LIBELLING NEW ZEALAND.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 13546, 6 October 1909, Page 7

LIBELLING NEW ZEALAND.

THE PRIME MINISTER PROTESTS

(SPECIAL TO "THE PEESB.")

WELLINGTON, October 5

Speaking at a luncheon here to-day, the Prime Minister protested Btrongly against the actions of some person or persons, unknown, who, he said, were libelling New Zealand in the Motherland. He referred to certain statements that had been circulated in reference to New Zealand's finances. It was a question, he eaid, whether New Zealand should not follow Canada in protecting itself by legislation against the "unkind, ungenerous, and malicious things" said about the country. Judging lay the stories that wore disseminated, one might believe that the country was next door to insolvency. Hβ had gone to England on a matter of some consequence to New Zealand. As soon as he reached London a representative of one of the great Metropolitan papers called on him, and produced two sheets of foolscap pasted over with newspaper cuttings purporting to show that everything was bad in New Zealand. Across the top of the sheets was written, "God'a Own Country," and at the bottom, "When the Prime Minister comes, give him a good time." The newspapers of the Old Country, he was glad to Gay, did not publish one word of those allegations. That sort of thing did not injure him as an individual, but it might be injurious to the Dominion. When the common interests of New Zealand were at stake all classes should do their best to keen up the country's good name. If by an accident there were "bad times, it was the duty of the people to get the country out of the bad times.