“UNEASY UTOPIA”

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25083, 15 January 1947, Page 8

“UNEASY UTOPIA”

Comment On Recent Criticism

PROMINENT AMERICAN VISITOR’S VIEWS

His opinion that Mr Sydney Greenbie’s recent criticisms published under the head, “New Zealand’s Uneasy Utopia,” did not appear enlightened, was expressed yesterday by the Rt Rev. Monsignor L. G. Ligutti, executive secretary to the National Catholic Rural Life Conference of the United States, who is visiting Christchurch during a short tour of the Dominion. Monsignor Ligutti, who was shown Mr Greenbie’s article, said that no one could disagree with certain of the statistics quoted,‘and he would comment only on certain points which impressed him on a brief perusal of the statements.

He had met quite a lot of New Zealanders in Italy, and had found them magnificent boys. Monsignor Liguiti said. In New Zealand he had found tne people lar trom smug or self-satis-fied, but just the opposite, and friendly and hospitable—and he had met young and oici. students, priests, college prolessors, farmers, and plenty of others. The people were easy to get on with, willing to talk openly, and strangers would converse readily, in spite of his ‘‘Roman collar,’ - too.

As a public speaker, he had found New Zealand audiences very responsive and quick to laugh at a joke New Zealanders were really more like Latins or Irish than true Anglo-Saxons in this respect. On Mr Greenbie’s comments on immigration. he said that New Zealand could certainly stand more population. Human resources were needed to develop natural resources, and the country had not reached saturation point by any means. On Mr Greenbie’s reference to the Dominion as a land of bare hills from erosion, however, Monsignor Ligutti said that on the percentage basis there was less erosion in New Zealand than in the United States. He had watched with a keen eye during his two weeks in the Dominion. and the signs he had seen were, relatively speaking, few. though of course more trees could be grown. New Zealand certainly did not have a landed gentry, he added, and the percentage of “family type” farms was magnificent. From the viewpoint of the people they produced and the average living conditions. New Zealand farms were just as fine as he had ever seen.

He would agree that New Zealand’s city housing was “not too superior,” but the rural housing, on the other hand, was superior to any rural housing in the world. He would not agree that New Zealand’s womanhood was struggling under harsh household conditions. The Dominion’s housing at present was better than housing in the United States, where the conditions were very bad. It would be pertinent, also, to ascertain the number, of American homes without such essential facilities as electricity and bathrooms.

Monsignor Ligutti. who has long been interested in sociology and economics as well as his main interest, rural living, said that as for Mr Greenbie’s comments on the Dominion’s social legislation he would say only that what people could do for themselves in a co-operative sort of way they should not ask the Government to do for them, though, of course, if the people did not get together in such a way the question naturally arose how the things were going to be done. On Mr Greenbie’s reference to New Zealanders making hay while the sun shone (on American dollars during the war). Monsignor Ligutti said that if that was true the departure of American troops should have left New Zealand in a slump right now: but there was no slump, and in fact the sun was shining in spite of American dollars. “I have talked to a number of our returned chaplains and quite a few of our boys who were in New Zealand,” he added. “When I told them I was doming to New Zealand I well remember the repeated, reply: ‘Well, believe you me, New Zealanders kfiow how to live.’ ”

Of New Zealanders’ interest in affairs outside their own country, Monsignor Ligutti said that he found New’ Zealanders knew more about American history and geography than most Americans knew about New Zealand’s or Australia’s. Even the ordinary people, he said, seemed interested and well-informed about the international political situation, also.