The North Otago Times FRIDAY, AUGUST 28, 1914. INCREASED GROWING OF CEREALS.

North Otago Times, Volume C, Issue 13145, 28 August 1914, Page 4

The North Otago Times FRIDAY, AUGUST 28, 1914. INCREASED GROWING OF CEREALS.

The Govcrhmcirt''s' l 'reccnt i .announce' ment that it'has been decided, for a while, to carry oh the railway seed wheat and the- necessary fertilisers at one-third of the usual rates is a further distinct -encouragement to New Zealand farmers to rou'dcr a- service to the Empire by growing '».s much wheat as is nosMl,lc. They run no risk, Jinaw.ially, in doing so, as the 'Prime Minister has pointed out, for the simple reason that an extra good market for the resultant produce is really assured. Th; wheatgrowing countries' of'-the' Southern Hemisphere—Australia,- the Argentine, and .New Zealand—will reap and secure their harvests longU)eMe'a'ny of the countries in the'"Noftliern "Hemisphere can adapt their cultivation 1 to the existing war conditions!, 1 ! llifttiro'w' the crops of Europe, and aiyd"North America, arc rcpen'ing' to' ha'rv'csfy'butnt is seed time in the southern 5 thus there has been, since the war broke out, an excellent ■'opportunity 1 ' to increase tin: acreage, devoted to wheat growing. It is indicated' tliat'-'ti considerably larger area than l iiiliJat'iii'New' l Z'ea'laiul has been, and' will'bCj sown in -wheat, and there is doubtless the" sa'ih'e expansion iii Australia.;: also, this is probably the case iii the' Argentine','-where the considerations'arej of •co'iiise, more strictly commercial. -'Britain','' iin'doHlormal conditions," relies ''far 'iiloro on the wheat harvested' in' th'c'-'•Northern' countries About August time thau she docs on the crops'tit" tlic'S6uthcrii ; li'dtintrics, ami the folloiViiig'i'stllii'at'cs df exports, to the year -'ended'July''3lst hist, from ' the chief wilcat-p'rbUuc'iiigcouu'iries forcibly illustrates 'this.- They are':—"

„,j; ; i| .,-.. j . i iV . ■. . ii ;... Quarters, .United Stales "'?."'.'/ 17,000,000 .'Balkan Stales '.'''■' .'.'" "5,000,000 India : ;."_„ m . ..... ,4,000,000 ■'•- l;|roiar c Jj J2,000,000 ; i • ........'. ,_'. (| |, ...Quarters. .V .11,000,000 Australia .:.,,..,; vv ' 8,000,000 .Total';., ," v ~. 19,000,000

From the above fable it is plain that the,surplus: available, in-jiormal times, for export from, the Southern,, Hemisphere is,:iuuoli less, thaui.that available from: the Northern* countries, but the. war 'and, ijs attendant •■ circumstances make the .southern-output-of- vast importance. The consuiiiptionoftlie .European and Noilh Auiciiuin-sipply w 11 be much moic lapitl than usual, and t-ic evpoits fi om the Southern' Augiowing_u)untiics is sine to be eagcily anli cipated if the Empiie is, as it pichibly i\ill be, at nar si\oi even tvehe months hence. Is it not a plcasi l ,; 10 llection foi the faiinei who is now mcicasiug his client aica to tin i'c tiu't the harvest of the Southern Hemisphere, whilst of immense value to Biitain, can' hardly bciicllt hcr'cncmics one iota I Foi it is cm tain that so long as the wai lasts no Australian or New Zealand' client will be available foi Geimany. liegiet table to say. New Zealand has'of late not figuied in'the list of wheat c\poit iug countries, anil it may be tliat hei opportunity is 'i'igllt heie. Ah) how, thcie is reason to' 1 hope, 'ai'nV'evciy pali iot * hopes, that uo\t\!(<iop - will, apait from niece ing /oW iequipments, leave a substantial nihigin foi Impeiial necessities.

, NOTES AND COMMENTS. ' 'ln the prevalent air of patriotism that has pervaded the wluolc Dominion, it remained for. a sinnl( section of the community to strike a 'discordant note. A few days ago it/ivas stated that the coal-minors at Millorton and Denniston had -refused to accede to the request of the Westport Coal Company'to wdrk'on the fortnightly "pay Saturday" in order to expedite the fulfilment of urgent Admiralty requirements.- Even tho appeal of the Prime Minister,(reminding them of their obligations at the critical 1 stage which ■had conic upon their, homeland and tho Empire, ■' ami even the strong expression of public opinion, 'fiiied to .persuade them to:"full•to;".. The attitude taken up by these ineii'is' sure to disassociate sympathy'from them-' at, perhaps, a time when they may be practically begging for sympathy ami goodwill, and their sullen decision •is the more surprising in view of the patriotism and broadmindednoss at this crucial time displayed by the more enlightened Labourites and lied Pcds. It is therefore refreshing to note a contrast in attitude, and this is gathered from a (Jroyniouth telegram we publish this morning that tho Bninncr'miners will not only give a day's pay for war fund purposes,' but will work on Sundays and "pay Saturdays,"-if necessary, while the war lasts.' This seemingly little patriotic sacrifice'of the Bfunner men redounds to their credit, and will bo remembered to their credit, and it should make the petty-minded, seilish coterie of Millerlon and Denniston feel "very small potatoes "-tint is, if iris possible for suck people to feel the emotion of shame.

i In the third of the scries of Blatch- | ford's special articles on' Germany and England which we print to-day this keen observer said:—"Mines, again, have been made in vast quantities, and will be largely used in any naval war in which Germany/may wage."' How true this torse assertion was, and is, has. already been proved. Several report's of the loss of trading steamers through striking German mines in the trade routes have been received, and almost simultaneously with them comes a warning from the British Admiralty to neutrals that the Germans continue to scatter indiscriminately mines which do not conform to the condition laid down by the Hague Convention, namely, that such mines must be so constructed as to become harmless within a few hours after being laid. The time stipulated by the Hague Convention within which mines should become harmless after control over them is lost is one hour. This applies to unanchorcd mines. With regard to anchored automatic contact mines, the provision is that they shall become harmless'as soon-as tlioy have broken their moorings,,- In-the sanje article it is forbidden to use torpedoes which do not become harmless when they have missed their mark. It is forbidden to Jay automatic contact mines off the coast and ports of the enemy, with the sole object of intercepting commercial,; shipping, and when anchored automatic contact mines arc employed, all possible precautions ought to be taken for the security of peaceful shipping. The second article of the Convention forbids the laying of automatic, contact mines off the coasts and ports of the enemy, with the sole object of intercepting commercial shipping; but Germany has reserved her consent to this article, and any Power lighting her is under no obligation to observe,it. Great Britain, anxious to accept anything which is a step in the right direction, at the same time formally declared "that the mere fact that this convention does not prohibit a particular .act or proceeding, must not be held to debar his Britannic .Majesty's Government from contesting it's legitimacy,' The contention of Great Britain was that belligerents should be prohibited from using unanchorcd mines except in their own or the enemy's territorial waters, and within a radius/Of ten milts of their fortified forts. The British Admiralty's voucher that since the beginning of the war no mines have been laid under its direction is proof that, in contradistinction to the dishonourable bombastic enemy, the Old i'lag "plays the game."