NEW ZEALAND HAS NOW GROWN UP.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18889, 12 October 1929, Page 28 (Supplement)

NEW ZEALAND HAS NOW GROWN UP.

PEOPLE HAVE DESTINY IN THEIR OWN HANDS. (Written for the “ Star ” by E. J. HOWARD, M.P.) Rome fell because she had become an inverted pyramid. The rich had grown richer as a result of wars, whilst the poor had become so poor that they lost interest in the State. They had their unemployed and they had their cost of living problems. The historians tell us that Rome took a long time in falling, but also that Rome was not built in a day There was no bloody revolution or upheaval, just a spirit of despair had taken hold of her citizens and they let go. True, in her final days those mysterious warriors known as the “ Huns ” had invaded the country, plundered her palaces again and again, burnt down the schools and churches and generally “ played Old Harry ” with her riches, but the fact is that the people had lost hope, had lost their faith in “ Rome." Much water has run under the bridges since then because we are told the final crash came about the year 476. Still history has a lesson for modern times and unless we can avoid the pitfalls of the past we shall repeat the ancient disasters of those times. Sixty to seventy years ago the pioneers of New Zealand accepted hardships and hard times because of the gleam of hope that lighted up the distant future. All were sharing the hard times and the hard living. But the average New Zealander of those days felt there was a chance for each of them. Although they had their unemployed problems and their low wage problems and their high cost of living problem, they also knew that it was only a temporary trouble and that New Zealand would: recover. Spirit of Despair. To-day there is a spirit of despair apparently creeping into “ God’s Own Country." It isn’t hard times that hurt, but if we let go psychologically we will drop back. South Africa has her 30,000 or more “ poor whites ” that have let go. Civilisation has dropped from them and they have let go. But side by side with this problem is the new spirit of progress, the people who feel sure of the future of that country. They have even set ■ out to bring back this vast crowd that has let go. They have tackled the problem of putting the light into the dulled mind of those hopeless people We in New Zealand have no problem i such as that, yet no one could read < those figures of the registration of the • unemployed last week without a of fear for the future. Rich people ! are flaunting their riches as they roll 3 around our highways and byways in < their up-to-date motor-cars and carriages. Great buildings are springing J up in all our cities built out of the profits extracted from the people; and { this long line of unemployed men and ] women and children grows longer and i longer. We are slipping back so long i as this army is increasing. The poli- c ticaan cannot altogether save thi<? cit™ i ation. Whilst Parliament should be c the brains of the State and should act t as the organising centre, the spirit must also be with the body of the e people. c The M.P.’s Work, m g

The past week in Parliament has not been all wasted Unfortunately the captain of this ship of state has not been on deck much, on account of sickness. We have to realise that even

tfic best and the worst of us are so constructed that we cannot take too much liberty with our own machinery. The average citizen does not realise what a session takes out of one. Following the press from day to day one gets a conception of Parliament that isn’t altogether true. The idea that it is a place where eighty men sit around and have, a good time, is not quite true. It is only when men like Ballance, Seddon and Massey pass away suddenly that, people begin to realise the strain. It is safe to say that whilst the bulk of the members of Parliament differ from Sir Joseph Ward on political matters, no one would dare to say that he has not got the sympathy of every member of the House in the task he took on. Many of his Cabinet Ministers were new to Parliamentary life. They had not even had a glimpse inside of the machine before being called to office. This must make the task harder for our veteran statesman than otherwise would have happened if he had had experienced men. It is a fallacy to suppose that a successful business man must naturally make a successful politician. As a fact, the State cannot be run like a private business. And generally speaking, the successful business man is not a success as a politician because of the slowness of the machine. The man in charge of his own business can use his own judgment. If he makes mistakes he suffers. If the statesman makes mistakes, the people suffer. So that the man who has been used to running a big private business, where he has been acting on his own and not having to consult a large body of people called the electors, becomes impatient with « what he terms the stranglehold of red I tape. Land Settlement. j

This week Parliament has put through another Land Bill, termed “The Land Laws Amendment.” It is a popular idea that if we could settle all the unemployed on the land everything else would follow naturally. If we could “settle” them it would be all right. But the cost of land is so high just now that it makes one wonder. As a fact, there is nothing new in this new measure, except the authority to borrow £5,000,000 to do the job with. In 1924 a Land Act was put upon the Statute Book giving the Minister most of the powers now given him again in this new Bill. In 1925 a Land for Settlement Act was put upon the Statute Book, extending the Minister’s power. In 1927 a further Land for Settlement Bill went through. The Minister has had the power to do all he can do under this new measure before this new measure Tvas passed, except to borrow the £5,000.000. Pie could buy land, he could take land. Pie could classify land, he could form village settlements. He could prepare land for settlement, he could subdivide land. He could lend money to settlers, or he could buy native lands. All the powers to do the job were on the Statute Book if the will was there. However, another Land Act won’t ] hurt anything and certainly the dis-1 cussion was worth while.

Different Views. It must be remembered that we have SO men drawn from all parts of the Dominion, each well informed as to the conditions in his part of the Dominion. It cannot be imagined that each of the 80 knows the conditions of all the lands of New Zealand, but each of them knows his own part. And so the debate was worth while. The pessimism came from the farmers in the House. They are sure it cannot be done; they are sure that group settlements will not be a success. On the other hand, there are those of us who feel that, side bv side with land settlement, must go the encouragement of secondary industries; that it is almost as equally important in this stage of development to push

our secondary industries as our primary, that we should have our young students doing research work and more research work. There is a great opening in the possibilities of our flax. Pinus will grow quicker and better in iNiew Zealand than in any other part of the Empire. Our coals offer a great held for research. With hydroelectricity we have great possibilities. The half has not been told of what can be done with this power. The fertility of the soil may renewed. Our wool, our meat, our oil, our gases, are hungering for investigation. We cannot absorb 10,000 youths on the land an nually. Ten thousand is only half the number that we turn out of school annually. New Zealand has grown up. She must use her own brains and pay

dearly for the use of outside brains. This is a young country, not a worked-out country. We are a young people, not a worked-out people. We have our own destiny in our own hands. This week was interesting iu Parliament.