PLACE FOR STUDENTS

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 300, 15 September 1936, Page 11

PLACE FOR STUDENTS

Social Organisation on Island of Bali MR. J. S. BARTON’S TRAVELS Dominion Special Service. Auckland, September 14. “An excellent place for a student of economies to begin,” was the description applied to the famous island of Bali, by Mr. J. S. Barton, chairman of the Bondholders Incorporation Commission, who returned by the Niagara after a two months’ holiday visit to the Dutch East Indies and Australia. “Bali is a most interesting place to visit on account of Its primitive social organisation,” he said. Mr. Barton stated that Java was very like New Zealand, an overseas dominion developed with capital from the home country and dependent upon the sale of its produce to the home country. He had met many of the Dutch officials' and the vice-president of the East Indies Council, and was told that the country had felt the depression severely and was still having difficulties. In the words of one official: “Our special problem is that we have 80,000,000 people to feed.” Referring to conditions in Australia, Mr. Barton said that both in Brisbane and Sydney people were talking of a genuine return to prosperity. He had had several talks with responsible and well-informed business men and believed it was justifiable to say that Australia was returning to prosperity. People were showing great faith in the country. Although Mr. Barton was out of touch with New Zealand affairs while In the Dutch East Indies he had an interesting experience while on a small steamer travelling between the islands of Bali and Sourabaya. There was a Dutch broadcast coming from a wireless set in the saloon, but suddenly it broke off into English and Mr. Barton heard a fairly clear description of the Hon. W. Nash’s Budget speech in New Zealand. '