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Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVIII, Issue 18599, 29 December 1920, Page 6

A supplement to the “New Zealand Gazette ” lias just been issued containing agricultural and pastoral statistics for 1919-20. IVo shall not attempt to penetrate the holiday atmosphere by discussing these returns in any detail just. now, interesting and . instructive though they are. on we hope to examine the records of agriculture and of land settlement in the light of previous returns. For the present wo give a table that will be of particular interest to Canterbury, and one which it may he hoped will impress some of our good friends' in the far north who are not always mindful of the contribution made by this province to the total supply of the Dominion’s foodstuffs.

■ The following are the total yiolds of grain (for threshing), grasses, root crops, etc., fbr the Dominion for 191920, with Canterbury’s share of the totals and Canterbury’s percentage shown in separate columns:—

Says the “ Dominion ”••“ A House of Commons which rotes away 599 million pounds in one night cannot be said to have any real control over expenditure. During the year it has also been made evident once or twice that Min- <

isfcers themselves have been far from intimate with the details of their swollen departmental expenditures, and have floundered badly in reply to questions as to the cause of specific increases. Sir Donald Maclean, who throughout the war displayed much ability as the unofficial Leader of the Opposition, has for some time been asking for the appointment of an Estimates Committee, and has now extracted from Mr Bonar Law the statement that he thought this suggestion ‘ might he adopted.’ During the last year or two the Select Committee oil National Expenditure has been examining past disbursements, and its periodic reports have disclosed appalling instances of waste.” All of which is quite good, bub could not thp “Dominion,” which is the principal Government supporter among the New Zealand newspajiers, give its observations a local application? Could it not help to persuade our own Government that “ its periodic reports have disclosed appalling instances of waste”?

One of the great lessons of the war was the amazing reserve force of labour, hitherto undiscovered, which Britain discovered in the women of the nation. It would in many respects be a pity if this lesson wore not utilised in pence time, though nobody wishes to see the unwise exploitation of female labour. We learn that an interesting industrial experiment has been set on foot in a British’manufacturing town. A factory staffed and operated exclusively by women is about to be opened. The beginning is to be made on a small scale in ordcp- to gain experience which will be useful in development on a broader basis. The first order secured by this factory was for hosiery needles and for machining parts of a new type of pump. It is hoped to develop the business on a co-partnership basis, but the venture is being run on r strictly business basis. 'The important part played by women in British machine shops during the war is, of course, responsible for this unique enterprise.

N.Z. Cant’y. Canty’s percentage of total. Bushels. Bushels. Per cent, "Wheat • • 4,559,034 3,758,638 3,965,214 82.4 Oats • • 6,967,862 56.9 Bailey • • 815,607 343,069 42.0 Peas and beans 369,306 Maiio • • 405,775 198,910 53.5 72 00.0 Tons, Tons. Linseed . . 2,291 2,241. 97.8 Potatoes . . 144,705 78,842 54.4 Onions • • j*,289 4,385 S2.9 lbs. lbs. Grass (for #ecd) 2,370,190 1,037,659 45.8