NEW ZEALAND AND IRELAND

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23882, 9 August 1939, Page 15

NEW ZEALAND AND IRELAND

"DEBTOR STATE" AND "CREDITOR STATE" IRISH MINISTER'S COMPARISON MR NASH IN DUBLIN (From Our Own Correspondent) LONDON, July 6. While in Dublin, Mr W; Nash, who was accompanid by Mr W. J. Jordan, addressed members of the Parliamentary Association, Irish Branch, on various aspects of the foreign, economic and social policies of the New Zealand Labour Government in Leinster House. Among those present were: Mr Sean MacEntee (Minister of Finance), Mr W. Norton (Leader of the Labour Party), Mr J. M. Dillon (Deputy Leader of the Opposition), and a number of Senators. Mr Nash said that there was much in common between Ireland and New Zealand. There was a great possibility of development in both countries. Alluding to the position of credit and currency in New Zealand, he said that the Government had got control of both, and nobody outside the Government could destroy the economic and political objectives of the Government. If integrity was to be the test, there was as much integrity inside the Government as there was in any group, company or private enterprise outside the Government. The Government had bought the shares held by individuals in the Reserve Bank, and the directors of the bank were appointed by the Government to carry out the Government's wishes. They were there at the Government's pleasure. There had been from time to time friendly differences between the Government and the directors from an economic point of view, but these had been amicably settled. For the last three years they had concentrated on raising the standard of living of the poor, which had resulted in an increase in production from £98,000,000 to £166,000,000. The creation of, the new credit stimulated production. " Commitments " Mr Nash took the opportunity to correct a wrong impression regarding an interview which had appeared the previous day. "What I said was that it was unlikely that New Zealand will enter into any commitments to send an expeditionary force overseas, but what is necessary to enable New Zealand to defend the democratic ideals will be undertaken. " We have accepted the responsibility of defending New Zealand as a unit of the Commonwealth, and of defending Commonwealth interests in the South Pacific, arid, if occasion demands, of defending the whole of the Commonwealth." Last year the New Zealand Government spent £3,ooo,ooo—three times more than normally—on defence, and they were taking what steps they could to defend the shores of New Zealand if there was any trouble. They had played their part in working with the United States of America in developing the air services in the Pacific, and eventually they hoped to link up in one chain the Englishspeaking countries, taking in the northern route from Botwood, Newfoundland, to Foynes. Comparisons Mr Sean MacEntee, proposing a vote of thanks t 0 Mr Nash, said that both Ireland and New Zealand were largely engaged in pastoral agriculture, and in both cases Great Britain was the principal customer for their produce. There the major resemblances ended. New Zealand was almost exactly three and a-quarter times as large, as the whole of Ireland, and four times as large as the 26 counties. Her population was just over one-third of Ireland's, and but half as great as that of their 26 counties. New Zealand had important mineral resources, which Ireland almost completely lacked, and she had vast forests to set against Ireland's almost denuded countryside. She exported few cattle, but millions of pounds' worth of sheep. Her butter export was worth 10 times Ireland's, and her total export trade was over three times that of Ireland. Ireland was a large creditor State; New Zealand a large debtor State. "We," said Mr MacEntee. "have approximately the same number of marriages each year, but the number of babies born to our mothers is more than twice as great." These facts showed that, while in many ways they, resembled New Zealand, there were important features of the social and economic. structures

of b'oth countries where the differences between them were marked indeed. It could be said, however, that so far as the peoples and the Parliamenti of both countries were concerned the welfare and the liberties, spiritual and economic, of the human beings who constituted their coirimunities were. their first concern. Their respective approaches to the great. problem! which confront Governments everywhere to-day were, of course, largely conditioned by the past history and present environments of their respective countries and, therefore, were by no means identical. Common Sympathy Mr MacEntee was sure, .that each of them had a deeply sympathetic appreciation of the other's purposes and difficulties, and that they wished each other well in all their endeavours. The warmth of that common sympathy was intensified by the fact that in New Zealand, as in Australia, Canada, and the United States, there were men and women in every walk of life, some bearing the burdens of the highest public reponsibilities. who looked to Ireland as the mother country of their forebears, and the parent of their own nation, regarding her with the same love and veneration as their fellow citizens, two of the most distinguished of whom they honoured here to-day regarded Great' Britain. Out of trie happy marriage of their two island strains had the great democracies of the New World been bora. Lone might they flourish, and by their friendly intercourse bring their motherlands into .closer accord. Labour's Tribute Mr W. Norton, T.D.. Labour Leader, seconding the motion, hoped the effort! would be made in Ireland to emulate the magnificent efforts of the Government of New Zealand. Bven in this Parliament there were people who doubted the ability of the present Labour Government of New Zealand to carry their policy through. Mr J. M. Dillon, T.D.. who has visited New Zealand, said that they all wished the New Zealand Government success in its efforts, even though they did not agree entirely with the measures adopted. . . ■ ■ Senator Sir John Keane. General R. Mulcahy. T.D.. and Senator J, G. Douglas joined in the vote of thanks. Mr Nash, replying, said that no country could become entirely self-support-ing. The best that could be done would be to export as much as possible of the things a country did not want in order to pay for their imports. At Dublin Castle and Leinster House During the two days he was in Ireland, Mr Nash visited several Governmental departments in Dublin and met the Ministers of Industry and Commerce, Agriculture, Defence and Posts and Telegraphs. Later he met members of the Vocational Organisation Commission, who questioned him on conditions in New Zealand. Mr Nash lunched with Mr de Valera at Leinster House. He visited County Wicklow, and he was entertained to dinner by the Government at Dublin Castle. The guests at the dinner were: Mr W. J. Jordan, the Most Rev. Dr Browne. Bishop of Galway, the Minister for Local Government and Public Health, the Minister for Defence, the Minister for Education, the Minister for Finance, the Minister for Lands, the Speaker of the Dail, Deputy J. Costello, Deputy John M. O'Sullivan, Senator Desmond Fitzgerald, Senator W. Cummins, Senator Eamon Lynch, Senator Sean Campbell, Professor Michael Tierney, Dr Coffey, President of University College, Dublin, Dr Thrift, Provost, Trinity College, Dublin, J. J. McElligott, Secretary, Department of Finance, Sean Leydon, Secretary, Department of Industry and Commerce, J. P. Walshe, Secretary, Department of External Affairs, Mr J. W. Dulartty, High Commissioner, London. Mr A.' A. Odium, and Mr T. R. Aitken.

Next morning Mr Nash went to Carlow and inspected the sugar-beet factory. Afterwards he met Mr W. Norton, Labour Leader, and several leading trade union officials in Dublin. In the afternoon he addressed the members of the Empire Parliamentary Party, Irish Section.