HOME AND OVERSEAS

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 24, 29 January 1923, Page 7

HOME AND OVERSEAS

THAT REPORT ON NEW ZEALAND

BELCHER ANSWERS CRITICISM.

(UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION.—COPIRIGBT.)

(AUSTRALIAN • NEKS' ZEALAND CABLE ASSOCIATION.)

(Received 29th January, noon.)

CONDON, 28th January.

It is understood that the report to which Sir James Allen objected is being rewritten, and parts deleted, as the result of the Duke of Devonshire's intervention. He "disclaimed responsibilty for some statements which are regarded aa irrelevant and wanting in accuracy. Major Belcher, replying to Sir-James Allen, says that the. report was a private document for the executive, impartially discussing various • views conveyed to him while in New Zealand. He followed the same plan in reporting on other Dominions. He did not approve the publication of extracts in the newspapers. As regards the inflation of land valuations, he says this is instanced in all reports. It also applies to Britain. No figures were given in the re* port, except those ' supplied officially. The general trend of the New Zealand report and others was to emphasise the variety and wealth of undeveloped resources;, also the remarkable jump in quality and quantity of dairy produce. No criticisms, were made of " any - Dominion, excejSt those based on local expert information. [A cable message on Saturday stated that the strongest exception was taken by Sir James Allen to the report of the British Empire Exhibition Mission which last, year toured the Dominions, as far as it related to New Zealand. Sir Janies declared that the report not only exceeded its scope, but cast grave and 'unwarranted reflections on the resources of New Zealand. Sir James Allen added :. "I dispute the accuracy of much of the report, but, apart from its merits, what have criticisms of New Zealand railways, hotels, methods of agriculture, Labour conditions, to do with the Empire Exhibition?"]