The Daily News. THURSDAY, MAY 9, 1912. WANTED-MEN.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 205, 9 May 1912, Page 4

The Daily News. THURSDAY, MAY 9, 1912. WANTED-MEN.

While tlie new Ministry is vigorously assailing its new billet and attacking many problems which, if solved, will help, the country, we have 'heard from none of the members anything about a most important problem, on which the others to a large extent depend. The problem is the peopling of New Zealand, and' with it the increase of our exports, the settlement of the vast areas of idle land, the use of our raw products, the adequate protection of a superb country, and an avenue by which we can get out of debt in a greater hurry than by any Debt Extinction Bill yet devised. It cannot fail to be remarked that although the natural increase in New Zealand, small as it is, is as satisfactory as that of other civilised countries, we dare not depend on this alone. At present there is not only 110 perceptible large influx of population, but there is no apparent effort on the part of the New Zealand authorities either in the Dominion or in London to attract the increase which is so vitally necessaary to us. For the year ending March 31, the excess of arrivals over departures was merely 5892. If it became the habit of our newly-fledged' statesmen to concentrate on the peopling of New Zealand as an intensely vital matter; if these statesmen insisted that the men in the pay of this country in England were doing their business properly; if the detestable spirit that induces so many New Zealanders to handicap an influx of population in every way, then unquestionably a new era would dawn. The supposition that the fewer the people the greater the individual wealth is untrue, selfish and short-sight-ed. We are in danger of becoming stale by supposing that we have come to the end of our development and the highest point in the peopling of the country. The New Zealander is in the habit of complaining that although he makes a noise in the world the world doesn't hear him, and, in fact, often doesn't know he exists, it is only by the development that will come with the proper population of the country and a consequent working of the resources that are lying undeveloped that Isew Zealand can become as important a place as it believes itself to be. We cannot attract population unless we compete for it in the densely populated countries of the earth, and to compete we must offer as good a chance as Australia, the Argentine, South Africa and Canada offer. Canada oflers land gratis in order that it may produce more wealth for the countiy, and this is one of the chief rea-

sons why myriads of people flock to a country which has so few attractions in comparison to our own. Australia offers land for next to nothing, whilst the huge owners in the Argentine now understand the vital need of closer settlement, and even give farms to their "peons" in order that it may be of service to the country. Huge areas of land have been cut up in that very conservative country, South Africa. The whole of these countries recognise the truth that New Zealand will simply take no notice of—that men, women and children are of the most vital importance, and that the country which has undeveloped land, which sends abroad for the majority of things it uses, will remain backward, undeveloped and a persistent debtor. It is true that we have not the large areas of land to offer that Australia, Canada and South Africa have, but we have advantages that none of the other countries possess. What is wanted is the bursting up of the large estates, utilising the big areas of Maori lands, and making it impossible for land' to be held for speculation and not for use. If the new Ministry tackles this problem with a will, as it promises to do, during the coming session, and also turns its attention to the important question of immigration) it will deserve well of the country.