The Hutt News THURSDAY, AUGUST 7, 1930. ARE WE – DOWNHEARTED? NO! WE'RE ALL RIGHT.

Hutt News, Volume 3, Issue 11, 7 August 1930, Page 7

The Hutt News THURSDAY, AUGUST 7, 1930. ARE WE - DOWNHEARTED? NO! WE'RE ALL RIGHT.

What's the matter with people now-a-days? Why the air of gloom and elongated visages that disfigure /the-erstwhile cheerful ■countenances that we were wont to gladden us on bur way through life. What's the matter? Is it because the fair land in which our, lot is.cast is at present passing through one of the ever recurring cycles of temporary depression and stress?. Or is it that so many people give too- ready credence to the jeremiads of the pessimistic proportion of the community who are apparently always willing arid anxious to raise the "wail of woe and calamity? Such calamity ■M^agers we always have had, and praramably always shall have. HM Jfc. it is true that just for a

iMiu'ted period matters are not so prosperous as they have been in other, times in this fair Dominion,

-which it is our pleasure and pride to call "God's Own Country,^ it

is well that we should ask ourselves whether there is any real occasion to adopt the depressing- attitude of many who it is to be feared for political'and party reasons, are never, tired of telling us that "the country is'going, to ■'•the. doge." Owing to a period of general depression, which is by no means confined to this Dominion, but is world wide; lower prices for our primary products,; and a universal increase in the amount •expended upon things which were formerly regarded as luxuries, but are now looked' upon as absolute necessities; we are now facing a season of financial depression; But this is by no* means a new experience to New Zealanders. In times past we have faced and weathered far worse conditions1 than those with which we are now threatened And again and again this marvelonsly productive and resilliant country haVeml^ from these temporary "seasons of storm and stress. What has hap- . pened before will happen again* .and in a brief period we shall beAsmiling at the remembrances of the lugubrious lamentations of the

dismal Jeremiahs who are endeavouring to infect, the. whole country with their g^oom and 'dismal forebodings. These prophets of woe are, let us be thankful for «ren such small mercies, by iic means in the majority. But the

old adage which reminds us: that ''empty kettles make most soiind''' should not be forgotten and the wise man will say, lite Paddy did to the drum, "Pshaw, there's no-

thin' in you but sound and wind." And if we carefully examine the present position, what is there to be alarmed at, even if there has

to be more taxation to meet the necessary outgoings? How many of us, *t the end p| the financial year, are going to be pne penny worse off—that is if wens 6 common sense and cut our coat in accordance with pur cloyth. True we'are to be asked to p t ay an additional ten per cent f of mcoitie tax. But when it is considered that the ■exemption provisions of the Act are, perhaps, the most getterous of any in the world, mortgages exempted, like insurance exemption, a liberal exemption for every clrild, and finally no tax at all impoSed on those whosei mcorne does riot exceed £300 a year, should we not rather consider ourselves mighty fortunate to have to pay income tax at all, and certainly;, under existing circumstances, no on^ should grumble at having to pay a small increase out of what is. a superfluity when compared with the annual income receive^ by the vast majority pf the people of the Dominion. And there is aitdther point to be cpngi^ered. Are we, in the glppmy and grumbling attitude which our friends the "dismajlers" would have us adopt showing..,ourselves to be worthy descendants of that glorious and

manly band of pioneers, who, suffering almost incredible hardships with calm courage and fortitude, carved out for themselves and their dependents the happy and prosperous homes that surround us on every hand. These great men whom we, their children, justly hold in admiration and reverence, should bo example's to us, instead of "grousing" when our cigarettes and whisky and even our petrol is to cost us a few shillings a year more, should we not rather emulate that great spirit of manly independence which -characteristed those founders of our Nation. They would have ..scorned to go liat in hand to the Government asking for a subsidy on this, that, or the other thing: and incidentally they would not have"got it if they had done so either. The great and glorious slogan with which this article is headed is the magic battle cry with which our sons faced death on the bloody fields 6t G allipoli and Flanders to ■ trramphant victory. Should we not remember that alike the pioneers and their grandsons faced their battles with courage, pluck and endurance, and what are our puny difficulties and financial trials compared with what either those endured by the grandsires in conquering the dangers and hardships of pioneering this homeland of ours, or those gal-antly endured by the thousands of our sons in their fight for the honour of their Empire. Both of these gallant bands of men of whom we are justly proud met, faced, and conquered troubles such as are never likely to be our lot. But they were alike in that they met their troubles with cheer fulness, courage and pluck, and did not, as our '' dismallers" are doing, with waitings and gloomy anticipations of faikire and woe to everybody.