AS OTHERS SEE US.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXVI, Issue 18162, 26 April 1921, Page 8

AS OTHERS SEE US.

NEW ZEALAND'S ADVANTAGE. WEALTH IN WATER POWER. Dr. J. O. Miller, of Toronto, who left tor Canada by the Niagara, after having visited all the sell-governing Dominions of the Birtish Empire, is much impressed with New Zealand, where he has spent the past two months. In an interview before leaving, he said: In visiting the self-governing countries of the Empire I feel that I have done well in leaving New Zealand to the last. Considering its size it has more varied beauties than any other of the British Dominions. I know of no other country that contains in like compass four cities set in such surroundings of natural loveliness as Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch. and Dunedin. 1 never realised the aptness of Kipling’s lines on Auckland till I stood upon the summit of One Tree Hill. When Lord Bryce surveyed front the Cashmere Hills the Canterbury Plain with Christchurch nestling at its foot, and the snow-capped range that bounds it on the west, he said: —“That is one of the great sights of the world.” Shakespeare's patriotic praise of England might well be applied to New Zealand: "This happy breed of men, this little world: This precious stone set in the silver sea, Which serves it in the office of a wall,

Or as a moat defensive to a house. Against the envy of less happier lands.” The war proved that New Zealanders are worthy of their heritage. In proportion to their numbers they sent more men overseas than any other Dominion; they suffered a greater loss in men slain in battle, and they bore with fortitude heavier taxation and even the biting test of forced loans. To-day their national debt per capita is far greater than that of any other of the British peoples—£2oo as compared with the Canadian £4O.

And now you are called upon to face the last of the ten plagues of war, namely, falling markets and serious business depression. But you have the consolation of being the producers of primary products which means that you will be among the first to recover. There should be decided improvement before the end of this year.

To anyone who has visited South Africa and Australia the possibilities ; of New Zealand seem wonderfully I attractive. You have great belts of ! fertile land, and even where the soil ■ is less rich your abundant and well | distributed rainfall is ample compensation. But a Canadian is sur- j prised at the high prices of land in | this country. lam not far out in | saying that your lands, grain, dairy, j fruit, and pastoral are held at prices in pounds that Canadian lands fetch in dollars. This must be a serious factor in deterring the immigration of agriculturists. In Canada we have been brought up on the gospel of cheap land for the settler. According to Canadian standards there is no cheap land in New Zealand. Two other things strike the visitor: Your immense undeveloped coal measures and your vast undeveloped water powers. To anyone who has watched the development of electric power at Niagara from its beginning, has seen the immense strides that Ontario has made since the first turbines were put down, it w'ould seem a prudent undertaking for New Zealand, in spite of dear money and all its financial obligations, to pledge its credit still further in order to obtain this means of increasing the national wealth. When the present Chippawa Canal is finished, Ontario will have from Niagara one million horse-power, and it is committed to a second parallel canal which will develop a second million. If the requirements of Ontario are one horse-power per capita of the whole population, surely New Zealand can no longer afford to go without. I should like, as a Canadian, to voice what I know to be the opinion of many Canadians, namely, the moral probity and high sense of business honour that is prevalent throughout New Zealand. I think we have something to learn from you in this respect, and on that ground alone it would be of great benefit to Canada to cultivate much larger business relations with this country. As an Englishman I may also express the feeling of pride that the high ideals of our Motherland are finding themselves perpetuated in her youngest and most distant colony. , In a book of some note, called "The Passing of the Great Race,” the author, Dr. Madison Grant, expresses the view that the Nordic race will find its last stronghold in Northern and Western Canada. He is an American scientist, and perhaps it is enough for me to say that he does not know New Zealand.