Musings AND Meditations

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLI, Issue 3, 15 July 1908, Page 2

Musings AND Meditations

By

Dog Toby

OUR CRITICS.-11.

THE statement that we have no horizon, and that we only interest ourselves in local affairs, has a good deal to recommend it at first sight. For we undeniably do take a great interest in our own little corner of the universe, and we like to hear of the doings of our compatriots when they leave us for other climes. Our newspaper “ locals ” are generally true to their name, and doubtless to many people appear trivial. But the question is not so much whether we take an interest in our own affairs, but whether we confine our interest in these affairs. For all men take most interest in what is near them. Any mother worthy the name will feel far more concern over baby’s first attack of measles or chicken-pox than she feels over the ravages of the sleeping sickness among the natives of Africa. He would be an extraordinary man who did not experience more concern at the burglary of a few pounds worth of goods from his own house than over the looting of a bank or strong room in Russia involving many thousands. It is not the greatness of anything that most moves us; it is its nearness to ourselves. Nor is the instinct to be condemned. It makes for patriotism, for love of home, for love of family. We can not set out to regenerate the world, but we can try to improve the small corner of the world in which we are placed. <♦><•><!> What we want is not less national spirit, but more. Odd as it may seem to those who assert that we are always blowing our own little tin trumpet, we are strangely distrustful of ourselves. We are only feeling our way to national life, and the cultivation of a national ideal. We are too prone to believe everything English is better than our local production. We don’t say so in print, and we seldom say so in speech, but we always act as if we thought so. Why, otherwise is it that we always send Home for men to fill our best posts? If we want a good engineer, or a professor for the university, or a bishop for the Church, or an expert in any department of art or commerce, we invariably advertise in the English papers and ask the Home authorities to choose a man. ❖ <•><•> If we were as conceited as some of our critics make out, we wojildl surely choose a man from amongst ourselves. But the truth is that in spite of our outward boastfulness, we are at heart unduly diffident of our own powers. We mistrust the real ability of our own men, nad feel that for any really high and important position it is better to look for a man further afield. And this system, while much can be said for it, is far from being wholly good. It goes far to discourage native talent. However brilliant one of our own students may be, he feels that he can never attain to the highest and most coveted educational prizes. The colonial parson realises that the best posts in the Church will be given to imported clergy. The clever boy knows .from the start that the plums in his profession are not for him to gather. And not only, is the system bad in so far as it tends to discourage native talent, but also many of the men sent out are out of touch with colonial, ways and colonial aspirations. If we would become a nation with national characteristics we must cultivate a greater spirit of self reliance. Our judges, cur bishops, our professors, our engineers, our experts must be native born. Probably at first they might not be so good or so experienced as the imported article, but all young nations must learn to walk along before they can expect to run. <s><?><?>

But it is far from true that we take no interest in the great world outsidle. Does the average Englishman know more about New Zealand than the average New

Zealander knows about England? HoW! many Londoners could tell you the names of any of our Ministers? Very few, and yet most colonials know Asquith and Morley and John Burns by more than name only. When Ballance died, the English evening papers announced “Death of Premier,” and the man in the street felt aggrieved when he had bought his paper, to find that it was only an unknown premier of a place he had never heard of. Y’et when Campbell-Bannerman died, all New Zealand mourned his loss. We are told that we take but little interest in great Churchmen at Home, yet it is not so long ago that English Churchmen always contemptuously referred to colonial bishops who had gone back to England as “ returned empties.” <S> <S> <S> Indeed, what has struck me most in the colony is the great interest which people take in European affairs. I have known out-back settlers who had a most intelligent grasp of foreign politics, living remote from any large centre of activity, they seem better able to take a bird’s-eye view of the world’s doings. The average Londoner confines his attention to London. He mostly ignores everything else, and is wofully ignorant not only of Europe and the outlying parts of the British Empire, but even of his own provinces. ■" <s> <®> <S> A young country should be optimistic, it should be proud of its achievements in the past, and hopeful for its future. It cannot be expected to have the wide horizon of older lands; but we do not limit our outlook to our own islands; rather do we take a sympathetic interest in the welfare of the world at large, while not neglectful of our own. Next week I hope to offer a few remarks on the question of our alleged paganism,