ADVERTISING

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIX, Issue 8783, 13 July 1914, Page 6

ADVERTISING

For years the neglect of the Government to advertise tho merits of this country was denounced as criminal. Tlie good keen business men supporting tho Opposition of those days were particularly earnest in their devotion to this subject. In connection with that campaign we had a groat many denunciations of the High Commissioner, several proposals for sweeping changes in his office, in his methods, and above all things in its business ways. Everything was to be regulated by business methods, and there would be advertising of the right sort. How the country would boom—thanks to tho enormous flocks of tho right sort of immigrant with agricultural brains and 'more money than brains 1 In support of tho boom prediction we used to hoar much of tho results of tho giant advertisers, the Sunlights,, tho Pears’, tho Beauchamps, the Liptons, tho Cadburys, and tho other spenders of hundreds of thousands, and of course the tremendous immigration into Canada played an important part. Now to-day we have a doleful cable from Canada. For tho first time in Canadian history the year’s emigration has surpassed the immigration, hundreds of workmen tempted to the Canadian Eldorado aro returning to Britain, and the advertising, that advertising that we were criminally neglecting, has suddenly stopped. Canada is now only advertising for farmers with capital. Tho disaster is not altogether unexpected, as its imminence has been recently discussed. But no one, we believe, over expected tho extent. Now this has happened to Canada with its enormous areas of land under offer, and its special arrangements for tempting tho farmers of tho world. It is now perhaps safe to say that in view of the. enormous disparity between our available land and the demand for it, it is just as well wo did not advertise in tho manner urged. Certainly wo may now say it Was not a criminal offence.