AFTER EIGHT YEARS.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume VII, Issue 2142, 27 December 1920, Page 6

AFTER EIGHT YEARS.

SIR. THOMAS MACKENZIE'S EMPRESSIONS. STILL #NTERESTED IN POLITICS. From a Special Correspondent. WELLINGTON, December 24. , Sir Thomas Mackenzie, who returned from his trip to the South Island early in the week, and left for Auckland by the northern mail this afternoon, intending to spend his Christmas in the "Queen City," chatted cheerily on a number of matters of general interest while Waiting for his train at Thorndon. He had been very much gratified, he said, during, his run through Canterbury, Otago and Southland—which had been much more hurried than he could have wished —to find the people of those provinces still holding him in kindly remembrance. Eight years made up a big slice in the life of a young community, and the last eight years had been full of happenings that might have weakened mere personal recollections, but everywhere the cordial hand or friendship had been extended to him, making his home-coming a very S leasant one. Of course the country ad changed to some extent since he last saw it, and the general progress had not been universal, but having refreshed his memory of its potentialities, so to speak, he was more satisfied than ever that the South Island still had a great part to play in shaping the destinies of the Dominion. After-Wat Conditions. Speaking of the Dominion as a whole, and wishing his remarks to' be general rather than particular, Sir Thomas confessed himself a little disappointed by "the failure' of many of the old friends he had met to realise the full magnitude and gravity of the problems thrust upon the Dominion by. the War. New Zealand had borne itself magnificently during the great crisis in the affairs of the Empire. Its contributions in men and in supplies, the splendid spirit it had displayed throughout the long struggle, had very materially assisted in bringing about the ultimate triumph of Britain and her allies. The Dominion had -.shown itself worthy ofi the highest traditions.of the nation. But, Sir Thomas added With diffidence, there appeared to be a disposition among some of his friends to imagine that with the signing of the armistice the need for any special effort or particular service ceased.- They told him this was a time for "going slow," for conserving the resources of the country, and for rest and meditation. In a sense, an important sense, there was obvious truth in all this, but the rest must not lead to rust and the meditation must be accompanied by vigorous, effective action. The Gospel of Work.

The -whole world had been shaken by,.the war, and for years it would be suffering from the turmoil and waste of the deplorable conflict. New Zealand, however, had come through the ordeal much less exhausted and crippled than had the older countries involved in the struggle. She had made her sacrifices in men and, substance side by side with the Mother Country, and had made them cheerfully, even eagerly. But she had escaped many of the'intimate horrors of the war, and had emerged from the awful tragedy with her resources and her: vigorous youth unimpaired, and her place among the nations enorm-j ously enlarged. Let her go slow by all means, if that meant cautious and sure progress, but her clear duty, as well as her urgent necessity, was production, more production, and still more production. Towards this end the Government had done much by placing returned soldiers on the land, a policy applauded everywhere, but it would have to do much more. The salvation of the country lay in *work arid thoroughness: every man and woman in the community should be given the best possible opportunity to exercise these virtues. ' The Future. Sir Thomas has made-no definite plans concerning his Sown •'■future. Though he is .very far from having lost his interest in politics, he is not seeking to re-enter Parliament, and he came to New Zealand with none of the intentions in this respect he understands have'been attributed to him. He has been approached by the promoters of a big commercial enterprise with a proposition which would be attractive enough had it any special association with New Zealand. But he feels that his eight years' experience in London, added to his previous knowledge of the requirements of the Dominion, have qualified him—he hopes he may say' Without variity—in a special degree to be of service to interests that accord a little more closely with his own inclinations. He still regards New Zealand as his home, the members of L his family having embarked upon their - life's work in this country, and he is reluctant td separate himself for an indefinite period from personal, commercial, and political friends thai have stood by him through many happy and strenuous years. His movements, in short, are uncertain, but whatever direction they take they must lead, to a life of activity.