PRODUCTION STANDARDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20302, 9 July 1929, Page 14

PRODUCTION STANDARDS.

Sir, —The announcement that increased European production of dairy produce is affecting prices for Dominion goods may shock some of our folks into a realisation that the settlement of our land and increased production therefrom are matters of the utrr.ost urgency. Europe since the war has been swept with a " back to the land " movement, which must have farreaching results. In Czecho-Slovakia 38 per cent, of the applications for land remain unsatisfied, Rumania has 400.000 land-seeking peasants which she cannot place, Italy and France are booming. French conditions have so improved that last year 1,500,000 foreign agricultural and industrial workers had to be imported. The whole of Europe is seeking opportunities to settle people on the land, and the rest of the world—with tho exception of New Zealand—is seeking people to develop its land. Unless this country wakes up wo shall lose our markets and our standard of living, for no amount of " safeguarding " or local bolstering will enable us to hold our present proportion of trade in the world's markets. If others with handicaps of which we know nothing get in and supply increased quantities of butter or cheese at a competitive price when we, owing to lack of intelligence or energy, fail, we shall have only ourselves to blame. N. G. Gribdle.