DOMINION AFFAIRS

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 24 March 1928, Page 5

DOMINION AFFAIRS

TRADE CONDITIONS IMPROVE.

BETTER OUTLOOK AHEAD.

PRIME MINISTER'S RESUME.

[BY TELEGRAPH—PRESS ASSOCIATION j WELLINGTON, March 24.

in his address to the Reform League Air. Coates dealt with the defence policy of the Government, referring especially to Singapore base and its imperial connection. He spoke of the improved conditions of the export trade and tlie opening up of new markets.

He also dealt with the position of affairs in Samoa, and -the difficulties the Government and the Administrator had to contend against in meeting the policy of passive resistance offered by the Mau, which were accentuated by tlie determination of the Government to only employ force in .the event of actual violence being attempted by the malcontents. - -t

He referred to tlie difficulties occasioned by unemployment in this country and the measures adopted by the Government to find employment - for those who were out of work as the result of the depression, which, he was pleased to say, was fast disappearing. As indicating the; improved condition of affairs, lie quoted figures showing that for the eleven months ended February 29 tlie exports displayed an. excess over imports of £8,897,436, which was two millions more than the excess of the imports for the same period of 1926 and 1927 combined. With regard to immigration, ’ Mr. Coates stated that for the eleven months of the financial year immigrants only numbered ooa'r, a'gainst 11,239 during the same period in. 1927. Under the restricted immigration policy they were only providing assisted passages for separated families, domestics, and single women up to the age of 40 years, juveniles and children of both sexes, parties of Church of England and Salvation Army boys, and parties of Flock House boys. The effects of the restriction were first felt at the end of Alay, when the arrivals dropped from 933 to 189 per month. The average drop in arrivals since the restriction has been in force has been J2 per cent, per month. ' * '; '