EDITORIAL NOTES.

Waikato Independent, Volume XXII, Issue 2581, 5 August 1922, Page 4

EDITORIAL NOTES.

Interesting i : Comparisons. Despite the oft repeated phrase that "comparisons are odious," if we approach a subject in a right spirit, wishing to profit by what we see, it is \cvy rarely but that we can derive useful information by making comparisons with the experience of other countries, with respect to industries. This applies particularly to dairying. New Zealand.'s most dangerous adversary in the dairy produce market at Home —whence practically the whole of our butter and cheese :s sold —is Denmark. Hence the result of investigation into the conditions obtaining in Denmark by Mr James Buddie, chairman of directors of the Farmers' Union Trading Company, Auckland, just received by the London correspondent of the N.Z. Herajd, will undoubtedly prove of interest to New Zealand farmers. Mr Boddie is of the opinion that we have nothing whatever to fear as regards quality.. After tasting Danish butter on the spot, he declares the New Zealand article is second to none. He was not favourably impressed with the stabling accommodation provided for the cattle in Denmark during the winter, and the result of his investigations is summarised in the sentence: "Taking into account the extra cost of production in Denmark, I am quite satisfied that, but for the fact that the Danish producers are nearer the London market, New Zea:landers have nothing to fear from them." This is indeed reassuring. Mr Boddie was strongly impressed by the thoroughness of their 00-operative sjiitem, which, he declares, gives Denmark a tremendous strength compared with ■ New where, tiiero are a goocf maay co-operative

companies of all sorts actively competing with each other, with disastrous results, as :i matter of course. Another interesting portion of Mr Boddic's report is his reference to the state of affairs in Germany. There ho got the surprise of his life. Every square inch of land is being cultivated; there are no idle hands; there is an air of general prosperity among all classes of the community, and Mr Boddic expressed the opinion that Germany was perhaps the most prosperous country in the whole world to-day. Here is a person for us all, surely! Since the war the general te&dency in New Zealand has been a relaxation of effort —the introduction of a system of go-slow-that can only have one end-disaster. The one and only way to make up for the disastrous waste of effort, money, human life and goods caused by the world war is in work and production. Germany has been quick to grasp this fact, while the victorious Allies in a greater or less measure, are deliberately taking up the reverse attitude of careless indifference and in some measure at least indolence. Let us take heed before things have gone too far, or we will assuredly be building up for ourselves a. day of reckoning with bitter consequences!

Government • j : -s''**r^ Mismanagement. The Northern Territory of Australia covers an area of 523,620 square miles; the population on December 31, 191 S, was 4781, exclusive of aborigines. There can surely be no greater example of govermnent mismanagement than that a country five times the area of New Zealand should, after 11 years of control by the Commonwealth, have one white inhabitant to each hundred square miles. Unfortunately it fell to a Labour Ministry to administer this territory, and an attempt was made to run it on the lines of State industries and the leasehold tenure. The unions took charge in Darwin, and it is probable that less work was done and higher wages paid than in any other place in the world. There seems no reason to suppose that the climate or the land is any worse than in some other parts of Australia where prosperous conditions prevail. Senator Pearce stated tli'o other day that a quarter of a million had been spent since 1911 in promoting mining, and large sums in the attempt to introduce tropical agriculture. The population figures show that both efforts have failed. There is no doubt that if the whole country were handed over to a company of the kind that lias proved successful in Rhodesia, Nigeria, and elsewhere in the' Empire far more rapid progress would be made than under any Government. Such action is probably impossible in Australia, however carefully drawn up the conditions might be, so v.e must trust that the new determination of the Hughes Ministry, to endeavour to develop tiie pastoral resources of the country ami no longer to waste money on mining and agriculture, will prove successful, and that this vast area of land will not remain unused much longer. If the Government will offer liberal terms so that people who go io the Territory may have a reasonable hope of making, money, all will go well. The building of a railway as soon as possible is necessary in order to give the country a chance. It would not be profitable at first, but the chances look more favourable than those of the Ca-nadian-Pacific line when it was first planned. Possibly the settlement of the country would be best furthered by inducing a company to put through a railway in return for grants of land, as was done in Canada.