BETTER RELATIONS

Evening Post, Volume XCVI, Issue 18, 20 July 1918, Page 4

BETTER RELATIONS

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —I see by to-night's Post that Mr. R. A. Wright, M.P., while on ai visit to Australia recently, met some people who were hostile towards New Zealand and New Zealanders. Well, Sir, there is nothing strange about that. Mr. Wright may safely leave the question oil conscription out, when looking for a reason for this. I fancy the percentage of people in favour of conscription in | Australia would compare very favourably with those in favour of the same in New Zealand, if put to tho latter. I wonder if Mr. Wright has any idea of the hostility shown towards Australians by the people of this country. Last I year, when I arrived in this country, I | wondered (going by the articles in the press and remarks- made by persons in tho street) why there should be such a feeling of hostility. A letter recently appeared in the Evening Post, written, by a. young woman from Sydney, who could not secure a position here, on ac- | count of her nationality; she wanted to know the reason why. I never noticed any answer to her letter. She was going to return to Sydney. Perhaps Mr. Wright met some of her friendk. Then again, a. well-known writer to the Referee, while on a visit to this country, met a farmer up Marten way, who said he would not employ an Australian on his farm. This was within the last twelve months. The farmer was told that there were 13,000 New Zoalaudens j living in Sydney, that it might not | pay for all New Zealanders to adopt j ! the same attitude as he proposed doing, j or, rather, had done. I have been living in this country off and on for six- J teen years, and I am surprised' that New Zealanders get as good a hearing in Australia as they do.—l am, etc., WATTLE, 17th July. [Wo publish, in fairness, the above letter (modified in several respects) as a reply to certain criticism. Lut, generally'speaking, the cultivation by either New Zealanders or Australians of a narrow, intolerant spirit is to be deprecated as being neither becoming, generous, nor just. Wo liave frequently pointed out that geography holds. Australia and New Zealand 'together, and only evil can result from cheap bigotry Of thought and from still cheaper sneers at fellow citizens and natural allies.— Ed.]