NEW ZEALAND FIRST MEANS BRITISH FIRST.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, Issue 212, 22 August 1927, Page 7

NEW ZEALAND FIRST MEANS BRITISH FIRST.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —A lot of writing and speechifying m favour of helping British trade is becoming quite anti-New Zealand in its attitude. No heglthyminded Britisher wants this young country to sacrifice its manufacturing industries to British trade. What C expected of us, and rightly too, is that we buy the goods we cannot manufacture ourselves from Brita n or within the Empire and not from foreigners. New Zealand’s total contribution to British trade is only three per cent, of tho total, and if we do make it lour per cent, by sacrificing our own manufactures we are not helping Britain very much, and doing ourselves a lot of harm. Already we are in a very had way owing to our imports exceeding our exports, and thereby .draining what little capital we have from the coun try. There appears to be too much “sloppiness” in dealing with Empire matters and too much desire from a certain crowd in New Zealand io make this country the “pet child” ot the Empire family, mainly for vanity's sake and not on true patriotic grounds. We should learn to “mind our own business” better. Britain is still the biggest moneylender in the world, ns still the cleverest brain of the world, is very capable of looking after her own affairs and does not vet require us to rush in and sacrifice ourselves. But Britain does want us to be n strong independent and thereby useful partner in the Empire, and she certainly does want us to buy British goods when buying abroad.

—1 am, etc., PATRIOTISM BEGINS AT HOME Hastings, 20/8/27,