The San Francisco call., 1909-07-26
By REV. N. A. DAVIS

Dy NLfs ~. "A. LA tlS
l saw in the papers recently a state
ment purporting to come from New
Zealand regarding the financial crisis
there. The article stated that the pre-
mier had announced that s12. .O0O. oot
would be required to meet the states
employment rolls. while but $1,000. .O0e
would be available: that there were
10000 dependent on the government
who faced serious crisis; and thai
the government contemplated the es-
tablishment of an employment insur-
ance scheme
There must have been an error in
the figures, for the normal revenues
OF New Zealand under the best condi-
tions and from all sources are but
10000 The total number of gov
ernment employees and dependents, in
Guiding the railroad. postofhce, stats
insurance department, tourist depart
ment, state coal mines and other de-
partmental employees. is short OF
$4,000. The amount available this year
is the usual sum-
But New Zealand is suffering from
a remarkable depression against which
the government may be providing.
The cause of that is lack of popula-
tion, particularly in the rural districts.
Seventy per cent of the people live
in the cities, 80 per cent in the country.
This lack of balance is due to The
effects of extreme socialist legislation
and to high protective tariff which. in
a small country, developes the cities
and at the same time shuts the land of
from competition with the world.
There is overproduction OF manufac-
tured articles. surplus of factories
and a glut in the tabor market.
There is presented for the contem-
plation of the world the curious spec
tacle of new country with a delight
ful climate, a fertile soil and regular
rainfall. with free institutions and a
paternal government. and with its peo-
lutte want.
Desirable immigrants who come are
unable TO obtain work. A few towns
are progressing; some are stagnating;
others are restroa rading.
There is one hopeful check, however.
The tide of socfalistic legislation is
tempered and worse conditions are pre-
vented by the determined vote of
xryaraer The xo+a - ,--..-
servatiye. The women of New Zea-
land vote freely in all classes. When
q moral issue is up. either on a ques-
tion of liquor prohibition or of admin
istration reform over graft, the women
may be counted on the side of the
reform
The outlook for New Zealand is not
discouraging. The general feeling is
that legislative experimentation will
lead to better methods of government.
But the great lesson which this coun-
try may learn from New Zealand is
that the depression may be reasonably
attributed in considerable extent to
the neglect of the rural interests-and
the overdevelopment of cities. The
factory conditions there were consid
cred ideal from the employees point of
view. There is the eight hour day, and
a minimum wage. which proves to be
the maximum wage But the restric-
tive legislation has the effect of cast
ing old men upon the charity of the
state and preventing boys from learn
ing trades.
New zealand's remedy for it's chief
Industrial troubles is to break down
the fence of the protective tariff and
to encourage immigration and to as
sist immigrants. Also, the country
roads must be developed rather than
have the state money put into steam
ship lines. railroads. coal mines and
insurance schemes.
I do not voice an out and out con-
of socialism. Some of it's
practices have worked admirably. The
streetcar, or tram, system is most ef-
fective. point which may be con-
sidcred by this city. which. 1 UNDER
stand. is now considering the municipal
of the Geary street carline.
The desirabiIity of public ownership
OF railroad lines is still an unsettled
question. But the state ownership of
the telephone lines is an unqualified
success. The most prosperous centers
of New Zealand are those which have
liquor prohibition However. the re-
'trictions on the consumption of liquor
ire not drastic, for each man may inn
tort quart of whisky and two gal
ons of beer day.