PUBLIC OPINION

Hokitika Guardian, 5 January 1931, Page 3

PUBLIC OPINION

“DUSTBIN OF THE WORLD.” Other .countries look upon us as the dustbin of *tlTe world. Every mini uto of the day and night we are importing- £SOO worth Of foreign manufactured goods,” declared Sir. Henry Page CYoft, M.P. WHAT THE EMPIRE OWNS. “ Perhaps it would he as well to record some of our known possessions,” writes Sir Robert Had field in the “ Morning Post,” on Empire advantages. “We own more than 60 per cent of all the wool and rubber in the world; we control 70 per cent of the world’s gold output; we own 70 per cent of the nickel and 60 per cent of the world’s, tin; we own 40 per cent of the world’s cotton spindles, 99 per cent-of the world’s jute ;, a considerable percentage of the world’s'shipping ton-

nage; and .we undoubtedly possess much of the world’s best' coal.” THE LIFE OF AMERICA. “Fife is life. It may be a lolling,! fat, ’disgusting thing, but in the hand, of a master it would become a very sardonic thing. The life of Ainericg to-day, fast verging as it is on social tragedy, should lend itself to -satire- .. and irony. Nothing will be done until 50 or 60 per cent of the people of the United States feel the pinch that follows the right of the corporations to tax them to death. The only thing that will «tir the people is misery/! They are not miserable enough,' yet, but they soon will be. Men could organise tliis land so it could support three, or four times its [lopulation without any misery.”—Mr Theodore Dreiser, an American’, on his own country.