FOR PROSPERITY.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVII, Issue 4927, 18 January 1926, Page 3

FOR PROSPERITY.

NEW ZEALAND POLICY RIGHT; IN FAVOUR OF AGRICULTURE! “New r Zealand, I, can plainly see, has. a Government which fe' sympathetic towards a,ml clearly understands not a little about agriculture, and the necessity for encouraging and assisting the primary producers. Australia, I am afriad, is making the mistake which England did a hundred years ago when she divorced the country from the cities and bent all. her energise to industrialism. You would do well to at all times keep the baL ance in favour of agriculture.’’ Such were the views expressed on Wednesday to a Wellington Dominion reporter by Sir Herbert Matthews, who for the past quarter of a century has held the position of secretary of the Central Chamber of Agriculture, England, a.nd who is visiting the Dominion in order to study the possibilities, of forest timber development in this country. MARVELLOUS PROGRESS! “When one remembers that it is only 70 years since development was started in New Zealand,” he declared, “one is simply astounded at the progress. which has been made. I 1 can quite unnderstand, since seeing your country, how it is possible for New Zealand producers ,to grow, ship, and sell primary products in England cheaper than they can be produced at Home. In the first place, you have practically ten growing months in the year, and you might say .two crops. Yojiir farmers are not put to the expense of housing your cattle and horsey during four or five months in the winter, and they are saved’the' additional expense of hapd-feeding the animals. Then, again, your soil, is very prolific, and even your pumice lands require very little development to make them grow’ good pastures. ENGLAND’S MISTAKE.

"Ils the trend in England, as it is here, from the country to the towns ?” “Yes,” promptly replied tire English agriculturist, "only a thousand times more bo. Our people started to flock from the country to the cities about the time that New Zealand was. first colonised. We became an industrial nation, and devoted all our attention tb fostering industries, forgetting that agriculture can prosper wihout industries, but no industry can get on without agriculture. The trouble in England is that primary producers have no real representation in ParliamentThe industrial interests predominate to such an extent that no one troubles very much about the poor farmens, who ure so scattered that they are swallowed up In the millions of people engaged in industrial pursuits. Australia is trying to rectify this mistake, a,nd ,an effort is being made to establish a Country Party to safeguard the interests of primary producers. I saw signs in Australia, however, that the Country Party would meet with determined opposition from the industrialists We in England made the mistake of divorcing the country from the city, and focussing otu-i whole attention upon industrialism. I sincerely trust that Australia will not make the same mistake. A SYMPATHETIC GOVERNMENT. “It ifs' plain to see,” declared Sir Herbert M.atthews, “that New' Zealand possesses a Government which is sympathetic towards the- man on the land, and whose members understand not a little about agricultural masters. Taking the keen interest I do in agriculture, I have been learning ever since I stepped ashore in your country, and one thing which has impressed me very favourably is, the help and' assistance which is afforded to farmers by the State departments.” Questioned as to agricultural conditions in Engla.nd, the visitor said that the fanners enjoyed a highly prosperous time during the war years, when boom prices, were obtained. When deflation set in, in 1921, there followed the inevitable slump which must come after all boom peribdSl There were signs, however, that better times were in store for English agriculturists. BEST BUTTER IN THE WORLD.

“There is no question,” said Sir Herbert Matthews, “that New Zealand butter is. the best and most paljatSjtfle in .the world.”

“Is it holding its own in popularity with Danish ?” the interviewer asked. “Unfortunately, no,” v 4 as the reply. “Anti for a very good reason/. New Zealand butter is so good, and contains so little moisture, that it is largely used by dealers to blend with inferior butter, and the compound is then s.old as New Zealand.”