Poverty Bay Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE, WEDNESDAY, OCT. 5, 1921 AUSTRALIA'S AND NEW ZEALAND’S WEAKNESS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 15639, 5 October 1921, Page 2

Poverty Bay Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE, WEDNESDAY, OCT. 5, 1921 AUSTRALIA'S AND NEW ZEALAND’S WEAKNESS.

! Lord Northcliffe, with the eyes of a k-peii observer, lias perceived the weakness of the Commonwealth and New Zealand. Charmed w,ith their scenery and their people, and impressed with the great richness of both countries, he told his interviewers at Sydney last e week, on the eve of his departure for Japan, that lie was goAig away saddened by thoughts of Australia's weakness, and he declared that only increased population could sa,ve Australia for the white man. His remarks also applied to. New Zealand, which he described as the richest but the weakest of all the nations. Lord Northcliffe, in these' remarks, had touched oh the greatest to us of all Pacific problems, and one which as he said, affords the greatest opportunity for statesmanship. We are thankful to say that the question has been taken up \|it.h lively interest in Australia since Sir Joseph Carmthers started his campaign for a million farmers upon a milion farms, arid, iii all ♦he States of. the Commonwealth public men are heartily joining in the crusade 10 boost the population of the country. “How few people realise,” said Sir Joseph in one -of his addresses, “that Australia is a continent, girt by three oceans which are the highways of the earth. These oceans are trade routes. They are also routes lo carry men, as iwell as goods. Finally, they are open wavs for warships, for transports. Thus we have-the advantage of access by the sea lo the markets and the countries of the world. B]it we have also the disadvantage of openness to attack from the sea along 11,000 miles of . ocean frontage. In ease of /attack, it- must be defended. The first line of defence is a fleet, barrier on the ocean,- and the second and final line .is the man-power behind (lie rifle on the shore. Can a population of less than six million people mnintaiij these lines of defence alone and unaided ? ■ i. Our adult ’ manpower of lighting capacityv is .under three-quarters of a million, aind oU,r ocean frontage, is ,11,310 miles; land “we hdve less than 70 men per mile to defend these shores, if every man wore there, 11 is a, reproach to Australia that, she neglects the main service of,self-defence —population. ,>Scime-day,! it will be I,hi vital problem of Aiisiralia-, and Cod help us if we are not prepared with men to bold these lands and defend our, homes and our families. Asia,” he continued, "has many times overrun Europe, whose history.is a continuous story of Asiatic invasions right, down to the time when the floors and Turks overran one-half of Europe, and have not yet been entirely driven out,. History may repeat itself on undefended Australia. Whether it does or not depends on ourselves. We have an.area equal to that fhetUnited Btates, 1 ,£03,003,€00 ' acres, of whicii enlv. ;7 ner p/i(.. is in -private owner-j ship and 9o per ecnt.> is in Hie owner-, ship of the Crown tfor the public. We cannot- plead Hint we nfe short of land.' We have 1.740,CC0.CC3 acres still public property, and only 163,000,000 acres, private property. Its condition in such a statens a folly and a crime; To people our land we need to prepare it for occupation by railways and other twentieth' century methods. It may cost us. much money to do so, hut whatever be the price we can’t pay too much to get the population. What will he the results? Mor.fi. employment, more production; more men on their own homes; greater capacity to carry onr debt; more men to pay the cost of government; more defenders of our homes and our country. England has a call to 'assist in money because she, as well as we, will gain. Our expenditure will be amply repaid by the value of our land,- of our new works, and above all by the men and women, who are the greatest asset of all. Tiie policy means the creation of a new spirit With .a bigger, outlook for every living soul in these lands. It will bo one that will uplift us and create a broader and a nobler view .of bur public: duties. The time has come when Australia must ring true to the finer metal of our breed. You will hear, the of the men of meaner mould ; who tell you the worn-out shibboleths of their party politics. Listen not to them, bat answer the call of Australia, and tell those in power that; we want this, policy . carried out without delay ,and with 'a determination that will overcome all j obstacless” It is policy such: as that outlined which will make Australia great and keep her shores inviolate, and New Zealand needs just as much to take I a wider outlook and provide for the developments of the future in the Pacific. 1 He shores are quitee ns . vulnerable and < the richness of her land to which Lord Northcliffe .lias referred will be,a greater s temptation to the possible invader even i than the wide arid spaces of the Aus- < traliafi continent. There is no question I that New Zealand could carry a much I meater population than it does to-day! i There is room in her forests, her mines, 1 her broad acres, and her fisheries for the j employment of many thousands. There c is room for .the building up off great t secondary industries such ns woollen j manufactories, leather works, iron foan- i dries, canning factories, . and many c others, and though one realises at the 2 moment the. difficulties of an overstock- c ed labor market, it is a matter for the ] consideration Of our statesmen how to [ evolve n policy that will start industries p going and give employment to many of those in the Homeland who are looking to the Dominions overseas to afford d them relief from the congested condi- l lions in Britain’s industries. Hitherto -f the. sole idea in regard to immigration r. in New Zealand has been to place set- p tiers on the land,: but the cheek which li lias been given to settlement through r depredation of produce prices suggests n he alternative that 'Stifle money hither- 1 to spent in the purchase of estates for d subdivision might now be directed to s die subsidising of great industries and b In' introduction of artisans to man n I bem. There .are probably great firms h in the Old Country skilled in woollen p liami fact are, engineering, or any of the 1 it her industries previously referred to, 3! .vl'ich could be induced lo set up estafiishments in New Zealand if given fnv- j| irnhle conditions. The development, of p lydio-eleclricily supplying cheap power, }r| vouhl be one. of the inducemenls, and I. would pay New Zealand, as Canada. ip ms done, to. supply such firms with S( , red sites for their enterprise, near to i id,ll water, A million pounds spent udieiously on the encouragement of real industries would probajy give em- 1!l liovnienl to several times the nuntner of ht eople that an equal sum spent at (be hi nesent tinie in the purchase of land he ,’ould lie able to settle in (he Dominion, nd by starting woollen works at oar oors we should be facilitating the dis- Ri osl.ll of oar raw produce. The question’ tri

of inter-imperial immigration .hulked largely at the discussions of the recotit Premiers’ Conference, qnd possibly Mr Massey will be able to give the country a lead on .this most important subject.