NATIONAL UNITY

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 166, 13 June 1940, Page 9

NATIONAL UNITY

CALL OF THE TIMES. MEETING ADVERSITY. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, June 12. With the British Empire engaged in a titanic war, the very adversity of the present situation was going to weld its people together in greater unity than ever before for their own preservation and salvation, said the acting-Minister of Agriculture (Hon, F. Langstone), when he opened the annual conference of the Dominion Council of Commercial Gardeners in Wellington to-day. Mr Langstone said he believed that adversity brought out the best in British people. In prosperity they were prone to think individually and promulgate their pet- schemes. Now the public cry was for national unification in every category of human endeavour. He was hopeful that out of it all, great things would come. As an outpost, removed from the scene of conflict, New Zealand was in a' happier position than some other countries. Its people had surpluses of primary production, but were short of industrial raw materials. By the sale of their primary produce overseas they had built up sterling funds for the purchase of these raw materials which they lacked. If this was cut off, they would not go short of food, but there would be a tremendous alteration in the standard of living. This was one of the considerations which must drive them in the pr'qsent situation. There must be no loose thinking, and if they got a clear line and. came out victorious they would not only preserve what they had but have an organisation for a better basis of production and distribution.