DUTCH ENTERPRISE

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 894, 11 February 1930, Page 10

DUTCH ENTERPRISE

OBSERVATIONS OF WORLD TRAVELLER

ENGLAND LACKS INITIATIVE

The amazing enterprise of the Dutch in Java.

England's lack of initiative in attempting to capture foreign market? The tremendous progress in sheepfarming and wool production in South Africa.

These are three of the most outstanding impressions brought back bv Colonel Noel Adame, of Wharekaw* Station, who returned to Auckland yesterday by the Niagara, after a year's tour abroad. He was accompanied by Mrs. Adams.

Colonel Adams visited Australia, Java, the beautiful island of Bali South Africa. England, and the Continent of Europe, going off the beaten tvack there into the Austrian Tyrol--Czecho-Slovakia and the Carpathians. This last trip had to be made with a former Austrian colonel as guide, as the country was considered rather dangerous for travellers. Colonel Adams was told that it was dangerous to penetrate into some of the Balkan States because of gangs of marauders, who had no scruples about robbing tourists.

WOOL FROM SOUTH AFRICA “Sheepfarming is going ahead tremendously in South Africa,” remarked the colonel, “but the South Africans aro still a long way behind us. South Africa imported large numbers of purebred sheep from Australia, but that trade has now been stopped by the Commonwealth. The South African?, however, are not worrying now that their flocks have been improved by the importations. In fact, they are worrying Australia by the quantity of wool they produce. The quality ha? also improved.”

Colonel Adams mentioned that the young Dutch farmers, most of them •varsity men. are taking a great deal more interest in farming than their fathers did.

On his way back to New Zealand, Colonel Adams spent five weeks in’ Java, and was amazed by the enterprise and industry of the Dutch there. He says that the Dutch are building three large liners to trade between Amsterdam and Java, and that they also contemplate putting two other new vessels on the run to Sydney. These modern and up-to-date vessels will have a speed of 18 knots an hour, and the company expects to reduce, simply because they will noc by nine to seven days. The Dutch steamers are extremely comfortable and extremely clean, he says, and there is no doubt that the company ia definitely setting out to capture both passenger and freight trade. MARKET FOR ENGLAND

An enormous amount of cargo Is going out of Java. One item alone is interesting, and that is that Java now controls the whole of the world's supply of quinine. The whole island is marvellously productive.

“The Dutch in Java are very favourably disposed tow-ard England. - ' said Colonel Adams, “and they want to deal with English manufacturers. There is a big trade opening in Java and the East, but the Americans are. creeping in and taking it. They are now ousting the Australians in tinned produce .simply because they, will nor. produce w T hat the people want.” Colonel Adams advises English manufacturers to send their represantives to all parts of the world to foisted trade personally.

The Dutch in Java arc making creat strides with aviation, lie said. Giant three-engined Fokker planes connect regularly with Sumatra and Singapore and the more important centres ia Java. There is a daily service between Batavia and Sourabaya. Colonel and Mrs. Adams made this last trip, which is considered a perfectly safe one, as there is a landing ground at every seven miles along the route. Speaking of England, Colonel Adam* says that there is a good deal of depression noticeable. Pers3nally he does not think that the Labour Government will do much harm and the general feeling at Home is that “Out of evil cometh good.” He considers that a good deal of the trouble in England is that the machinery in many of the factories is out of date. There is also an increasing desire for shorter hours cf w-ork and more pay, and this cripples competition with the more industrious countries of the Continent. He was told during his travels that people wanted British goods, but they were not pushed on the markets.

In Germany the people are working like beavers, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. There is no obvious gaiety or luxury. France is working hard, and there is little or no unemployment. In South. Africa Colonel Adams says there are increasing signs of trouble with the natives and a nasty undercurrent of l'eeling is quite obvious.