The Sun TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1928. MORE WORK FOR THE WAGES PAID

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 290, 28 February 1928, Page 8

The Sun TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1928. MORE WORK FOR THE WAGES PAID

IF plain common sense be a virtue in politics, then the Minister of Agriculture must take rank among the best of the country’s administrators. And it certainly is true that since the Hon. O. -T. Hawken took over his important portfolio, he has created an excellent impression everywhere by a consistent exercise of shrewd wisdom and direct speech on things as they are, not as idealists would like them to he. In short, he never goes wool-gathering with the theorists. This appreciable trait was quite the most prominent feature of an unpretentious address by the Minister last evening at Papatoetoe, where he cut through the mass of political gibberish and gave his audience a plain fare on the pith of politics—much too plain probably to be relished like a feast. His main subjects were land and labour. As to the first of these topics Mr. Hawken easily disposed of all the claptrap about the necessity for settlement, more settlement, and still more settlement. A few facts sufficed to silence the pleaders for additional farms and the improvement of poor elav and fern-infested lands. There was, the Minister declared bluntly, but a meagre demand for land; little advantage had been taken of the offer of land for nothing; the fact bad to be faced that most of the unbroken land left in New Zealand would cost as much to bring into production v as it was worth. Quite so, but did the Government tell Mr. Amery the truth, and has the truth about land settlement in New Zealand been broadcast over the immigrant-recruiting centres throughout Great Britain? On the subject of industrial labour, which is very different from political Labour, Mr. Hawken delved down to the bedrock of the Dominion’s most serious difficulties and depression. ‘‘Has the Arbitration Court, through any conditions it has laid down, affected the volume of production?” asked the Minister who, like the jesting Pilate, scarcely paused to answer his own question. It was clear that Mr. Hawken did not want to base conclusions on street-corner talk, but showed willingness to believe what he called the large allegation that production has fallen. Instead of seeking information, the Minister ought to have been in the position readily to give all the facts about industrial slackness and decreased production. What’s the use of spending a king’s ransom on a statistical department, if it cannot keep Ministers of the Crown Completely equipped with exact knowledge? As a matter of measured fact the value of total productions has more than doubled in the past fifteen years—from a little over £51,000,000 in 1910 to rather more than £116,000,000 in 1925, hut the volume, in relation to increased population, has decreased from the index basis of 1,000 to 987. The decrease in production per head of the population was not heeded much when prices for products were high, but as soon as prices declined sharply, while production and taxation costs kept climbing on, the need of increased production immediately became acute. That necessity remains, and until every worker gives the best of his labour for his relatively good wages all the time, New Zealand will not emerge from the depression of unemployment all the year round. The conditions imposed directly and indirectly upon industry by the Arbitration Court may or may not have adversely affected the volume of production, but everybody knows quite well, without the aid of statistics, that, in recent years, more money has had to be paid for much less work than was the common experience before the greater part of the world plumped for leisure and luxury at the expense of posterity. It is to be hoped that the forthcoming industrial conference will deal with the grim facts of the whole position, and clear the ground for better times in industry and trade.

HOBSONVILLE AVIATION BASE

THE purchase by the Government of a site at Hobsonville for an aviation base was made long enough ago for something tangible now to be shown in earnest of its purpose. So far, however, nothing has been done with the land, and nothing has been done to further aviation in New Zealand by a Government which has been singularly uninterested in the subject, if its attitude is to be judged by its lack of performance. Questions as to the Government’s policy in air-defence have been answered by a wait-and-see wave of the departmental hand, in such a manner as to indicate that a complete base and a fleet of aircraft could be produced by another wave of that same hand—just as a prestidigitator produces a wriggling rabbit from a silk handkerchief. Pinned down to something definite, the Ministerial reply was that work at the base would be proceeded with as soon as Captain Isitt returned from England. Captain Isitt has now returned from England, where he has spent nearly two years, investigating the possibilities of flying in this country and taking refresher courses in airplane work among the world’s best airmen. This should be productive of something, and there ought not to be any further delay in making a start in laying out the Hobsonville base. While the rest of the British Empire is making wonderful progress in the development of air-travel, New Zealand has been almost at a standstill, unless Captain Isitt’s mission may be regarded as a valuable preliminary—which it ought to prove. It is well known, however, that as far as aircraft: is concerned, we have scarcely “a feather to fly with,” for most of our machines are hopelessly out of date and are not airworthy. The return of Captain Isitt, coincident with great feats of flying by the airmen of other British Dominions, should at last stimulate the Government of New Zealand to energetic action.