OUTLOOK FOR FARMERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18018, 17 February 1922, Page 6

OUTLOOK FOR FARMERS.

OPTIMISTIC SPIRIT NEEDED.

VIEWS OF A CANADIAN.

"All that New Zealand needs is a little optimism'' was the opinion expressed yesterday by Mr. C. B. Jones, a Canadian business man who has taken up his residence in Auckland. Mr. Jones' main purpose in coming to New Zealand is to endeavour to promote closer trade relations between the West Coa«t of Canada and New Zealand. Hailing from Victoria, British Columbia, Mr. Jones is working in close touch with the Board of Trade, the Chamber of Commerce, and other progressive bodies of the great north-west State, and is convinced that the two Dominions can gain much mutual advantage by trading with each other. Western Canada offers timber (Douglas fir and sprutcj, rubber tyres, building paper, felts, silos, etc., which New Zealand can absorb, and in return would take butter and cheese, lamb, honey, tallow and casein, and there was, said Mr. Jones, the possibility that business could be dono in binder twine and flai fibre, which was in demand in Canada. Mr. Jones has just completed a two months' tour of the North and South Islands, and was impressed with the quality of the land and the crops, particularly the grain crops of the South Island. He found, on commencing his journey, that the farmers were inclined to be gloomy and pessimistic, but on returning North he found a better tone r prevailing, and he thought that the | peoplo of the Dominion should adopt this ; more optimistic tone, for their prospect* 1 were distinctly bright and the condition of the country much better than that of most other countries. The farming conditions here were very much better than in Canada, for in the larger Dominion the fanners had to feed their cattle for about five months in the year. The food is kept in silos, and while speaking of the great use made of these si'os by the Canadian farmers, Mr. Jones said he was firmly convinced that they could be used to great advantage in New Zealand, especially in the dry flisol, and by their use he felt sure the dairy season could be considerably extended. The speaker also remarked that New Zealand butter and cheese were highly regarded in Canada and he thought we would eventually find a good market there for our produce, Business conditions in Canada were improving slowly when Mr. Jones left, nearly three months ago, but everyone was looking forward anxiously to the new Liberal Government's tariff policy. Mr. Jones said he sincerely hoped that Canada would fully reciprocate with New Zealand on the question of tariff, as New Zealand had placed the large Dominion on a very favourable basis. " The young fanners in the back country are great chaps," said Mr. Jones. " The men I met were of a very fine type and were determined to get over their obstacles and make a farm and home for themselves. The farmers generally have a very high regard for Mr. Massey, and I found in moving among them-that they are almost universally for him. In my country there are at times suspicions that the government of the country is not quite clean, but it seems to me that New Zealand is very fortunate in the men who form the Cabinet. They seem to be all men of the highest integrity, giving the Dominion honest service.