Yesterday -- To-day -- To-morrow

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 66, Issue 5603, 9 April 1943, Page 4

Yesterday -- To-day -- To-morrow

THE NEW ORDER (Continued—By BENJAMIN DAVID)

New Zealand will require to bear her full share in the readjustment which will take place at the conclusion of the war. Particularly is this sb because of the great advantage which she has enjoyed, is now enjoying, and of which she has great prospects of enjoyment in the future.

Endowed by nature in a manner unique she is capable of becoming a leader among the nations, just as the Motherland, those little islands which nestle in the bosom of the Gulf Stream, have fulfilled, and are fulfilling, their destiny so well, notwithr standing the tremendous temptations with which she has been confronted.

New Zealand is richly endowed with mineral wealth. Her agricultural and pastoral resources are an axiom among men. Her climatic advantages are many and varied, and have long years ago been accepted by health authorities the wide world over as a land where men may again renew youth like the eagles. The waters around her coasts abound in edible fish; the rivers bubble with sport of the trout and salmon; and in the little streams among the hills the young ones play hide-and-seek with the boy of the “ baggie-minnin.” But her population is very small, and her age as yet young, so that she is now only at the beginning of her national existence.

Before she can claim to be a nation in the full sense of the word she must develop and establish a national characteristic which will set its seal upon her fame. What will that national characteristic be ?

With my mind upon the future I cast my eyes around me to see if there is a sure foundation on which we can build. Delving back into the heaps of relics, I find in the depths of history centures old a pearl of great price. It is a Book of Wisdom. Turning round, and looking into today, I see a printing press pouring out streams of living water at which all may drink and live; and behold! it is the same old treasure flashing out to the utmost parts of the earth: The living Word of the living God—and I am glad. Therein I find the foundation we are lookino- for, and will always need, written in these words: “.Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it.” (Psalm 127, 1.) The New Order is the same Old Order—Old, yet ever New. The space of time, from man’s creation till the end of the present dispensation, is but as a breath of the nostrils of the Creator God. When we remember “ that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day ” (ii. Peter 3,8) we can see that the aggregate of man’s existence down through the ages of time is but a drop in the endless ages of eternity. Yet, in this small space of time, as the wheel of time rolled on, nations and empires have risen and fallen—aye, even sunk beneath the sands, to be seen no more save by the eyes of the few students of history—because “ they laboured in vain that built them.” What will New Zealand be ? The opportunity is at our hand now. Let us lay hold of it.

There is a grave danger that so much wealth in the hands of so few people will be our downfall. Mis-' guided wealth sapped the vitals from the nations that fell, and great was the fall thereof. So will our fall be unless we set our house in order.

The first thing we need is “ Wisdom guarding our Gates.” One way in which this can be advanced is by altering our system of representation to a “ Parliament of Counsellors ” who will weigh’impartially every problem facing us, and base their deliberations accordingly, without fear or favour of any man. We will then find, in the multitude of counsellors, safety. At the immediate moment, and in the immediate future, there is the gravest need for all the people of this land to think, think, think I This is the people’s day—the day of decision. If the people slumber and sleep, and leave their publie business to the speculative politician, then our outlook is a very poor one indeed.

But if the people will persevere and think hard, and dig hard, each in his own part of the vineyard, then, from that moment, the dawn of a better day can already be seen on the horizon.

It is futile to wait until the war is over before starting our plans for readjustment. If nothing is done till then, we will awake to find the world at war again, worse than ever, and •;hat we are too late—too late I

We in New Zealand have been providentially spared the ravages of enemy bombs, shells, and bayonets. Only our sons who have gone over seas into the firing line know the horrors of war. But our homes and all we possess here have been spared the ruthlessness which has overtaken the overrun countries of Europe. Such travail even our imagination is unable to conceive. For this great protection we profoundly thank Almighty God.

But let us put this profession of gratitude to the real, practical test by following the unselfish road. “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good: and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.” (Micah 6,8.) We must throw our country open, through reasonable safeguard, so that many millions may inhabit it, instead of the mere handful who inhabit it now.

We must so order our laws that the production effected may be available for further production and settlement and not for the exploiter and legalised robber.

We must see that equality of opportunity is available for all, whereby all may develop to the fullest extent the talents provided by Nature. We must see to it that all who function normally receive adequate recompense for their reward.

We must see to it'that every child in the land, per our public school system, is given the opportunity to learn enough of God’s Word to start it out

on life’s journey with the foundations of sound character embedded in its receptive brain. “ Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old he will not depart from it.” (Prov. 22, 6.)

We must see, in the New Order in so far as its working in our country is concerned, that we avoid, as far as possible, the abolition 7* any established order of constructive value.

Before going on to consider it detail the most urgent problems ahead of us, let me here say that this series of articles contains experience of over fifty years’ residence in New Zealand of one who has closely studied and actively engaged in pioneering development in primary and secondary industries, commerce, and politics.

In so far as it aims at the general welfare of all, and so is touching on matters concerning all, it naturally expects to have to endure criticism and discussion, which it readily welcomes. k As “no man liveth unto himself, and no man dieth unto himself,” therefore we are all interdependent. It behoves us. then, by constructive analysis and outspoken expression of reasoned opinion, to mutually help one another more quickly to that common goal where we can find peace on earth and goodwill among men. (To be continued)