CONDITIONS ABROAD

Taranaki Daily News, 31 December 1929, Page 3

CONDITIONS ABROAD

UNEMPLOYMENT PROBLEM.

DEVELOPMENT OF THE LAND.

“When one considers the conditions obtaining in other countries, New Zealanders °should have no reason t 6 be depressed over their unemployment problem.” This statement was made by Mr. C. F. Bennett, who returned to Auckland by the Aorangi on Sunday after an extended trip abroad. The impression he gained was that the world had not yet recovered from the period of trade depression and that unemployment was still a serious problem. “I visited 25 countries during my tour,” Mr. Bennett said. “With few exceptions there were general complaints 7 about slackness of trade and in consequence there were thousands of unemployed almost everywhere. This even applies to the United States, a country which has such a great reputation for prosperity. Even where trade was booming, a year or two ago with massed production in highly organised secondary industries, it is generally admitted today that supplies are in excess of the demand. Unemployed lists; are growing instead of diminishing.” Mr. Bennett was impressed by the at- I tention being paid to primary industries bn the Continent. Great efforts had been made by France, Belgium, Germany and Italy in reconstruction; work following the war, and the settlement of the peasantry was progressing wonderfully. In all these countries there, was intensive land, development, even on what appeared to be useless hill country. Mussolini had realised, that in land, development lay the salvation of Italy and in works on swamps, plains and hillsides he. had absorbed half of the’, country’s, unemployed. - ' r - Germany was' a hive of ceaseless industry. Its ‘ manufacturers were making determined, efforts to capture markets and were extending. their factory activities to England. The value of the German peasantry-had been kept, .in sight in . the rehabilitation sdiemes. . On the .banks of the Rhine there were miles " of formed terraces, supported only by ' hand-made rubble walls,' where grape vines, vegetables and fruit were care- - fully cultivated. " This form, of land! development was in evidence throughout Europe, but it had to be admitted that. England-was-neglecting to a great extent its primary industries. . .“It is essential-that we in New Zealand should exert every -effort to strengthen our primary industries," Mr. Bennett said. “We are essentially a primary producing country, and, in spite of bur distance from the world’s mar- - kets our products enjoy an enviable reputation. Other markets along • the Pacific Coast of America await development. .'We must go forward with confidence in the full extension of our basic industries and educate the rising gen- . e'ratibri to a realisation of the wonderful potentialities of their country.” .