LACK OF CONFIDENCE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20236, 22 April 1929, Page 14

LACK OF CONFIDENCE.

Sir, —May I thank you for your leader under the above heading, in Saturday s Herald. The present morale of the New Zealand business community is deplorable, to state it mildly. Last year 1 did a seven . months' business tour of the whole Dominion from Auckland to lnvercargill, calling on several thousand business firms. It was borne in on me tliafe what New Zealand is suffering from is mental depression, which is in turn responsible for the prevalent commercial depression. "I'll do nothing till things improve" was the phrase in hundreds of mouths, even of those who might readily have done something. That frame of mind if persisted in by a majority of the community means permanent trade depression, for what are "things" anyhow but the buying and selling of goods and services. So long as our citizens go daily to the market place to join their brother Jeremiahs in crying, "Woe! woe!" wo will get nowhere. Instead of a pitiful — not to say contemptible—dependence on Government, and a Micawbci>liko "waiting on something to turn up," if _every man resolved to start something so far as his means will allow, wo will soon have trade booming. A single pound passed nimbly from hand to hand will transact a lot of business. We ought to cultivate a horror of idlo money and idle men and recognise both as wicked waste. The present commercial depression is entirely the fault of the people. They have the power to uplift themselves from the prevalent slough of despond forthwith if they choose. I trust you will continue to use your powerful influence to courage this uplift. J. A- McN.