BETTER CITIZENS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1948, 3 January 1914, Page 5

BETTER CITIZENS.

fV/ — : «— : ——y NEW ZEALAND IDEALS . REVIEWED. THE MEN ON THE LAND, V; By Telegraph—Press Association—Cops'richt Sydney, January 2. "The "Daily Telegraph,". in a leader commenting on New Zealand's scheme for making bettor citizens, says that the first step is to ease the struggle for existence, and thus givo higher qualities more facility for making their in* fluenec i'elt. Whatever tends to render men less apprehensive about where to-morrow's necessities are to come from helps to make better citizens. _ Any Government attempting this is entitled to encouragement nnd support, provided the project is feasible. But just there the weakness of New Zealand's proposition makes its appearanee. Closer settlement J'or cultivation is, proceeds the "Telegraph," unquestionably a desirable thing to aim at, but attempting to make everyone get a living off liis own small patch of soil is not a .policy for the present enlightened times. Prosperity depends upon tho right men finding tho right positions. Attempting to attach every countryman to tho soil is the outcome, of a very prevalent but obvious misconception, and will not help to make better citizens, as generally supposed. The way to do it is by freeing tho way as much as possible, so that each may, no matter where he is, seek to place his work where it suits him best.