Moral Deterioration Of Scots Character Gets N.Z. New Settler

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 14, Issue 78, 19 December 1949, Page 5

Moral Deterioration Of Scots Character Gets N.Z. New Settler

His main reason for leaving his native land and coming here, Major John MacKenzie of Taurangd told Whakatane Rotarians on Tuesday evening, was the “moral deterioration of the Scottish character.” However, he said he believed that the core of his people’s character was still sound.

But the things he deplored were things that are also noticeable here to some degree—the tendency to want to get as much as possible for as little as possible and preferably for nothing, a widespread desire for State spoon-feeding, unreasonable demands and pointless strife in industry.

In his innocence, he said he had hoped that this young country might be free of some of the blight that assailed the parent tree, but he had been in part disillusioned. However, this country suits him. Here, he says, one can get what one wants if one goes after it. He has jio sympathy with immigrants who :sit around waiting for everything to be handed them on a plate and then go back home moaning. After nine months here, he and his family are comfortably settled in their own home, and they have been impressed, above all else, with the kindliness of the New Zealand people. Major MacKenzie said they had never experienced the like of New Zealand friendliness and helpful - ness anywhere else in the world. 'That alonej apart from the beauty and undoubted future of this country, has made him want to stay. “Europe,” he said, “is striying to maintain a past glory, but this ■country is striving to build a future .greatness.”