WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Waikato Times, Volume 100, Issue 16816, 7 June 1926, Page 6

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

AGRICULTURE AND OTHER THINGS. ADDRESS 13Y MR W. PERRY. (Times Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, Saturday. Two casual observations made by Mr W. Perry in his address at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Royal Agricultural Society have attracted the attention of others than those immediately interested in rural pursuits. Mr Perry was understood to imply that the national system of education did not make for the production of farm workers and to cast some reflection upon the action of the United States in raising a still more formidable tariff barrier against the admission of butter to the Great Republic. Both the manual workers and Hie school teachers have taken exception lo Mr Perry’s allusion to the education system. The workers protest that it is Hie farmers Lhcmselves and not the system of education that prevents a larger number of hoys turning to the country life when they have completed their school course. Did Hie farmers offer better conditions and wider opportunities for advancement. they say, there would he no scarcity of farm labour. The teachers, on their part, hold strongly that the present system of education provides a much larger measure of instruction pertaining to the avocation of the farmer than did the system of 25 or 30 years ago when farm labour was available in abundance. The whole trend of modern education, they maintain, is towards the practical side and if it is not producing the desired results the farmer, above all people, should state definitely the reason why. All this seems logical enough. American Reciprocity. Mr Perry’s allusion to America’s fiscal policy was of a more definite character and it evidently was intended lo convey the idea that the Dominion’s friends on the oilier side of the Pacific were not comporting themselves in a very neighbourly fashion. “As from April 5,” lie said, “the United States of America lias increased the duly on imported butter from eight to twelve cents. This would appear sufficiently high to prohibit exports of New Zealand butter to that country. In view of the fact that in 1925 the value of our total imports from the States was almost £9,000,000 and that the States bought only a litllo over £4,000,000 from New Zealand this means that America is now practically refusing the acceptance of any butter as payment for what we purchase. The effect of the revision of tiie German and American butter tariffs must have Hie effect of diverting more butter to the United Kingdom which in itself will not tend to improve prices or even lo keep them up." Mr Perry did not suggest any means by which the balance of Hie trade between the States and the Dominion could be more c-loscly adjusted, and the delegate’s to tlie conference appeared to think tlie New Zealand farmer bad a very real grievance against the American politicians. The Consul-General’s View. The United States Consul-General, Mr Lowrie, when seen here said he had noticed the report of the statement made by Mr Perry, hut he had not read into it any suggestion that Hie president of the New' Zealand Royal Agricultural Society had spoken with any ill-feeling towards An erica or had intended to disparage its fiscal policy. It was quite posible, however, that his words had been misunderstood. America, like New Zealand, was a protectionist country, and, again like New Zealand, was anxious to develop its rural industries to the fullest possible extent compatible with the other interests of the country. Whether this policy was a good one or a bad one, in cither country, it .was not for him to say. He could say, however, without any reservation, that tlie American people held a very high opinion of New’ Zealanders, as t hey had reason to do, and were anxious lo maintain the most friendly relations with them. He could understand, Mr Lowrie went on to say, that New Zealand would he belter pleased if the exchange of products and commodities between the two countries were more evenly balanced; but America at least could say lliat it was tlie largest purchaser of New Zealand products outside the British Empire, a pleasant rccolleeiton to himself personally and one which gratified the American people as a whole. A Tribute to New Zealand. The fact that the United States covered such a huge expanse ot latitude, with its verying climate and products, Mr Lowrie pointed out, was one reason why the exchange of trade between America and New Zealand was not so Large as every good American as well as every good New Zealander, would like to be. Practically everything New' Zealand produced tlie States produced, in one part or another. Just at the moment among America’s exports to the Dominion motor-ears and motor parts bulked largely, and incidentally appeared to have contributed very substantially to the country’s revenue —but already there were indications that New Zealand was going to push the States out of this buisness, just as it had done in the case of many oilier commodities which years ago were brought down from New "fork and San I'ranc.isco to meet the requirements of the carlv colonists, who had not had tunc to develop their own resources. Mr Lowrie —apologising for venturing upon proph sv in connection with a country of which he, so far, had seen so little—declared that New Zealand s destiny lay in rapid development and in enormously increased production. “Your resources are so large and so varied,’ ’lie said in conclusion, “that you need l’car competition from no country, be it ever so big, within your own sphere. I have heard many Americans say what 1 am saying now, men with greater opportunities for observation than 1 have had, and 1 am satisfied their judgment is sound.” Mr Lowric’s advice to New Zealand is lo make less of their country’s limitation and much more of Us vast potentialities.