MECHANISATION MAY MAKE US SOFT

Chronicle (Levin), 24 September 1946, Page 5

MECHANISATION MAY MAKE US SOFT

-PresS- Assdciatibn

* • • • • By Telegraphr-

WELLINGTON, Sept. 23. ^ "I thmk tlie next generation will liave to wafeli its step," said th'e GoVeffiof-GeTi(?ral, Sir Bemar'd Freyberg, when giving a warnirtg figainst the effee't 'of meehanisation ort tWe'-development of the ' British r'ae'e iri Nevk Zealand, in an address at'the Dqfninion Day ■gathefifig of the Eafly Settlers' Assoeiatidn today. He said New Zealanders had shown as pioneers and soldiers that they foll'owed the traditions of fhe O'ld Conhtry. Sdfn'e- 80,000' meh-and women had passed under his eare in the past six years. Tliey were a very formidable raee. They were a pure rdee and a pure sfoek — that wa8 in valuable. _ • thihk they 'are sturdier thafr those from whom they sprang bitt with meehanisation, wi|h buseS and eiifhmas, i'f ,wd are not earefnl, we shall not be the.hardy race we were. It was already noticeabte in the Middle East. The men were losing the power to walk. The first th-ing we had to do vtafc to1 get them out on the road to earry their packs for 100 miles. In my day We uSed to walk from Waikanae to Wellington. 1 was toki recently in Wanganui, of a bishop who thought nothing of a walk from there amoss to Foxton to see a sick man." .. The present generation owed a great debt to those who framed the coiTSfitution and laws.