NATIONAL CO-OPERATION

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 106, 7 May 1931, Page 10

NATIONAL CO-OPERATION

" (To the. Editor.) Sir, —Why do we ask ourselves and others the question,' "What is going to happen to us all?" The reason is a genuine feeling of insecurity both individually and nationally. Tho present state of affairs has not'come on us suddenly, rather very gradually, which surely proves clearly- that in the past right up to this big climax wo have known what was likely 'to occur, but the majority have shrugged their shoulders, and gone passively on, leaving to the few willing ones tho difficult task of trying to straighten things out. From the outset this was impossible without everybody's interest and cooperation. ■ At, the, twenty-fourth hour, in other words now that we are all affected seriously to our detriment, we awaken and wonder why,wo arc so afflicted: V Surely tho writing on the wall plainly indicated where we were all drifting. However, the'fact -remains we are.not absolutely -lost, or that tho wrong cannot yet be righted. Let us : first of allnse' every possible means of getting more money' into the country to swell our revenue. That can be done by giving those who are devoting their time and interest with that aim in viewy -every assistance, not obstruction. /Everyone must weigh the pros and cons for him and herself very carefully. It will be surprising to the individual where one hour of • quiet thinking will lead. Self-preservation demands a personal interest. We talk a great deal about the political parlies getting together. Why should not tho people of the Dominion do the same? Talking and. thinking will surely then not have been in vain. What is needed is national co-operation. There arenas good brains in. New Zealand as are to bo found elsewhere. Having the goods, to use a commercialism, why do wo not make moro use of the material? The majority of we New Zealanders, up to now, have been educated to the value of butter-fat, wool, and mutton as tho -country's primary resources—valuable tuition, no doubt, but as time has gone on, it has proved not nearly sufficient knowledge to keep us up to date, or to make us -conversant with either our own coun-try-or outside affairs. The sooner wo all realise that to be more prosperous we must be more self-supporting, will surely get us genuinely pulling together, and so make us nationally constructive. .. 'Co-operation is essential, more to New Zealand than to most countries, as we are so very isolated. Individual effort is valuable, but not strong enough. We must have mass formation to got. us. anywhere near the top, and to enable us to keep Ihcre. —I ani, etc'?, •