ABOUT NEW ZEALAND.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20083, 12 November 1930, Page 15

ABOUT NEW ZEALAND.

CONDITIONS AND ACTIVITY.

LETTERS FROM THE DOMINION, j lii on ote ows corbbspokdbSt.) LONDON, October 3. Mr W. Burrows, now resident in New Zealand, and one time of Nelson (Lancashire), sends to the "Colne and Nelsoii Times" some information about the Dominion, because in issues of the local British paper he has New Zealand frequently nientibned as a likely country for jieople wishing to leave England. He reminds readers that "the door for assisted passages has jbeen closed for the past two or three years, - and the present Government have within the past few. days intimated that the door for assisted emigrants is to remain closed lintil the unemployment conditions out here are greatly improved. The strongest sup£6rtef of the felosed door is the Labour PArty, which in the present Parliament 1 and minority Government in the Controlling influence." "There is, of course," continued Mr Burrows, "no restriction placed on those ■who wish to emigrate to New Zealand, provided.- they can comply with the usttal conditions, aiid- pay their own fares, but -with Unemployment W» acUte, tHS prospects ate not too rosy it tli6 present tiHie. With ho tineiintiloiymeht insur&hde, tH« bnly ior& of aSsiStaiacd for those Out of #ork aria Ifi fieied is that of charitable feid boards, ahd Of #elief works; 4000 men are at present employed on such work by the Public Works itejjitrtihent of the Government, and thousands more by city and county councils. . . . With the coming or sririttg a large proportion of unemployment is soivedj but for the past two or three yekrs there have been inany out of work all through the summer months. AS land settlement ahd second- j ary industries are developed prospects j will become much brighter. {

Pdverty said Slums In New Zealand. "NeW Zealand has be»en credited with having no poor. That is Sot sb at present, nor has it Been so for some years back. Sonie of the poverty is self-imposed, but of late years accentuated by tr&de depfeSslbh, and -rt-e have hot the Slums to compare With those of London and other English eitlesj because of the difference in housing conditions, there is in ouf- cities fcjttie t)f i;h6 most miserable sliacks and homes td be forind afaywhere, siich as are found to eiist by thOM whb are engaged in social tiplift movements and charitable aid board Wbfrk;" Mr Btlrrowij coiibiudea by re *^ r ritig to the vagdrieis of the wither in b6th islands. A Successful Scheme. Councillor N. it Bennett (chairman of the City Milk Combination, Welhngton) has a letter in the "Ayr Post.' In a recent issue of the paper Mr Bennett had been struck by an article on Dairy Farming: In the Slough of Despond"— "struck because I might have been reading about our own trouble in Wellington Ne-fcr Zealand, in the years from 1910 onward, until our municipal sfcheme was launched in 191$, which lias proved such a success that everybody, appears satisfied, &fid we are' just finiShiilg a new milk station in the city at a cost for land, buildings and plant of over £150,000." t -v Mr Beniiett gives interesting details about the activities o£ hill Department ttl the Wellington City Corporation, and lifc working, remarking: "Aftefr maty mistakes, I am proud to say our scheme is a grgat Success. Producers are satisfled, as they have eome back three tihies in succession for a renewal or agrefe&feiit. The consumers are satisfied, as they get the best possible articles for the lowest possible P" c |- And the city councillors are satisfied, "as their work is such a success, paying all legitimate charges as a private firm would, shtfwirig a credit balance and charge ttgainst the rates. . . • , course, we made many mistakes, but we are now out of the bush and can go steadily oh. If you want f ur^ er information, such as a copy of our legis i lation or agreement with .the farme , | fete., I will try arid give it yon.

Fatming Conditions. Next comes a communication to the "•Countryman," 4 by. J-E-F-J-,., who says that quite as many farmers sons follow their father's calling as it the case in any other profession. He lost Ms first job in New Zealand because the farmer's son came home from one of the best secondary schools m the coitbtry, and decided to throw his lot in with his father. -> The writer goes on: "As to climate, a hundred per cent, fall of lambs is considered exceptional, and many flocks.do not average more than sixty per cent. The 'all-the-year-round' grass in New Zealand -is ft myth, as kno*fc ttrlio hafe seeii «nfed cattle ««tte out of k New Zealand winter. Every daiify-farmet provides hay and roots or ensilage as well. I was six years in tfew Zealand and found that the alleged difference the English and New Zealand climates mainly in th© imagination, though I ac-lwit in the far aortfc

the winters are fitild (and vSry wfet). The overseas farmer does not farm "highly," but he certainly shows no signs of giving up.. He is doing hia best with a situation Which is even more difficult than that which English farther® have M face, and h§ looks uncommonly like winding out. Another Parmer's View. Mr T. Wilson (Hawera), formerly a #6ll-knoWii man in Derby, . has teen visiting his native county after a residence in New Zealand of seventeen years. He then decided, with - hi§ inifs and thrfee children, t» try , his lack Abroad, and now he says he has never regretted that decision—his family have haid a' healthy, pie&S&nt aild prosperous life. _ ■ To a representative 6f the "Derby Mr Wilson remarked: "Don't paiftt the picture in such colours that English people will thjnk they can pick Up gold or silver in New Zealand, but you can tell the young people of Derby, and Derbyshire that ] farming is a profitable career out there and that boys and girls -wto are not afraid of work "Will dp well to consider going to New Zealand and carving but a career for themselves in that country. "One 'of the secrets of the success of farming out in Kew Zealand is, bf course, the Wonderful climate, and th| othet is the system of co-operation that prevails among the farmers.hi New Zealand/' Mr Wilson said. "Co : 6p&r&tive dairies, pig production, egg circles and intensive farming not only mkke distribution of agricultural produce easy, bufcjthejr make exportation dn a large 8 le possible;*' Mr Wilson paid a tribute to thfe late Sir Alfred Seale Haslam, of Derby, the inventor of the refrigerator. "Haslam's invention made New Zealand. But for that the export trade could not exist* arid it iS Of eourse upon the export of her products that the country depends for her living," he said. "We have mechanical milkers, and our dairies are equipped with ill modern fitments. Science enters into our schemes, and State-aided laboratories, which give valuable help in all farming difficulties, are attached to the dairies. Mr Wilson told of his own plan of rotation of grazing crcpfe. "Boys' prospects of becoming farmers are good, and the open-air life with abundant siifishino fills them with vigour and strength," M* Wilson, in conclusion; "The .social life is free and democratic. Master and mea work together, feed together, and play together, but in spite of this the boys who would get oil Must be boys Who are not afraid Of Work orofdibcipliiie. The climate is delightful. Dances, draftatie entertainments, certs and social gatheHngß are arranged and prospects of a good marfiage are much better than in England.