TURNING THE TABLES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15033, 5 January 1911, Page 6

TURNING THE TABLES.

It has become almost a habit with certain youthful States of the Empire to regard tho Motherland as in a lethargic condition. It is a very good axiom, howover, for any country to observe that it should set its oivn dwelling in ordei' before it becomes critical about the state of repair of tho houses of others. Mr P. It. Sargood has suggested the way in which tho tables may be turned upon the Australasian "States, at any rate, in tersely remarking to an interviewer at Sydney that "wo ar.e asleep out hero." Moreover, he does not speak at all in the role- of a new prophet, Tho attention of the people of the Commonwealth, and of New Zealand has been frequently drawn to the feebleness of the methods of their respective Governments in the way of promoting the development, prosperity, and self-reliance of theso parts of tho Empiro through the most effective of ■mediums, that of a substantial increase of population. A comparison of the results achieved by Canada in the matter of immigration furnishes Australia, with an object-lesson that may well be studied with profit not iinmingled with a certain degree of humility. And the most recent figures that reflect the foreign trade of the United Kingdom aJso make instructive reading of a kind which is calculated tot encourage in the colonial mind the reflection that for examples of national sleepiness some of the oversea, dominions have been somewhat complaoently looking further afield than was absolutely necessary for their own advantage. If the figures relating to British foreign trade have maintained their earlier level for the last two montliG of tho year that is just) ended a record year both for imports and exports will have ■been the result. For the first three-quarters of the year the value of tho total imports of the United Kingdom amounted to over 483 millions sterling, an advance of eight millions on the corresponding figures for I&D7 and a considerably greater advance on those for either of the two intervening years. The total csporte, again,

for the first three quarters of 1910 were valued at over 318 millions sterling, or thirty-five millions ahead of the corresponding figures for 1909, and virtually marking a recovery of the ground lost sinco 1907. In comparison with the same period of the previous year British exports to foreign countries increased by 13.9 per cent, and tho exports to British possessions by 16.8 per cent., a noticeable feature in this connection being the even distribution of the increase o£ esporte over the British Empire. The largely augmented demand for British goods from various parts of the Empito is to be noted with satisfaction. The figures we quoted ;n -a recent article relative to the demand for money at Home, as revealed in the striking increase in the applications for capital and in the funds actually! received from British investors, also tell their own tale. It is not very surprising that Mr Sargood on his return to this side of the world should fail to betray any enthusiasm oveT the policy which guides the development of the Commonwealth—a policy which has its reflection in our own Dominion—and should lay stress on its cardinal deficiency. Another visitor in the person of Mr Maxwell, who is described as a sugar expert, has offered Australia, still more emphatic parting advice of somewhat similar import. Hβ directs attention pointedly to tlie menace of prospective coloured occupation of tho Northern Territory—a menace in the face of which the lack of population in Australia is not only a national weakness but/ a positive source of danger.