RANDOM NOTES

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 190, 8 May 1937, Page 10

RANDOM NOTES

Sidelights on Current Events (By Kickshaws. 1 A warning has been issued in America regarding improved business. On the principle, we understand that common cents is not unlimited. t * * When Shakespeare started talking about placing a girdle round the world he couldn't have been expected to know what would happen if you placed a Bracegirdle in Ceylon. « ♦ * Auroras, it is stated, do not affect the weather. Anyway, we congratulate the recent aurora on the way it is not affecting the weather. s ® » "To settle an argument, will you please give, through your most interesting daily column, the correct pronunciation of the town ‘Putaruru’?” asks “0.F.” [An expert on Maori words has kindly provided the following facts:—"The proper pronunciation of the word ■Putaruru’ may be obtained by pronouncing the first syllable, •pu.’ as “poo,” the second syllable, ‘ta,’ as ‘tar.’ the third and fourth syllables, ‘ru rti,’ as ‘roo roo’ (short). Both the first and the second syllables are accented. The last two syllables, ‘ruru’ are short — ‘Poo-tar-roo-roo.’ The word means 'crowded together.’ ”] » * * New Zealand’s concern at the moment, judging by the backing of various New Zealand associations, is to get more people here. There are two ways of getting people. One is by natural increase, the other by transporting them. Statistics appear to show that the first method has broken down. It is a fact that it is breaking down in other places as well as New Zealand. Statisticians can see the top of the curve appearing in almost every European country. In other words, Europe, on the verge of becoming full up, has slowed down in population increase. There is a natural series of laws that causes a limitation of population. It applies equally to human beings and to bacteria bred in test tubes. One can increase a colony with remarkable rapidity up to a point. Thence onward it tends to decrease in numbers. The real problem, therefore, is to empty Europe. If that were done the remaining population would probably increase. The “emptied” portiqn would also increase in the empty spaces to which they were sent. Our own problem is really a side show. » ♦ ♦ The chances of New Zealand filling up in a reasonable time by natural increase are very small if this country remained an agricultural one. There are statistics galore to show what may be expected of an agricultural country. Obviously increase must be slow because no more than two or three families are required to run a square mile of agricultural country, compared with the fifty families required to run an industrialised square mile. For a long period England was an agricultural country, comparable with New Zealand to-day. William the Conqueror, for example, found about 2,000,000 people in England over which to rule. It took 300 years for the population to increase by 200,000. One can well imagine representatives of associations of those times telegraphing a memorandum to their prime minister on the subject because the figures ought to have been a matter of grace concern. Anyway, the Britons seem to have appreciated their shortcomings and, in another two centuries, the population had risen from 2.360,000 to 4,350,000.

If Britain had remained an agricultural country it is probable that her population would have required from 100 to 150 years in which to double itself. Some investigators believe that 200 years would have been nearer the mark. On similar standards we must wait until 2137 for our population to reach 3,000,000. Possibly, the partial industrali&ation in New Zealand would have reduced the patience demanded by natural increase. Certainly, the sensational increases noticed in England between ISOO and 1937 would never be attained. England’s population in that period increased from 8,000,000 to nearly 40,000,000 despite a drain to the colonies of over 4,000,000 people. It looks, in fact, as if the colonies, now grown to Dominions, have missed the migration bus. This migrationary transport service should have been running to full schedule for the first quarter of the present century with suitable interruptions for the Great War.

Nevertheless, suppose that a migration complex does seize hold of those in authority and the Dominions aud Britain produce a scheme. It will be one of many other schemes that have been jettisoned with the very best intentions. Past experience shows that it requires about 100 years to move 4.000.000 people from Britain to the Dominions and colonies. Modern methods, no doubt, could cut the time down by half. If those 4,000.000 were divided between New Zealand and Australia, the countries most wanting them, we could take perhaps one million and Australia the remaining three million. By 1990 our population could, in theory, have mounted to nearly 3,000.000 souls. New Zealand would be confronted with the problem that confronted France toward the end of last century—where to put the people. France solved the problem by chopping up the land into market gardens. Perhaps New Zealand by then will be one huge glass house, or perhaps we shall, by some miracle, have found something we can make cheaper than it can be made in the world markets —say buttons from milk or silk from straw, or even wool from seaweed. That is the real problem; it is one for scientists, not Prime Ministers.

There are various little matters of transport that must earnestly occupy the attention of all those who are eager to see a large increase in the population of both New Zealand and Australia. It has been estimated that it will cost at least £1,000,000.000 to get Australia ready to hold another 20.000.000 people. On Hie same basis it is going to cost New Zealand about £50.000.000 to get New Zealand ready to receive, say, 1.000.000 people. Added to that one must take into consideration shipping costs. Shipping firms do not work on costless credit. A reasonable charge would be £3O a migrant. This means £30.000.000. It also means ships. If this importation of a million people were spread over 50 years it would mean 20,000 newcomers a year. There are few ships that could carry more than 500 passengers at a time even under somewhat deplorable steerage conditions This means 40 trips a year. At least 10 ships would Lo required for the job working for 50 years. The task is not impossible, but it needs forethought. organisation and an ability to appreciate facts.