RAW MATERIALS.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4445, 26 July 1922, Page 3

RAW MATERIALS.

PRODUCTION WITHIN THE EMPIRE.

WHAT IS DONE AND CAN BE DONE

Major E, H. Belcher, head of the British Empire Exhibition Mission, was the guest of honour at the New Zealand Club’s luncheon on Thursday (says the Dominion). He was introduced by the chairman, Mi - . C. E. Baldwin. The visitor said that the proposed exhibition of 1924 was fraught with a good deal Of Imperial importance. He did not know that it was going to be the biggest thing on earth, but it was certainly going to be the biggest thing as far as the Empire was concerned, as it would show the wonderful resources of. the Empire, its raw materials, the secondary industries arising out Of them, and, what was of even greater importance, the possibilities of the development of those industries. The war had shown that the Empire must be selHsupporting in mattei s concerning the maintenance of; life and' defence. Before the war Europe was the counting-house of. the world, but during the war European nations had to depend on American goods to such an extent that they were all now in her debt. We owed it to tihe Empire that this should not be at the expense of the stabilisation of the rates of exchange., As the late Mr. Joseph Chamberlain had said, they must look to iher “vast undeveloped “state.” (Applause.) So this exhibition was destined to show not only what they were doing, but what they could do—to show whpt were the resources of their great Dominions, the Empire of! India and the 43 Crown colonies, protectorates, and dependencies overseas.

Within the Empire they could produce every possible raw material of service to man, yet they did not, dp so. Take one on which the life-blood of a large proportion of the people of England depended—the cotton trade. At present 80 per cent, of the raw cotton came from foreign countries — countries; too, which were producing and exporting less and less every year. • In America the local mills were absorbing more and more, and there were diseases in the cotton (the bol weevil) which might develop and Cause a crisis which would be most serious tp the cotton industries of England. Thus the development of cottongrowing within the Empire was of peculiar importance to England. When in Australia he was surprised to learn what that country was doing, and could do. Cotton was grown in Australia 60 years ago, but it was not until three years ago that it was taken up seriously. Two years ago the crop amounted to 50,000- f b ; a year ago to 1,000,0001 b, and the crop due at, the end of June .last .was estimated at 4,500’,0001b. Cotton was readily grown if the soil and climate were right, and in Queensland alone there were 10,000,000 acres of land suitable for its culture. Nothing was so'suited to group settlement, as it could be run in conjunction with .small' dairy ’.farms, in which those employed on the plantations could have their' own holdings. To that matter the Austra'ian Association—a combination of. the shrewdest business men in Australia—was ftbly alive, and there was the possibility of development ip the Northern Territory, Western Australia, and the great Rivepina district. In what degree the northern part of New Zealand was suitable for cotton (growing he could not say, but there were places in the South Island climatically suited to the establishment of cotton mills, with vast coal and waterpower resources to meet the demands of any industry. (Applause.) “We may produce the best of mutton and the most luscious of fruit," said Major Belcher, “but that will not be of much use if. we dp not market them properly. The opportunities for publicity which the exhibition ! s to afford will show that we can produce rather good things, and can market them.’’ (Applause.)