THE WAIPA POST. Printed on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. TUESDAY, 24th MAY, 1932. PATRIOTISM AT HOME.

Waipa Post, Volume 44, Issue 3181, 24 May 1932, Page 4

THE WAIPA POST. Printed on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. TUESDAY, 24th MAY, 1932. PATRIOTISM AT HOME.

NOT many months ago a good deal of attention was devoted to what was generally regarded as an example of commercial inconsistency by a number of business people of Te Awamutu. There had been distributed, with the compliments of these traders, supplies of pocket calendars. In themselves they were quite useful calendars, and had they told of the shopping service or facilities offered by the donors they would have been accepted as a usual form of advertising. But instead of communicating the normal mjerchandis'ing message, they preached the gospel, "Shop in Te Awamutu," and as there was also a clear evidence of importation from another town they gave rise to a direct suspicion of business inconsistency. It may, at the present moment, be opportune to suggest the need for vigilance by the people to detect cases of similar inconsistency. Te Awamutu is being invaded jjy all manner of outside interests. This town has become a happy hunting ground for trade penetration, and it raises at once the question whether the control and administration of Te Awamutu's business is to be in the hands of its bonafide residents or whether other interests shall domineer over the commercial future? Whether we are to preserve the independence of this locality or whether our whole commercial transactions shall go to 'enhance the strength and influence of other towns ? It is really a vital question, for the trend to,-day places us all at the crossroads. On the people is a direct and individual responsibility. The purchasing power of the public generally is the decisive factor. But on the business community is a m'ore direct responsibility—that of leadership. The appeal to the public is one for the exercise of a wise discretion —not merely on practical commonsense lines, but it is an appeal to sentiment as well. Te Awamutu has been built by the people of Te Awamutu —by the people in a wide district which may be defined within the place-name of Te Awamutu —just in the same way that the nation has reached its status by the co-operation of its citizens who are loyal to each other in creating that something which is called the community well-being. And as with the State, so with the town. Foreign influences will creep in and seek the benefit of all community endeavour. It is a safeguard against these inroads on what ranks as legitimate enterprise that the slogan is everywhere "Trade within the Empire." It stands as an appeal to the commonsense and the patriotism of the people. In a lesser sphere, but with no less force, goes the call "Tirade in your own town," Trade with your own people, who share with you in everything which contributes for the community life you enjoy. It is to the business people that the public generally will look for leadership. Anything which, suggests business hypocrisy Will be quickly detected. The call for loyalty is everywhere, and loyalty is meaningless unless it be sincere. Example is the surest means of combatting the dangers which are so surely threatening the business life of this town. It is not a time for bigoted parochialism: the eall.i§ for every citizen to exercise a wis£' discretion, seeing at all times that actions conform to the ideals expressed in the words, "Trade within the Empire." And, as it is yet true that patriotism begins at home, the profession of those ideals cannot ring true if foreign influences are encouraged in the affairs of our own community.