The Daily News. SATURDAY, JULY 13, 1912. A NATIONAL FEELING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 47, 13 July 1912, Page 4

The Daily News. SATURDAY, JULY 13, 1912. A NATIONAL FEELING.

Many events continually occur to emphasise the point that there is no national ideal in New Zealand as distinct from a general and justifiable expression of belief that "New Zealand is the finest country in the world." There is no common striving to a common end, or a general or even local loyalty. The general lack of the latter quality has been vividly ex- | emplified lately in the assertions that it does not pay to mark New Zealandmade goods as Dominion manufactures'. Thus for temporary exigencies of pocket ithe foreign trader is aided and advertised by the production of goods New Zealand will not take the credit for. New Zealand is a striking example of the ability of a country to produce firstclass material. The discriminating visitor who is able to judge without bias knows that the Xew Zealand man and woman are fine products on the value of human material on which the safety and the commercial life of the country depend. It is< particularly unfortunate that a sparsely populated country with such superb prospects is unable to deter much of its best brawn and brain from leaving it. Wc do not suggest that any young man should not take his brain or brawn wherever he can get the best market for their use, merely suggesting that it is the duty of the State to comport its business so that there shall be less necessity for young men to go elsewhere. The State has in tho past few months tacitly permitted small bunches of useless people to drive out large numbers of our most useful men. In induced labor disturbances, the stalwart, independent man with courage and initiation is the man who clears out. There is still a disloyal dispositiom to believe that one's own sons and daughters are quite unfitted for high posts. Men who have been carefully "turned down" in New Zealand or who have been kept on small jobs because of the iniquitous system of regarding one man as the equal of all other men for purposes of pay have been absorbed gladly by Australia, which country is just beginning to understand that it must have the best men if it is going to have the best country. It is unfortunate that New Zealand's best efforts are not exerted for the benefit of New Zealanders. We send many of our incomparable products abroad while it remains impossible for New Zealanders to purchase them. Birmingham is eating our best butter when we arc subsisting on the worst, for which we pay a higher price than the "Urnm" person pays for our best; if ' our own towns are calling out for a supply of our magnificent draught horses they will probably have to take the leavings—the best go to Australia. As ''trustees for posterity" Ave are not kind. We fight like fury to keep foreign (inkers nut of New Zealand. Our finest kauri we are cutting as fast as Ave can in order that Australian furniture mak-

ers shall not go short. It is all a pitiable evidence of cut-throat disloyalty. ! New Zealand is so little thought of I among New Zealantlers that even the matron of a hospital must be imported. The biggest hospital (Auckland) will not invite applications in New Zealand. It is dreadfully characteristic. In a country where local brains arc discredited one must look for causes. It has been suggested that the comparatively low standard of intelligence in Parliament is ■partly responsible for the frequent contention that nothing is worthy that is not in its shirt sleeves. It does not matter who is the Prime Minister, or what one calls the party in power, so long as the Government recognises that the struggle in New Zealand must be as much intellectual as physical. In every line of life "top-notchers" are needed. It. is bad business to give any "top-notcher," whether he be a first-class navvy or an eminent engineer, a chance to leave the country. Goodness only knows there is scope enough for initiators, specialists and eminent* all over the country, and for a spirit of faith in our own people and unity in our ideals. If the dreadful selfishness of New Zealand politics vanished, the whole tone of social, life would he exalted.