"TIME FOR SPENDING."

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 258, 31 October 1932, Page 8

"TIME FOR SPENDING."

VISITOR'S ADVICE. PRAISE FOB NEW ZEALAND. THE FRANZ JOSEF VALLEY. Six weeks in New Zealand have made a deep impression on Mr. George FitzPatrick, of Sydney, superintendent of the New South Wales Community Hospital, who, while in Wellington, gave an account of how New Zealand appealed to an Australian who was merely, he insisted, "a humble Visitor." He has noticed a tone of confidence in this country, but lie suggested —very hesitatingly —that people should indulge more in wise spending.

"If one might be excused the temerity of making a suggestion, simply as a humble visitor, one might point out that the fact that you have £56,000,000 in your savings banks is not necessarily a good thing," said-Mr. FitzPatrick. "If a man is on .the basic, wage —assume that it is £4 a iveek—it is obvious that if he saves half and spends only half lie : is doing a grave injury to his family and to his dependants. And not only to them, but to the butcher and baker. Because in this complex civilisation 110 one person can do anything or refrain from doing anything without the effects of his action or inaction being spread far and wide. "When we were younger we were told to save and save and save," said Mr. FitzPatrick. "But I venture to think, with great humility, that this is a time for wise spending. National thrift may become a national menace. It is a new doctrine, however, and one upon which I would not dogmatise. "One thing that has struck me here is the extraordinary hospitality of the people, but as an Australian I am tremendously disappointed that the things we read in your papers about Australia mostly concern Communistic bodies, people suiciding from the bridge, stupid, ignorant students preventing professors from talking, and the efforts of the 'razor gang.' Those things are : snly aaews becausa they are-Tumsoal.

" Nature's Masterpiece." "But it is the same in Australia, of course," said Mr. FitzPatrick. "Most of what we hear from New Zealand is about your earthquakes. We are lamentably ignorant of the marvels of the glow-worm cave at Waitomo, which was old before Australia was discovered. We are unappreciative of the beauties of Mount Egmont and colossally ignorant of what one might term Nature's masterpiece—the Franz Josef valley.

"I would say my trip from Australia had been abundantly worth while just to have had the privilege of looking out over the communion rails in the Anglican Church at the Franz Josef and seeing the perpetual snows moving down slowly and majestically.

"If the poet who wrote 'One's nearer to God in the garden than anywhere else on earth' could have been in that church he might have altered his subject matter. I think those are the things we ought to know more about."