INFLUENCE OF AMERICA

Taranaki Daily News, 5 August 1932, Page 9

INFLUENCE OF AMERICA

ITS EFFECT IN NEW ZEALAND DEBATERS CONTEST THE POINT. STRATFORD TEAM’S SUCCESS. Arguing that American influence in New Zealand is to be\deplored, a team of four debaters frorh., Stratford, last night obtained th© decision over New Plymouth opponents. The debate was held under the auspices of th© New Plymouth Debating Society in th© Y.W.C.A. Hall. At the conclusion - of the speeches Mr. R. H. Quilliam, who presided, declared the motion carried on th© voices of a small audience.

Each speaker was limited to 12 minutes. The chairman in welcoming the visitors remarked that debating had a definite value through the instruction and pleasure it gave not only the speakers but also the audience. Dr. W. P. P. Gordon said there were some people who could not see anything good in America—narrow-minded nationalists —but his side did not class themseh*es with that type of person. During a stay of six months in America he met many charming people to whose hospitality he paid a tribute. However, these were not the kind of Americans who were “exported.” Neither were they the people who were most heard of in the States. The Americans whose influence was to be deplored were the “tall talkers and small thinkers.” H© mentioned graft, .racketeering, American business and advertising methods, talkies, American words and phrases and quackery as influences likely to have undesirable influences in New Zealand. ■He complained about th© policy followed by oil companies In New Zealand and described as an “unfair business method” the. subsidising of American shipping lines visiting foreign ports, while the Americans would not allow British ships ' similar’ privileges and placed high tariffs against imports. Referring to racketeering, Dr, Gordon quoted instances of electioneering and judicial bribery and suggested that were the Americans to be entouraged to bring, their business methods to New Zealand they would also bring these other things, WISE DISCRIMINATION. Dr. Gordon had not shown that there was a harmful American influence in New Zealand, said Mr. E, J. L. Payne In opening the opposition to the motion. Surely New Zealanders. were capable of wise discrimination in deciding what American influences were to be deplored and in adopting only those that were, beneficial. In science and discovery the Americans had some notable achievements to their credit; in scientific research America had attained an outstanding position in th© wprld. He would have been surprised had h© heard Dr.. Gordon- deplore th© influence of America in medicine and surgery, for it was Landsteiner who introduced the practice of blood transfusion. Then there wero the scientific blessings conferred on th© world by Edison and other notable inventors; there was th© American development of industrial efficiency and specialised methods of ■ salesmanship. Henry Ford, was -an outstanding example of the efficient ‘industrialist, a pian who advocated and practised successfully the policy of “higher wages and lower costs.” “Don’t judge America by her talkies,” said Mr, Payne, “any mor© than you would judge England by an Edgar Wallace story,” Mr. F. Gawith contended that New Zealand as a country bordering on the Pacific Ocean was particularly prone to be influenced by America. The subsidised shipping line now calling at New Zealand ports was only one way in which American influences were being extended. In the boom years particularly American influences had been very noticeable; Even in Taranaki the Americans, he predicted, were aiming to gain control of th© oil industry, after the spade' work had been done. Atneri* can phrases and slang were. being absorbed in th© New Zealand language even a nasal twang. Americans played their games always to win, whereas the British and New Zealanders were imbued with the idea of playing th© gam© for th© game’s sake. American influence jn that direction had to b© guarded against, Th© ruling spirit of America was gain, which fostered discontentment. Mr, Gawith suggested th© recent riots in Wellington and Auckland could, if investigated deeply enough, be traced to undesirable American influences arising from this desire for gain.

AMERICAN ACHIEVEMENTS. Opposing the motion, Mr. G, ' Wells said that in the march forward of civilisation America was taking her place with the other nations, in sorqe mstances leading them. America had shaken a self-centred world out of itself, and the experience had not been very pleasant for the world. In education America held a leading position. It had been said there were at least 12 American universities equal to Cambridge and Oxford. America led the world in the science of education, and leading British students were accustomed to finish their studies there, Examples of beneficial influences from America were the educational suivey undertaken some years ago in Taranaki, the special class at the West End school, which was doing excellent work, and Carnegie libraries, of which there was one at New Plymouth, In literature America had notable achievements to her credit both in the production of novels and short stories, while her scientific, travel and fiction magazines were the best of their kind. In"architecture America had set a high standard, while art was encouraged to such an extent that the geniuses of other countries were attracted to the States. . nerica possessed more big ‘ chest!.. J than any, other country, and she had 47,000 school orchestras. • Mr. A. H. R. Amess emphasised the mass influence of the gramophone and the. talkies. Not isolated influences, but the general mass influence from America was what they had to consider, he said. He contended that in totality these influences wpre to be deplored. Yellow Press methods were criticised, and he submitted they had even been introduced to New Zealand by one publication. Referring to influence on language, ha Said no Scottish or Irish or county accent could influence New Zealand speech so much as American slang, for the-lat-ter was set down on records and talkies, and in the mass, by repetition, must inevitably have an undesirable effect. He deplored American sensationalism in advertising, even in the announcements of evangelical religious services, an example of which he had seen even' at Auckland. In education they made a display of frills and superficiality but neglected the fundamentals. Refuting the suggestion that American oil companies pursued methods inNew Zealand that were unfair Mr, C. Strombom said that one American oil company in New Zealand paid £300,000 in wages and £37,000 in Government taxation. Its policy was to spend as much as possible on material in New Zealand, while nearly £1,000,000 of • its capital was held by its workmen in New Zealand and Australia. Just as the in-

fluence of the pioneers who earn© to Taranaki in th© first shipa was still working to-day, so th© infiuenc© of th© Mayflower pioneers still operated in America. Though there had been migrations of foreigners to th© States th© baste ideals of life there were still predominantly British, Th© Pacific would undoubtedly be the centre of future world ©vents, and both New Zealand and America would be intimately concerned. Though New Zealand was part of th© British Empire it was recognised as an independent nation, and Mr.' Strombom saw no reason why there should not be co-operation between the Dominion and America and the English speaking nations generally for the benefit of all.

EFFECT OF TALKIES. ■ Mr. W, Hall dealt with ways in which New Zealand was being adversely influenced by America, He said the talkie? in New Zealand represented the most detrimental American influence in th©/ country. In New Zealand there was gradually entering from the States the insidious influence of the ’struggle for wealth. It had been fostered by the \ ; lectures and writings of so-called American business and advertising experts. There was also & gradual tendency to y disrespect the law in New Zealand, a tendency creeping in from America, where most of the laws were honoured with, the breach. In. America sport was concentrated upon for the sake of win* - ning, training was highly specialised and sport was not conducted according to the British ideal of the game for the game’s sake. There were signs of the introduction of such influences in New Zealand, Even in local journalism—which admittedly set a flue standard—there was gradually creeping in among some papers a liking for sensationalism. He deplored America’s startling methods of publicity, the divorce laws and the "wretched American language” propagated in the talkies by actors who had no claim to real worth in acting, beauty or manner of speech, “I am forced to the conclusion that life in the icy fastnesses of. Stratford has frozen their hearts,” said Mr. K. Staunton when alleging that the other side regarded Americans through prejudiced eyes. Ho claimed that the very faults’in American civil arid legal administration tended to exercise beneficial rather than deplorable influences in New Zealand, for New Zealanders thus had before them the example of things they should avoid. Referring to Dr. Gordon’s criticism of American tariff barriers Mr. Staunton said that in 1930 89 per cent, of American imports were duty. free. Could New Zealand do as well as that? He' claimed that technically, histrionically, artistically and even morally. Ameri[can talkies were superior to British. It .. ' was essential that Britain, America and New Zealand should co-operate if the world were to pass out of the present deadlock. At the conclusion of the debate, the chairman in moving a vote of thanks to the Stratford team stressed, the value of such interchanges of visits. Mr. Amess acknowledged the vote and paid a similar compliment to the chairman Before returning to Stratford the visitors were entertained at supper.