TOO MUCH WEALTH

Evening Star, Issue 19638, 18 August 1927, Page 9

TOO MUCH WEALTH

HOT GOOD FOB A NATION CANADA AND AUSTRALIA COMPARED. “I told many of the men I met in Australia that easy facilities for producing wealth are not the best conditions for developing a strong nation.” The statement was made by Mr P. W. Grandjean before leaving by the Niagara recently for his home in Toronto after spending four months in New Zealand and Australia. “ I agree,” lie said, “ with one of the leading American economists, C. W 7. Barron, who has been telling his countrymen that too much wealth and too much prosperity are not good for a nation.” As a result of his visit to those parts, Mr Grandjean is more than ever convinced of the need for the British nation to definitely plan for the future development of the Empire. “ When I first came two years ago,” he said, “ I felt that the best thing that could happen to this Empire of ours would bo to decentralise not only some of the population, but also some of the resources for developing the Empire. Instead of Great Britain saying to the dominions ‘ Buy from us,’ they should have a policy of putting some of their essential industries in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Along with these the dominions might take, say, five millions of tho surplus population of Britain.” Asked it Canada would he prepared to take her share, Mr Grandjean replied that he most certainly thought so. Canada always had and still was ready to take largo numbers of people from the M.othcr Land.

Sneaking of his recent tour through Australia, the visitor said lie was struck by the easier conditions of living as compared with those in Canada. The difficulties in the latter country had produced a greater urge in her people to discover the best means of developing her natural resources. He believed that these were the best conditions for nation building.

In Australia be found a more conservative outlook on life, but on this last visit be thought he detected a greater readiness to apply modern methods of efficiency in industrial as well as in other phases of national life. Neither Australia, nor to a lesser degree New Zealand, could escape being subject to the sweep of world-wide conditions.

“I think Australia is on the threshold of better tilings,” said Mr Grand- , jean, “and that she realises the deI velopment of the country can only be brought about by adopting greater means of efficiency in farming, industry, and commerce.” The visitor was impressed with the development since his visit two years ago in Western Australia, where last year they produced over 30,000,000 bushels of wheat, ' much of it from lands that were for- : merly considered to be too dry. ; Each of the States was visited, and Mr Grandjean noticed that in all j there was great activity in building, particularly in replacing old city buiidjings’with now ones. Ho also did not i fail to observe that the people of Australia give much of their time to the ' enjoyment of sport and entertainment, flc feels that in order to make the most of their country and of themselves they will in future years need j to devote themselves more seriously to work along proved lines of efficiency.

My best advice to Now Zealand,” said Mr Grandjean, “ is that she should send a trade commissioner to Canada. Wc in Canada look to sec a, big increase in trade between the two countries, and .1 know of no belter way to encourage it than through the efforts of a direct representative.”