OPTIMISTIC VISITOR

Hokitika Guardian, 17 January 1933, Page 3

OPTIMISTIC VISITOR

“NO SIGN OF DEPRESSION.”

DIET OF NEW ZEALANDERS.

WELLINGTON, January 10.

“Now Zealanders are all talking about depression, but personally i have not' seen any real sign s of it,” said Dr. A. E. Blackburn, an English isitor, who has visited both North ilid South Islands. “Have I seen anybody here short of food?” he asked. ‘Have I seen anybody really dolclul? A person really depressed shows signs if nutritional loss, but 1 saw none of that in the Dominion. •* Dr. Blackburn said that land values must come dewn, for many English farmers were operating on land of less value than that of the Dominion. “Your values,” he said, “are excessive, because there used to be such a lot of sunshine optimism, but now we have deflation land values must also be deflated. “But when one reads that you' are down, nobody from another country '•an believe it, for there is. definite evidence of prosperity everywhere. I know your farmers are burdened with bite rest obligations, but they are very happy with those obligations, and they do not have to worry, as the English farmer does, how to maintain the family. Everyc-ne continues to get three substantial meals a clay, meats which are too, fatty. For your health’s sake you should reduce your consumpL ion of fat, which in undoubtedly excessive.” While on the subject of diet, Dr. Blackburn criticised the “tinned, fruit habit.” Fresh fruit should be eaten .instead, “f have asked - for poaches •n a New Zealand hotel and got tinned American cues, when they actually had delicious peaches growing in their iwn garden,” he- said. “Nelson, so fine a fruit area, provided me with tinned fruit. You must he burdened with fruit, and although T must have stayed in at least fifty hotels T could not get New Zealand fresh fruit.” The visitor, ivlio lias crrefu’fy studied farming methods in New Zealand, strongly urged the development of perk exports. “I have come to the

conclusion,” lie said, “that every dairy farmer could keep cue sow to every three cows. They would have to of row supplementary feed and use some Dollard. There is an enormous market available for their pork in England. Bacon is the inevitable breakfast dish c-f the Enndisliman, but be loes ot like it so fat as you provide bi New Zealand. A T on should give us leaner pork. 1 have eaten your York ham. and it- is excellent. A great deal of the York ham we have in England comes from Belgium, Tt goes Lancashire to be cured—not to Yorkshire —end T think your farmers would be best advised to leave the curing to English factories.