NOTES OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 83, 2 January 1929, Page 8

NOTES OF THE DAY

It will be interesting to watch the practical working of several of the new Acts of Parliament which become operative during 1929. Enough has been written about the Mental Defectives Bill to show that there is a very sharp division of opinion concerning it. Even those who do not approve of it, however, base their disapproval on conservative lines, fearing that this Bill has been born prematurely in a country not yet ready for such things. Few, however, can deny that legislation such as this is fundamentally sound and progressive. The Kinematograph Act will require a good many years test before an opinion can be passed upon it. It is dependent for its success on circumstances beyond our control. Provided Britain supplies suitable films in suitable numbers clearly it is desirable that her Dominions should assist by patronising them. In this connection it is significant that the renters and exhibitors of this Dominion have decided to assist without the need for enforcement by Act. Let us hope this will always ’ be the case. ’ ...

Several records were broken in the year 1 1928. In New. Zealand the new heights of achievement to be noted have not been in the world of sport or adventure, but rather in the less spectacular but more important field of industrial development. In this latter area the primary industries have set themselves new standards to pass." Never before have the cattle of the Dominion stood at so large a total as 3,273,769. Beef prices have been languishing, which naturally had the effect of reducing beef strains, but the dairy cows having increased by approximately 50,000, the falling off in beef cattle has been more than made up, the present total being 16,040 ahead of last year. More testing of dairy cows has also been resorted to than previously in the history of the movement. This will doutbless result in bringing up the yield per cow without any addition to the expense of farming operations, because cows giving poor returns will be culled. The improvement in pasture content recently achieved will also add to the feed producing potentiality of each acre. It is pleasing also to note that Dr. Reakes is able to report that the quality of the general average of dairy products is well maintained. Improvement in quantity therefore has not been made at the expense of quality.

The sheep flocks have also surpassed all previous records and, as Dr. Reakes pointed out in his concise summary of the situation, an interesting feature of the sheep returns is the increase of 702,321 in the number of breeding ewes. There is every prospect, therefore, of the increase in the number of sheep continuing. There seems no reason to fear that wool prices, which are now being maintained at a satisfactory level, will show any serious decline in the near future. The increase in sheep flocks combined with satisfactory prices for wool, and the improving quality- of the staple produced, all should contribute to our increasing prosperity. In our two major primary industries, therefore, the favourable conditions are based on sound foundations. In both there are increased food pastures, an increased herd or flock and an improvement in the quality of the product.

A fourth record achieved during the year was the producing of a record quantity of apples and pears suitable for export; a total of 1,026,986 cases of fruit having been sent overseas. Cider making has improved the income of orchardists by £12,500. Wine-grape-growers too have made steady progress, as have also beekeepers and tobacco cultivators. The progress of our primary industries has helped the Dominion a long way on the road to recovery from the period of economic depression. The period of adversity recently passed through* has left its aftermath of debt behind it, consequently much of the profit of last year’s working was ear-marked before it was received. 1 he advent of better times, therefore, has not yet been fully felt, but nevertheless signs are not wanting that a great deal of financial deadwei?h£ has been worked off. Ihe present season for our primary products has opened satisfactorily, so a considerable increase in consurr;ex demand can be looked for by our traders in the near future,