FACTS AND FIGURES NEEDED.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVIII, Issue 18600, 30 December 1920, Page 4

FACTS AND FIGURES NEEDED.

A cable. message this morning, giving an estimate of the value of Victoria’s production, reminds us that statistics of this kind are unavailable in respect of New Zealand. tThe tondenoy is always to calculate the Dominion’s progress upon the value of its exports. This is not by any means sufficient, if it is not in some ways misleading. For instance, a drop in the export value of wool would, by New Zealand’s habit of looking at it, be taken as an unfavourable . movement, necessarily. But such a movement might really bo favourable—if, for example, it was caused by an increased manufacture and consumption of woollen goods within the country. The trouble is that our statistics are incomplete. For the guidance of politicians and of men who study public affairs much fuller information than is now available is in every way desirable. Statistics require to he adequate, up-to-date and comparative. An annual estimate of the value of production ought to ho quite within, tire powers of the Statistical Department, and it should deal with quantities as well as values. Only through the possession of data of this kind ban the progress of the country be measured and the merits of policies be appraised. The decline of agriculture in favour of pastoral pursuits is known to exist, but it is known in only a rough-and-ready fashion, whereas all the facts ought to he easily procurable, and we think they plight to be collected and set before the public in unde'rstaodable form. Also, wo think, they ought to be studied and discussed by the politicians. If Ministers and members of Parliament were informed in the manner we suggest, they might decide with a great deal more intelligence than is now displayed quite a number of important questions. For one thing, they would be in a much better position to know whether or not a great part of the annual expenditure is justified. They would, at least, be able to consider the anomaly of a Bteadily increasing expenditure, which is a subsidy by the taxpayers, on an industry that is just as steadily declining. Of course, it might be argued that the decline in productibn really increased the necessity for State assistance; on'the other hand, it could as reasonably be considered whether the State ought to go on taxing the community to foster certain pursuits that are being deliberately discarded in favour of others. Then thore are the industrial statistics. The ool•lectidn 'of these once every five years, at the taking of the census, is altogether too infrequent, to begin with, and when these returns are madb the Statistical Department ought to subject them to a close analysis. Figures giving total values of production may be very impressive, and successive returns may, as they unquestionably do, show heavily swollen totals. But the way these figures are handled is not the way to get at the kernel of the subject. Quantities aro of at least as much importance as values; indeed, we believe the real test is not so much the values as the quantities of goods produced. We suggest that the Statistical Office ought to supply, at not infrequent intervals—we do not see why such returns should not be available annually—figures that would show the real and the relative movements in the various classes of industry, agricultural, pastoral, manufactures and so forth. Only by having such records compiled, and compiled well, can the true progress, or the nature of the progress, of the country bo ascertained, and consequently the results of public policy and expenditure be usefully discussed. Statistics of this nature are produced annually in Australia. Why not in New Zealand P P ■ wmmmmmmmmmmammmmmmmm m