THE WAIKATO INDEPENDENT FRIDAY. JANUARY 28, 1944. HEALTH AND HAPPINESS.

Waikato Independent, Volume XLIII, Issue 3948, 28 January 1944, Page 2

THE WAIKATO INDEPENDENT FRIDAY. JANUARY 28, 1944. HEALTH AND HAPPINESS.

Although advanced mechanisation and high-speed methods are usually regarded as integral parts of American life, it is apparently not all Americans who prefer that type of living to the American standard. From time to time during the past few months we have read of and we have had expressed to use appreciation by American servicemen of our mode of living. Their comparison of the way of life in America and this Dominion is favourable to the latter. Towards the close of the past year we had a visit from Cpl. Alvin Blum and he was one who was generous in his praise of our more natural environment. Only during the past few days i r . was our privilege to talk with two American naval men and this is what one of them said: "We came away from Auckland because at present It is too much like our own big cities. We wanted peace and quietness and we have found it here in Cambridge. We have found it in your beautiful trees, gardens, your pleasant pastures and in the natural freshness that is here. You've no idea what it means to us. It's the best medicine we have had since we left home." There is something very human, indeed, behind those expressions, just as there is behind those of the American chaplain, who recently wrote to a friend in Auckland as follows. "Day by clay as I go about my work. I remember pleasant incidents and associations in New Zealand. Your country grows on one. Several times while I was there people suggested the hope .that following the war, the United States would help you to industrialise your nation. I know, as you do. that in some ways New Zealand is behind the progress in the Slates, but my hope and prayer is that you never catch up. I say it in all sincerity. You have standards of health and happiness in your beautiful land that we gave up years ago to the dictates of the machine, and for which many of us would willingly give up so-called progress that we have achieved. Occasionally we Americans laughed at your pauses for tea, your vacations and the ease with which you face life. Believe me. there are just two kinds of people who laughed—those who knew no better and those who were jealous of you. I only hope a lot of us were with you long enough to reappraise our own fast and furious living. We owe you folks much. You are good teachers." These observations are very sound because they are associated with the basis of all life-Nature, and so soon as a country and its people unduly over-ride the basic laws then something precious is lost that can rarely be recovered. History provides' us. with striking examples of this fact and we are about to see history repeat itself in the case of Germany, whose - leaders, at least, have ridden rough-shod over the basic laws.

We should heed the observations of these men from overseas for they have experienced the two modes of life. We know that in war-time many more artificial conditions must prevail, but we must take care that they do not become permanently associated with our normal way of life. At present we are aware that these conditions have brought much evil with them. Hardly a (laygoes by now without some protest at certain conditions which are said to be rapidly increasing in our cities. The increase in sly-srog traffic, the conduct at nisht clubs, dance 'balls and parts. Real concern has been expressed of late at the moral drift among many of our young people, natives included. We will, admit that much if this has been brought about by the abnormal conditions of war, but such fast and furious living must not be allowed to continue, if we would pursue our natural mode of life after the war. It is vitally essential that this serious problem should have a ent place in the work of rehabilitation and reconstruction.

Dealing with the question of help from America after the war to industrialise our Dominion we know full well that New Zealand cannot expect to stand' still. We have got to go on, hut in the course of achieving further industrial progress we would do well to heed the observations of Americans who have not lost sight of the beauties and the laws of Nature. In the Atlantic Charter there is full recognition of this and it has not been forgotten in the Canberra pact. Let us hone that it will not be forgotten in the application of rehabilitation and reconstruction. If it is forgotten then we can expect to say good-bye to national health and happiness.