GO ON THE LAND!

Sun (Christchurch), Volume V, Issue 1360, 22 June 1918, Page 11

GO ON THE LAND!

MESSAGE FOR TOWN BOYS. A MINISTEE'S SUGGESTIONS. "Stewing in her own gravy" is the fate which the Hon. G. W. Russell predicts for New Zealand, unless we can speed up settlement after the war. "Get back to the land!" was the refrain of the Minister's remarks to an audience in the Linwood School last evening. Incidentally, he made a fewsuggestions. Mr Russell commenced by n reference to the tremendous financial pressure which had been put upon them by the war, ami which they were bearing. On March 31, J 914, the national debt of the Dominion had been £99,000,000. On March 31, 1918, it had been £150,000,000; and of the increase of £51,000,000, no less than £46,000,000 represented war expenditure. At present they were spending practically two and a half millions per month upon the war. That undoubtedly placed a very great responsibility on the people of the country. They had had such an era of prosperity, even during the war, that it was doubtful if they had come to realise what was going on in other parts of the world. Their primary exports had risen so much in value that, although the actual quantity exported was less, they were getting many millions more for their products than before the war. Undoubtedly that to a very large extent accounted for the prosperity on all hands. In view of that present position, he wished to touch on the country's future. The pastoral products of the country for 1916 were valued at £28,000,000. Seventy-six per cent, of the entire exports ware agricultural and pastoral, and 72 per cent, pastoral onlv. With 25,000,000 sheep to shear, above their 6,000,000 carcases for annual export and their own heavy consumption of mutton, they were the tenth sheep country in the world. Their dairy produce was more important still, because that provided for the small farmer with the small holding upon which the prosperity and greatness of New Zealand must be built. Their butter exporf was valued at £2,650,000, and that of cheese at £3,500,000. Against 79 meat works, they had 600 dairy factories, and 700,000 dairy cows in milk. "In this country," declared M.r Russell, "we have cot got enough people to carry on the production of New Zealand as it must be carried on if we are to bear these enormous burdens of debt that we have taken upon ourselves. The sooner we face that, the better." Their policy must be, he added, to train the young men and boys of the town to get out into the country, and assist in the primarjproduction.

Statistics showed that in 1911 the total number of men engaged in agricultural and y>astoral work in New Zealand was 110,000. What exactly was the number now he could not say, but the first thing that he wished to urge upon the educationists of the country was a campaign by which the boys of the towns should be trained for country settlers. Then the towns could take care of themselves. Up to 1901 there had been a surplus of population in the country. By 1911 the figures were just about level, and by 1916 the balance had gone the other way, and .53 per cent, of the population of the Dominion was in the towns and boroughs. That, to him, was a matter for the greatest regret. They must have an immigration system that would bring out the class of people they required for the farms and stations, if the country was to be developed. Unless the 110,000 agricultural could be by some means increased, New Zealand would "stew in her own gravy." But he wouldn't offer to a single immigrant, no matter what his nationality, any concession that had not first been offered to New Zealand's t own men. (Applause.) Therefore he enjoined them, as Adam had been enjoined at tho beginning, to "go forth and subdue the earth." Reduced to colloquial language that was: "Get out on to the land; and when you get there, get married ami settle down." To help towards that, the Government must open up and subdivide the country, ami so give the people a chance to go on the land. (Applause.) In that would lie the future prosperity of New Zealand. As a practical start, the Minister suggested that somewhere within a eonvenient distance of the city, a farm should be taken up by the Education Board, to form part of t its technical system. That could be run for dairying, poultry, fruit, as an all-round farm. Then arrangements- could be made to have the boys from the town schools out for week-ends, or for a day or two, so that they could get the country atmosphere. At present many left school and went into factories and offices without having experienced the country atmosphere. If they once got its feel, they w-ould beg to be allowed to have the country for life. The Taranaki Education Board had established such a place at Stratford, and it was proving a great success. He hoped that.Canterbury and other districts would follow.