AFRICA TODAY

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 823, 18 November 1929, Page 11

AFRICA TODAY

QUAKER ADDRESSES ROTARIANS AGRICULTURE ON INCREASE A brief. but interesting word pic ture of modern Africa was painted by Mr. Maurice Gregory. Of London, who addressed today’s luncheon meeting of the Auckland Rotary Club. Mr. Gregory, who is a prominent member of the Society of Friends hngland, is at present on one of his many world tours on social service missions. The chairman, Jlotarian Stan. Reid, in introducing him referred to his particularly good work in India and Japan. Choosing as his subject “The New Outlook in Central Africa/* Mr. Gregory said he attended some years ago a meeting in London, the object of which was to impress upon the Government the need for a reorganisation of administration in the vast new lands of Africa. New methods, now in force, which had set. the black man to work more vigorously than ever before, had produced amazing results. Cars and roads wore to be seen, tourists could pa>- through safely, and native planters had their own homes. The Government. .was at its wits end to meet the demand from Africa for teachers and trainers. The railways, too. had expanded tremendously, more goods wore being carried, and exports had increased. “The humble peanut now produces an oil as tine as the best olive oil/* he said. A total of 1,000.000 square miles of the British Empire lay in Africa, he continued. There was more of the Kmpire in Africa than in any other country in the world. Agriculture, which was far and away the most important thing in the world, was the base of Africa’s new-found prosperity. In South Africa the agricultural exports actually were now* worth more than the exports of gold and diamonds. .Mr. Gregory appealed for enlivening of agricultural interest among the young people. “There is v New* Zealand dairy factory turning out C5«>0,000 worth of butter a year,’' he said. “Why, if that were a gold mine the v hole of the Kmpire would he running alter it. Yet dairy produce is good gold.** Among the visitors present at the meeting were Messrs. T. B. Strong < Wellington). AY. Ifoughan (visiting concert artist), R. Wallace (Napier), F A. Springhall i Thames), J. M, Thompson i Winnipeg). R. J. Anstead (Madras), \V. Ivory (Wellington), Albert Gregory (London). Birthday honours were celebrated for Rotarians D. Henry. W. E. Lewisham. G. \Y. Spragg. S- Table, I*. Free, H. E. Kitchener and T. U. Wells.