TRADUCING NEW ZEALAND.

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14854, 20 December 1913, Page 12

TRADUCING NEW ZEALAND.

MR. MACKENZIE'S COMPLAINT.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPOKDENT.)

LONDON, November 7

With reference to the. High Commissioner's complaint as to the. difficulty confronting oversea representatives who wish to hear Parliamentary debates, Mr Mackenzie has given mc his reason for broaching the subject. He says:— "Under existing conditions we are terribly handicapped in this country to get our views on certain things made known, or our replies given to charges made against the. Dominion. It is a singular thing that although we are one one of the most loyal of tho oversea countries, we aro constantly singled out for bitter attack —social, economical, and political. The trouble is to get adequate replies widely circulated.

"For instance, one of the leading financial journals has, through its correspondence and leaderettes, entirely falsified our financial position with regard to expenditure. One item of expenditure is £630.000 over-stated, and another item £696,000 over-stated.

"I have to-day received a copy of a paper from the North stating that we are 'spending more than a million sterling a year on our military defences, that our teachers aro wretchedly paid, and that poverty and privation are prevalent. A similar article, only more abusive, appeared in a Scottish paper some time ago, occupying a column and a half. I sent a short reply, and the editor wrote that he would not insert it unless I paid for it at current advertisement rates.

"I also have in my possession a letter from one of our leading mon, who is here from New Zealand, in which he denies a long list of statements attributed to him in one of these papers which constantly traduces us.

"It was suggested to mc that we should have representation in the Imperial , Parliament so that we could make our position quite clear. I said that was a matter which was largely in tho clouds, and added that we could hardly get access to the Strangers' Gallery of the House of Commons, even when the oversea Dominions were under debate."