NEW ZEALAND’S PROSPECTS

Otago Witness, Issue 3495, 1 March 1921, Page 58

NEW ZEALAND’S PROSPECTS

SPEECH BY HON. J. A. HANAN, M.P. In reply to the toast of “ Parliament ” at the annual meeting of the Invercargill Chamber of Commerce, the Hon. J. A Hanan, M.P., said he was pleased with the cheery note that the president (Mr J. Gilkison) had struck in his speech when referring to the future of Southland. He (Mr Hanan) considered that Southland was the last place in New Zealand to feel a slump because we had not those inflated land values that existed elsewhere. Land had been bought in New Zealand at a value that might not be able to stand the strain due to the disturbed conditions of the next few years. Those who had purchased second and third-class land at very high prices were the people who were going to suffer by reason of the change that would come about. In the political, social, and economic organisation of the world a new order was struggling to be born. There would undoubtedly be political and industrial changes witnessed in the course of a few years, and he hoped they would be on evolutionary lines and by constitutional methods. It was for one and all to make up their minds that business, industrial, and social conditions would not be the same as before the war. History showed the great changes that hud taken place from time to time and how they had been opposed, but they had been made for the good of society. The bias of humanity was upwards and notwithstanding set-backs advancement took place. At the present time nearly all institutions—■ religions, political, business, and social —were passing through the furnace of criticism, which, he believed, would result in all these matters being placed on a better and more progressive footing. The problems presented for treatment in the political arena must in many respects be dealt with on new lines if the needs of the situation and the spirit of the times were to be satisfactorily met. This called for courage, initiative, and progressive ideas being adopted. So far as the financial position was concerned, anxiety was being evinced by all thinking men. The tendency of interest rates was upward. He believed that the financial markets of the world would continue disturbed, and there would be high rates of interest for loans, maintained until after the expiration of about two years. The huge Government expenditure and the rate of borrowing that had taken place called for serious consideration in view of what was ahead in the way of providing for increasing financial obligations and the present high rates of interest. In connection with our financial and industrial problems, he regarded it as absolutely essential to get a

large increase of settlers on the land to guarantee stability and progress. They must see that the land now occupied and capable of further improvement n ' US j . utilised, so as to ensure greater production. Furthermore, much more land must be made available for settlement on more liberal terms. This pointed to the necessity for more active measures being taken to break up large estates and force their subdivision into small holdings. Referring to remarks made bv the retiring president as to the revision of the Customs tariff, Mr Hanan said in Australia they had adopted a protection policy to develop secondary industries and make Australia less dependent on outside countries for manufactured goods. Australia recognised it a sound policy for primary and secondary industries going hand in hand, making her a self-contained and prosperous community. Had they no manufacturing industries in New Zealand during Ihe war they would have felt the prices of some goods much more severely than they did. They would have their troubles and trials in New Zealand, but if they showed courage, faith, and confidence in dealing with their problems he had no doubt that New Zealand would come through her difficulties satisfactorily and enjoy a new era of progress and prosperity. There had been for some time an apathy and indifference manifested, generally speaking, by people in regard to parliamentary proceedings. Government expendiure‘ e to- Tliis was to be regretted in the public interest, and he hoped to see a real awakening and a real live interest evinced bv all sections of the community in the great questions of the day upon the proper treatment of which largely depended the progress of New Zealand. By bringing a strong, enlightened, progressive opinion to play upon Parliament, they would beneaffect the work of Parliament. On resuming his seat Mr Hanan was loudly applauded.