MACHINERY ON FARMS

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 6844, 25 February 1929, Page 10

MACHINERY ON FARMS

Son of Inventor Visits New Zealand The use of agricultural implements on farms in almost every country of the world is the chief interest of Mr Cyrus McCormick, junr., of Chicago, vice-president of the International Harvester Company, who, with Mrs. McCormick, arrived from Sydney by tho Ulimaroa last week. Mr. McCormick is making a world tour in the interests of the business, and will spend ten days in New Zealand, before returning to Australia. Leaving Chicago at the end of December, Mr McCormick has already visited Japan, China, the Philippine Islands and Australia. - His stay in Australia was short, and he will return there to make a thorough tour after his visit to the Dominion. Before returning to Chicago about October he will visit Singapore, French Indo-China Siam, Europe and England. No countries of the Eastern Pacific had adopted machinery- for agriculture more readily than Australia and New Zealand, Mr McCormick said. In China, where 95 per cent, of the population of 400,000.000 derived their living from work on tho land, agricultural machinery was practically unheard of. “The use of it will come, but it will not be in our day,” Mr McCormick added. “The unending supply of cheap manual labour is the greatest factor preventing it.” The Philippine Islands were midway between Australia and New Zealand and China in the adoption of agricultural machinery. The interests of tho company in Japan were somewhat limited because there was very little farming done in that country.

“This is my first visit to New Zealand—a country- about which I have heard much,” Mr McCormick said. “ One hears only good of it, and I know all my anticipations will be realised.” Mr McCormick’s grandfather was the inventor or the reaping machine. His father, Mr Cyrus McCormick, is president of the company. "Mr McCormick is aged 38, and has had a most interesting career. He graduated from Princeton. University, and then took a two years’ course in history at Oxford,.graduating B.A. | “My experience at Oxford will always Temain one of the most valuable of my life,” he stated. “I loved the university, and felt as much at homo there as I did at Princeton. They certainly do make us Americans welcome over there. It was an experience I would not have eared to miss, and I certainly think every young American who has the opportunity should enjoy a similar experience before setting out on a business career.” During the Great War Mr McCormick joined the United States Air Force, in which he remained two years. The cessation of fighting prevented him from reaching France. He stated he was one of the two millions who “did not get over.”