Grey River Argus SATURDAY, April 27th., 1929. SOUTH ISLAND’S TURN

Grey River Argus, 27 April 1929, Page 4

Grey River Argus SATURDAY, April 27th., 1929. SOUTH ISLAND’S TURN

Not very long since a superiority in natural resources used there to be given by press and politicians as the reason why the North Island was so rapidly superseding the South both in population and production. The tune, however, is now inclined to alterThe northern newspapers are becoming less confident and more querulous in tone. They declare that at least forty per cent, of the unemployed are registered in Auckland alone. The politicians ere being told their duty is to remedy this situation. There is, however, another side to the matter. Cabinet Ministers, in the course of their tours, have noted ■i lew facts which others are less fitted to observe, and while, some of them say the South Island has now better prospects than heretofore, others admit, as Mr Taverner yesterday did, that their predecessors in office have in their administration relatively neglected the South Island. It has gone

on record that the Auckland City Council has neglected itself to utilise a sum of no less than £25,000 that has been available for the relief of unemployment, but the papers there are contending that the Government should embark on public works in the vicinity, rather than anywhere else, in order to avert any call upon city ratepayers in the matter. The truth seems to be that Auckland district in particular has had such a good spin from the State, that any prospect of a change is not relished. The Government has certainly its obligation to help the unemployed, but it must be given at least some say as to the nature of the works which it puts in hand for the purpose. One northern journal, saying that in the matter of public works the number 'of placements by Ithe Auckland Labour Department “is and has been meagre for nearly a year,’’ goes on to declare that “last January, at the middle of summer, when there was no excuse about seasonal unemployment, the plumber of public works employees was the highest on record for many years, but at the end of that month, as also at the close of February, the number of unfilled applications, too, was abnormally high.” The position seems to be that as many as possible of the Auckland unemployed will have to be transferred to this Island in the near future, because it is certain that the public works projected in the South Island will yield the country as a whole much better results than a similar outlay in the other Island. The railways which are most urgent are not “wild cat” lines to Lake Taupo, but those to link up the South Island system. There would indeed be a far bet ter return from the extension of the local system into South Westland than from a new line such as the late Government projected from Rotorua. The lines to be started, so as to remove the isolation of the northern and northwestern portions of this Island will pay handsomely, and operating in conjunction with the shipping line which it is proposed to restore as between Bluff and Australia, an impetus will certainly be given to industry in the South Island generally. Even a North Island Minister, Mr Veitch, when recently here, acknowledged that the economic necessities of the country would inevitably and even speedily operate to restore the balance of population and

production as between the two Islands- The Government realises that, while, as Mr Cobbe said yesterday, our manufacturing industries can develop only to the extent that population grows and consumption capacity increases within the Dominion, the base of the country’s progress must remain that of the land. Thus last year’s large export total of over £57,000,000 came, all but about £3,000,000, from pastoral and agricultural production. Consequently, having proved our capacity to progress especially well in this direction, compared with each and every other country in the world, by the supreme test of competition in the world’s open market, we must rely largely upon such trade for our development in the future. And the South Island has a vast area of country yet to occupy and exploit. The proportion in occupation by actual producers is far greater in the North Island, thanks largely to transport and other facilities provided by a Government which make no secret of its discrimination against this Island. Every oversea shipping line it kept running to the one Island only. Seeing that the North Island has obviously certain climatic and other natural advantages over this one, the fair thing should be to try and redress the disparity. The result of a contrary policy is inevitably the sort of thing against which the Auckland press now complains, namely, the congregation of too large a proportion of the population in particular places, and ultimately a rapid increase in unemployment. Until a generation ago, we had a comparatively even distribution of population in New Zealand, but there has been a strong meantime towards urban congestion, and, even allowing that the Government of the day has yet a long way to go before it fulfils the promises on the strength of which it was

so lucky as to gain office, the policy it professes of looking for a radical remedy to closer settlement is logical and incontestable. The West Coast itself bears ample proof of a failure yet to make proper use of the land for pastoral production, especially where means of access and transport are still primitive or lacking altogether. There is, indeed, only one criticism to be offered as to the developmental policy announced by the present Administration. It is that the country is unlikely to brook delay in translating it into reality. In Parliament, there is no need to fear hostility will avail to check progressive measures, but there is no doubt a danger in any policy designed only to fool the people, and the late Government knows that. The present Government had better bear it in mind.