THE PAST WEEK.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5480, 27 September 1929, Page 3

THE PAST WEEK.

Mr Ken. Ross, M.A., speaking at Feilding last week, held that the Maori and the pakeha had the Aryan race as common ancestors, and that was why the half-caste Maori was the only native that did not deteriorate. Mr Ross evidently forgets or does not know that the Japanese also claim descent from Aryan stock, and from conclusions based on findings on a par with the shadowy Maori ones. The Japanese Eurasian, despite this, remains a perplexing question in the social and economic life of the East. Mr Ross has deemed the half-caste a native. It would be interesting to know how he arrived at this conclusion, for if he has definitely settled a question that has been worrying the cleverest men in the Orient ever since Europeans went there, he will have solved what they, with all their knowledge and eruditeness, could not, and thereby effectively smoothed out one of the greatest stumbling-blocks in European-Asiatic life. One is unfortunately forced to fear that Mr Ross was speaking slightly out of his turn.

Bell County, Texas, U.S.A., from whence comes the doughty Sheriff John R. Bigham, is an agricultural district in the centre of that State. It has an aero of some 1,083,000 square miles and a population of 49,000. Temple is a railway town of 11,033 inhabitants in a cotton-growing locality. The State of Texas itself, picturesquely known as' the “Lone Star State,” has had a chequered career. It was included by the Spaniards in their earliest claims, but the first actual settlement was made by the French in 1685. This, however, was short-lived, and Spanish occupation began properly in 1715. In 1820 Texas became a province of the Republic of Mexico when that country revolted from Spanish rule. In 1836 the Texans revolted, and at the battle of San Jacinto, led by General Sam Houston, they defeated the Mexicans and established a republic of their own under the presidency of Houston. The new State was recognised by the United States of America and several European powers, and remained independent until 1845, when by the people’s wish it was admitted into the federation of the United States. * * * w In last Friday’s issue there appeared an interview with Mr J. Robinson Smith, of Singapore, during the course of which that gentleman strongly advocated a direct steamship service between New Zealand and the East to further the vast potential market for- the Dominion there. Mr Smith pointed out that New Zealand goods were welcomed in the East, and that New Zealand had the possibility of capturing the meat trade to there at present in the hands of Australia, owing to the prevalence of strikes in the sister Dominion making continuous supplies uncertain. The subject was brought up at the last meeting of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, when the chairman, Mr E. Salmond, explained to members what steps a special committee of the chamber was taking to investigate the possibility of New Zealand trade with Eastern Asia. Mr Salmond pointed out that Australian exports to that part of the world amounted to £17,000,000 for the year ended June 30, 1927. Of that sum something like £5,000,000 was done in products such as wheat and flour, which New Zealand was not in a position to supply, but the balance, roughly £12,000,000, represented trade in wool, butter, and meat.

»The latter articles New Zealand could supply, and would be in a better position to do so with its more settled labour conditions than Australia. The Prime Minister recognised that unless New Zealand has a means of direct trade with the East it cannot compete with Australia, and he has already stated that he will consider the question of subsidising a service between New Zealand and Eastern Asia.

The Wellington Chamber of Commerce has decided that the special committee should delve more deeply into the subject before making any representations to the Government on the question. This committee will go closely into the possibilities of the trade, and if it is considered that New Zealand can secure a reasonable share of the Eastern trade the Government will be urged to subsidise a shipping service in its inception and until the trade becomes stabilised.

This subject was first broached in the “Gazette” some time ago and a suggestion made that an effort be made to secure the contract for New Zealand for supplying meat for the United Stated Army in the Philippines.. That in itself would be no infinitesimal contract, and when one thinks of the teeming millions over and above the white population the prospect almost dazzles. Until a few years back the quantity of meat, butter, and milk used by these millions was so minute per capita that it was not worth considering. In fact, they did not, except the Tibetians and some Indians, use butter at all. However, the situation is changing now, and with appropriate advertising of the type to appeal to the Eastern mind and selling methods adapted to the peculiarities of the countries concerned, it would not be long before those millions were persuaded to use New Zealand products. The increasing returns from even the haphazard methods of trade used now have already shown this. The main thing as far as butter is concerned is to get in the market before margarine.

While on the subject of butter, the “ butter ” used by the Tibetans might be further elaborated upon. This is made from goat’s milk and is used mostly to drink melted in tea. A more nauseating form of liquid. refreshment can hardly be imagined than this blob of evil-smelling, filthylooking and indescribably awful tasting “butter,”* which as a rule is generously sprinlded with goat’s hair, floating on top of an eggcupful of in ferior china tea.