HIGH OPTIMISM

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 7 May 1926, Page 5

HIGH OPTIMISM

PRIME MINISTER CONFIDENT.

DOMINION PROSPEROUS. THE BRUTISH STRIKE. (BY TELEGRAPH PRESS ASSOCIATION.) • CHRLSTiOHURCH, May 5. A note- of high optimism.’regarding the crisis at Home was -struck .*by the Prime Minister- (the Right Hon. J. G.. Coates), a-t the complimentary banquet tendered last night to Sir Heaton Rli-odes. “When there is trouble in the air, ' ’ said Mr. Coates, “-and dark clouds are on the horizon, the usual tiling -is for the Government to- get most of the kicks and -blame. There must be some figure-head at which to direct public opinion ; people must have same human being on whom to- vent -their footings. New Zealand is a wonderful country with a wonderful people,- but we all must recognise that the. other fellow’s troubles -are..our troubles. " People know of this -country’s -prosperity, * its productivity , and its ability to face and overcome difficulties. It has had a prosperous year. I 'believe there i-s a surplus from £1,100,000 to £1,240,000. “There are dark clouds on the horizon,” proceeded Mr. Cba.tes, “and, no doubt, they would be taken advantage of by those who disagreed with the Governnienf’s policy of development. People will preach that if ihey have another ‘Government things will be different. We expect, criticism-; but difficulties and hurdles show what people are made of. ' . ~ • “When troubles 00-me they, must be met in a common-sense-way, _bait we Object to propagation of a creed born, in the centre of a -country which we do not know, and which- does- not know our community and its ideals. The Government will 1 do all it can to put down ideals and creeds foreign to our country.” " " 11 - - Mr. Cbateis said that., the country would do its best to exclude that propaganda and those' ideals-which were foreign to it, and to any truly British community. .Withn- the past -few days thousands of people prayed, that .the trouble' in Great Britainyrou-ld be averted. It was ia heavy load. Whether or not a solution - was to- he found at once, he- had- faith iir -human nature and the British people. Successive Governments at Hjome had done their best to meet this and similar situations. They had tried to be fair and humane to their follow men apart from -polities, and he thought the British Government wais trying to do its best in one of tlie most difficult .situations which had -arisen. The best sense of the people wo-uld find a solution ; the people would stand true to. the -ideals of centuries. Difficulties could be avoided by mediation and (arbitration, - and he hoped the difficulties' met would he faced with credit, and that the Empire. with its wonderful heritage, -would still go on in its _work of bringing peace and undenstanding among the peoples of the world. - ~ . -