DOMINION’S COMMISSION.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume III, Issue 77, 14 March 1913, Page 3

DOMINION’S COMMISSION.

NEW ZEALAND AND ITS PEOPLE. THE CHAIRMAN'S EC LOGY. Auckland. March 13. The final sittings in New Zf-aku d <jf the Trade of Empire R<ati! Co"i--ni!Ssion v. ere commenced in land to day. i The proceeding'- wei>* opened ! \ the chairman. Sir Edgar Vim-on;, i “We have now reached nearly tie end of our visjt to New Zealand, l.e seiii. ami tin-- is p'Thaps ih ■ moi convenient opportunity lor me to expres;-. op behalf of the Ci*''i'!>i<sioj>. <»iir feelings of recognition and gratitude i > the k'r>i Zeala: d 'Government, and to all the inhabit ants of New Zealand who hir. * assisted us in oar work during •> ;r short stay here. I desire particularly to thank those Ministers rm- r whose charge th? arrangements Imv-> beep. We feel a deep debt of gratitude to Mr. Malcolm Ross, and abo | to Mr. James Hislop (I nder-Secr:'-I tary for Internal Affairs), who i brought a long experience' to bear ia facilitating our task. 1 dos c specially to mention the admirable work performed by Messrs. Gray and Gore (the official rcportvi *). Everyone of us has been immense v I struck with the admirable report; 'given throughout New Zealand by ith? local press. Ave all hope t; ■■ [sittings we have he’d ia New Z;;. I land will be productive of good, both ; for the Empire at large and to N.*»‘ , Zealand in particular." I Sir Edgar continued : “We havI learned much from the witnesses. 1 I do not like to specify among them, but I have been deeply impressed by the representatives of the vaim>.:s departments of the State. I think in i your permanent oHicials von have a body of men of whom the great: st nation might be promi. What bis impressed me particularly has bee:I their knowledge of their work ami I t’tie obvious sincerity witii which (they have answers d all questions 1 which have been put to them. 1 “The memorv of this beautit<<l i land will be a joy to u< through*.Jt lour lives." said Sir Edgar in ciinc.lii sion. "1 trust that those who have j been in contact with us. and a.so I v.Jio directlv or indir.’Ct’v j have been interested in our wo;k, [will retain for us those feelings <t j affection and regard which thev hav,* I inspired in us. who have boon their i guests, and who will always remain their friends." (Applause). ■ SHORTAGE OF LABOUR.

A novel explanation of the shortage of boy and girl labour was givt a by Professor F. . Svgar, of Auckland University College. He drew the attention of the ( ounnission t■> tables in tLe New Zealand I'ear Book, in the chapter on “Ages of th.' People, and explained that the jnopoi'tion of youths of 15 years to 2 ) vears Jivas lower than normal, while the proportion of people of 25 years to 39 years was higher than _ tb.e average. This condition he attributed to fluctuations in the birth rat? and to the effects of immigration. Thirty or 35 years ago the birth rate was very high ; then it rapidly diminished until about 1900. s:m e when it had gradually risen. bo rapid was the fall dmixig the first period that the annual number i f births actually diminished from year to vear. The youths of 15 to 20 \ cu. s were survivors of a ot i'»\, birth-rate, and tliose of 25 to 30 years of a period of high- birth-rate, anil consequentiy the juvenile jiopum tion was at present not proportionate. During the last few years immigration had been heavy, but owing to the great distance from the United Kingdom only a small proportion of immigrants were men who brought families with them. Tin-;, only swelled the population of 29 veai'- and upwards. These two cause explained the shortage of boy and girl labour. Dre immediate pro:•peet. for the future was consequently a shortage of young men labour, unless the supply was maintained by immigration. The statistics showed that of the people between 25 years and 30 years of age males exceeding females by 12 per cent., and this condition indicatid a strong desirability of increasing the Irma!'.* population by immigration, if the natural increase was to bi* mnmtaincil. DIFFERENTIAL RATES. Numerous questions van* juidressed to Mr. Elliot by members < f the Commission. Replying to them, l.e said he believed the differential rates applied in favour of German;.. and be made it clear that both high and low rail’s were charged o;i the same voyage. Some years ago h-* made exhaustive enquiries among shipping companies, who virtually told him they knew how to run then business. He believed the system originated when there were not full cargoes offering in the United Kingdom and German manufacturers offered to guarantee to supply the deficiencv and were given preferential rates. ’ The shipping compamcs argued that liv accepting lew freigh- - on foreign goods they were keeping out competition by loreign shipniiur. Tb.e 1 liairm.au asked Mr. Ellio.t to sunnlv documentary evidence ia support of his sta’emonts. Sir Edgar Vincent added that shipping comPU'i.’s were probably defeating thenown object. A system of preferential freighting would probably t’o--ter snfiieient trade to justify tm* establishment of direct Gerim“i stea mors. Mr. Nathan -nggested that t’ on’y effective rcmed'. would be r * structive legislation.