the same: public in large sections takes a pleasure in trying, to check any definite movement when the particular action affect's sectional interests. But it is only by a comprehensive movement 'that the general plight of the country can he met. and the people must realise that and appreciate rather than deo'-ecri'p any nod every movement of file Government to set the national house in order.