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Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20629, 19 August 1932, Page 18

"Wo are experiencing trying times, but after all we have a great/leal to he thankful for," said the Minister for Marine (the Hon. J. G. Cobbe), in replying to the toast "Our Guests" at the "Wellington Harbour Board function in honour of the retiring general managftr i Mr James Marchbanks. Mr Cobbe referred to a letter received from America indicating that during the coming winter theri? would probably be from twelve to sixteen million unemployed in the United States, and ho added that America was supposed t,3 be one of the wealthiest countries in the world. There was this much to be said: there were slight signs of improvement in New Zealand. There was an upward tendency, and there was good reason to think that things had touched bottom and that there would be a steady improvement from now on. Probably the improvement would be slow, and those connected with farming could hardly hope to receive the prices they had got in years gone by. "The Government is carrying a pretty lieaivy burden," said Mr Cobbe: "we don't make any pretence to being supermen, but we are endeavouring to do ojur duty to the best of our ability. "We don't heed abuse or misrepresentatoin, or anything liko that." "I am just wondering whether we are not getting a little bit too soft nowadays; whether we are up to the standard of the men who helped to make New Zealand in days gone by: and whether we are not losing some of the self-reliance that they showed," remarked the Minister for Marine (the Hon. J. G. Cobbe) at the Wellington Harbour Board valedictory function. "There is a great tendency for young people particularly to depend on the Government. In the early days of New Zealand parent? realised thew responsibility for looking after their families, but to-day, I am sorry to say, there is a tendency to go to the Government for help for the young people. I should be glad to think that the want of selfreliance that has been manifested in some quarters in recent years will come 1 to a stop."