MR. WILL CROOKS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 12095, 12 March 1910, Page 2 (Supplement)

MR. WILL CROOKS.

IMPRESSIONS OF NEW ZEALANt). LONDON. Jan. 28. I iv. the course of .a .chat, this Av'eek Avith Vl'i- Wilt Crooks, ex-U. P., he VAvas questioned about a statement he Ayas, re- . ported to have made about NeAV, Zealand having poverty as bad <as any to be f omid m the Old Countiy,. '.'Of course, it hasn'tj" declared Mr Crooks, "arid I •never said it had . Hdw.couldxitMbe as bad .-as m; this country:? New Zealand, is a yoAUvg^covuvtvy, with. a. . grand.'- climate and magnificent resources, ., and 7 'she. hasn't got the deadweight of a big slum

population- to carry, 7/7 7 • /..''But *Avhat TI ,dq say.is that unless NeAV Zetiland.^vuirds .against; it she AVill find that thepoverty avo krtoAy ' i^Londori"wiil "develbp- out there. Wherever you have a great 'aggregation of humftii beirigs'you haye; poverty. There are al,ways ithe sipk .'.and the i,;Ui'ir,ni. >.4*?. c^" ;dents : Twill continue "to< happen' •V'hj.ch 'nobody 'ciiri foresee. You can: control people, but you can't give thenx. initiative. These: are , 'facts',-: Avhich makeTfor poverty. vW^IIa wluitiNe'W'.2e'-iariviihas to .guard against is- the.,accuhiulation of .maSs'jes"''9f*"h_ri^it.y"''i».'her towns when the land: Is oryinj* out for settlement m the country di^^otis.. New Zealand ?can .carry ,t, ; -vast p^puhtf ion ; . it , resource^, ai'e astopishirig. But'ypu,.Ay*^ ,^.pTOple who will open up land, 7not mcii who . harig round • fthe' -towns urideiVc iit-ting Avage« (aiidi sAvanipiiig the . hUioftjnarket, and degeneratirig into slum-dAvellors"' -7 .'•'.lt;, seems, to. me 'that the business of a Go^ernri}ent js to guide* the people who _ lack- * initiative—that is to say,, -d>ho i^, masses.' oL the * peopie^PvThe.man^ ,\Y'ith - initiative «an be 4*U!»)^''' to .look 'aftpr hiraseif, bjjt the jniUU^iuJea who lacji.it miist be guided and 'cared foiV Have youno cmonial statesmen -Avho \v|ll face - this groat task; arid organise youi' -if oiture papulation 5; according .to ■'-.. the s needs? You -Avant. pppulajLioii^niUioris —but you do not'Avartt your la^oT^.riiarIte'ts* flooded by shiploads of English slum-dwellers. The': poor vfelk>Avs ,ou the Embaiikhient here 'couldn't^o a.good clay's lAy.oric .if,, you offered- thera 7 *i3l\ a day. .-They couldn't ,eat a good "square meal Jf you set it m ; front of '"them. Tliey are down. Their vitalityi has been sapper! out of ■then*.'.-,-- Wliat use^'ethey to New • Zealand ? None, . Avliatoyer.v / .."But suppose Aye sent^you shiploads of. men who have been trained m ■ farm- . work, arid 'who are ready and Avillihgyso carveT out homes for themselves m, .a neAV, laiid. It Avould pay Enghuid, v and it. Avould - pay , you, to . give iinefriplpyed men m this country a year or tAvo" years trainirig m farm colonies here,* arid7t|ie'n ship out to Aiistnilia. 017 Noav Zealand, tUqse of tliem. Avho Avere, -willing tp go. las farm, laborers. Then avo .riHght^"reasonably expect the colonial (loveriinientsxto have receiving i.nd distributing depots, and place the men ou the laiid jAvhere tliey-.Ayero \A'anted v : .- ■'.•••.'- ■'■>*.■.-?'" , "That , is .my ideil.of Imperial.isni-rf-a spheme Avhich Avili help both tlie. Motlier j Country and her colonies. Its-be tter thaii, shouting about German airships. The colonies Avant men^ jind Aye ca_-jS^rid you plenty of the right .-.sort, if.^lP^rain J>hem before sending them out. TWhat is • Ayanted is a statesman whoAviU* frame a soheme of co-operation betAveen ' Mother Country and colonies, and get it carried through."- „ ■ r y f - ,