OUR CULTURAL POVERTY

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 91, 14 October 1931, Page 8

OUR CULTURAL POVERTY

SOMETHING ON THE CREDIT SIDE

(To the Editor.)

Siv,—Will you .permit a journalist oC some years' experience who has been troubled by the conditions that distress Professor P. W. Robertson to make some comment on his very important letter published in the "Evening Post"? It is not easy to say what I wish to say, for any defence of our country may be taken as proof of just that self-sufficiency that he criticises. Let me assure him at the outset that I agree with much of what he says about our cultural state; only I think there are certain items on the credit side, and certain facts that may justly be set forward in extenuation, which he has overlooked. The faults that he mci • tious have been drawn attention to in the New Zealand Press over and over again, in editorials, in correspondence, and in special articles. Every journalist who is a student of affairs is aware of them. Such faults are not confined to New Zealand or to pioneering communities. Our chief weakness is lack of education and ideas in high places, both in local and national government. We are governed largely by ignorant men. Professor Robertson cites art. It has not yet been realised that art should be a special study. There are men who seem to think that because they have made money in commerce they are fit to judge what art should be given to the people. In politics ideas and culture are rare. There was a time when this country was in the van of political ideas; but it has long chosen to recline upon achievement. The intellectual poverty o£ the Labour Party is pathetic, but no more so than that of the other parties. Labour members at least read books, though these may be one sort of book. Does the average member of the other parties read at all? Yet we have excellent book shops, weil stocked with the latest books from Britain, and good libraries. Our distance from Britain is no excuse for not reading the best English periodicals. They come to many homes and are made use of by all the leading newspapers.

I think the cultural conditions of New Zealand are better than the equipment of its rulers indicates. Our newspapers are among the best in the Empire. lam well aware that I write as an interested party, but much disinterested evidence could be cited in support, No good journalist is satisfied with his paper or with his country's Press, but he is entitled to point to what he considers its virtues. It is quite a common thing for visitors to this country to express admiration of its Press—its cleanness, the fullness of its news service, the amount of attention it gives to outside affairs, and the quality of its English. Recently I had a letter from a young New Zealander who went to London to seek his fortune in the literary world. He went away very critical of New Zealand papers. He writes to say that the London Press makes him think more highly of them. I talked the other day to a New Zealand professional man just back from England. He spoke with scorn and contempt of the London evening papers and was emphatic in his opinion that ours were much better. The English papers with the largest circulations me by no means the best. The "Manchester Guardian" and "The Times," the two best papers in the world (or in the English-speaking world) have circulations that are only a fraction of those of the '"Daily Mail" and "Daily Express." Professor .Robertson says we possess no weekly or monthly magazines that discuss literature. But weekly papers like the "Spectator" and the "Nation" are the product of large communities. There is no such journal in Australia, which Las six million people. Even in England the path of such periodicals is not easy. We have seen one famous quarterly succumb, and the "New Statesman" amalgamates with the "Nation." As to literary criticism in the daily Press, we must remember that a newspaper is not a magazine. But the best daily paper criticism in New Zealand, I think, is fit to rank with the best English.

I know a number of men and women who "do books" and write literary articles for No 1,: Zealand newspapers, and they are a very competent body of critics —well educated, well read, and gifted with an excellent style. A number1 of them are University graduates. The poverty of the professional drama is of course plain, but how much of this can be laid to New Zealand's door? In theatrical matters we are an appendage of Australia, and there the "talkies" have hit the legitimate stage hard. But it should be noted that with the decline of the drama here, repertory societies have sprung up all over the country. Sixteen centres in South Canterbury competed recently in a play production festival in Timaru. This does not look like stagnation. I should my that culturally our larger provincial towns compare favourably with towns of the same size anywhere in the Empire or America. One competent authority has told me that there is a marked difference in this respect between Australia and New Zealand.

It has been claimed for New Zealand by the bookselling trade1 that her people are the greatest readers in the world, and I can hardly believe that one-seventh of the books we buy are by Edgar Wallace. The last time I inquired, a few months ago, there were still in my town waiting lists at the libraries for "The Good Companions."

We may move very slowly, but still we move. We have the beginnings of a literature. .Our pictorial art is not altogether negligible. Architecture, which we have treated shockingly, is coming ou, and I speak with knowledge when I Bay that the Press can justly claim some credit for its advance. The new Architecture School at Auckland University College has won the distinction—it could hardly win a higher—of recognition by the X.1.8.A. in minimum time. It is an encouraging fact that our University students do well abroad. The Medical School in Dunedin has a very high reputation. Its graduates are thought very well of in England, and the school has just received high praise from two English examining surgeons. I understand that the Bachelor of Engineering of Canterbury College will cany a civil engineer anywhere. New Zealand graduates hold important posts in many parts of the world. Our cultural life cannot be so very low when our education system produces these results.

I submit that these considerations should be borne in mind when judging New Zealand conditions; otherwise criticism may give the world the impression that we are a lot of barbarians. Judging by American comment I have seen, passages in Professor Condliffe's otherwise admirable book are calculated to produce this effect. I agree with Professor Robertson that our youth requires fortitude, but so does the youth of every country' Professor Robertson is in the fortunate position of being able to influence youth by direct contact. I can assure him he has many allies outside the University.—l am, etc.,

BREVIER