TO STUDY CONDITIONS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIX, Issue 45, 21 January 1939, Page 5

TO STUDY CONDITIONS

CANADIAN DELEGATION. Per Press Association. AUCKLAND, Jan. 20. “Just call us a study group,” said Mr M. F. Hepburn, Premier of Ontario, the largest and wealthiest province of Canada, who is travelling to Australia and New Zealand to study solutions of the problems that are confronting the provincial Governments of Canada, when interviewed today. “We want to examine the operations of the Commonwealth Bank and the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, also your social legislation,” said Mr Hepburn. “Wo believe your legislation is more advanced than ours, and we are here to find out. We are meeting some of your Ministers to-day, and I have a lot of questions to ask, if they will answer them.” Mr Hepburn in politics is a Liberal. “We are in an era of paternalism in Canada the same as you here,” lie said. “Whether it is right or wrong I don’t know, but the people seem to lie demanding it.” This year Canada would spend more on defence than in the whole of the intervening period since the Groat War, mostly in developing the Air Force and building up her coastal defences, Mr Hepburn said. “We are worrying about the Pacific coast for the first time in our history.” “What about Alberta? Me are told it is bankrupt,” commented the interviewer.

. “Ail tho Western provinces are bankrupt,” Mr Hepburn replied. “Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan are big wheat-growing centres and all are hard lilt. The per capita consumption of wheat has fallen 3<3_ per cent, since 1925 and the price received is less than tho production cost. "Wo aro bolstering it up with a guaranteed price Ontario is the keystone on which the rest of Canada’s economy is based.” The visitor said Alberta’s position w«is not entirely clue to 1-11© policy pursued there. _ .. During the forenoon the Canadian delegation visited a model dairy farm near "Waikoumcte.