THE DAIRYING INDUSTRY.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIV, Issue 739, 22 June 1923, Page 5

THE DA IRYING INDUSTRY.

FUTURE PROSPECTS

SPEECH BY HON. \V. NOSWORTHY

Responding to the toast of “The Department of Agriculture” at the smoko concert tendered by the Manawatu A. and P. Association to dairymen, poullrymen and agriculturalists in tho lecture hall at the showgrounds last night, the Hon, A. Nosworthy, Minister of Agriculture, made some interesting comments on the dairying industry and its future prospects. Two years ago, he said, when ho was last with them, the country was passing through a period of depression; no one could with confidence forecast tho future, but hopes were expressed at that time that the country would recover from the depression, and 'as they reviewed the position of the country and the industry today they know that those hopes had been fully realised.

As to the future development and prosperity of this country, they must bear in mind the fact that that would depend on the market conditions in the Old World. The cure for the troubles that bad besot them, and ihe ro-Catablishment of the Dominion’s prosperity, depended on tho economic position of the people of every country who had suffered in the late war.

Referring 10 the forthcoming Imperial Conference in London, the Minister said It would be to tiic interest of every producer to see that New Zealand was represented at that conference, and that representatives, he said, should be the Prime Minister, Mr Massey. (Applause.) In responding to the toast, ho continued, he did so with a two-fold pleasure. He doubted whether any other country in the world, and certainly within the Brit-i-h Empire, had ever had a greater expenditure on agriculture than had New Zealand, and he was convinced that a better Agricultural Department did not exist in the Empire than the one they had in New Zealand. (Applause.) He would go further and say that no other country had a better agricultural staff. (Applause.) If it wore not for the efficiency of the department and its stall he ventured to say that the industry would not be in the "satisfactory position it was in to-day. New Zealand was the greatest producing country in the world and tlie producers could rely on receiving all iho help that lay in the power of the Government to give them. Every ounce of energy must be put into increased production. The country wanted cheap money and plenty of it, but although it was easy to say that, it was not so easy to got it. He believed, however, that with the settling down of other countries and tho consequent improvement of conditions, more money would be available for New Zealand, and anything this country could'do to bring it here by reduced taxation and other means should be done. (Applause.) Up to the present they had only scratched the surface of the country, and there were great opportunities to increase production. What they must do was to conserve, every interest and pursue a policy of economy that would bring about that increase. Ho assured them that they would have no cause to regret in the future the polity of, and the help given by Ids department. With reference to the proposal that had been made for the sotting up of a dairy laboratory, Mr Nosworthy said that would come along all in good time, hut there were many other matters calling for attention and they had to consider the money that was available for the many purposes for which it was required. In conclusion, he cordially thanked those present for the kind welcome extended to him.