WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Hokitika Guardian, 28 December 1920, Page 1

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

SIR THOMAS MACKENZIE. AFTER EIGHT YEARS. (Our Special Correspondent). WELLINGTON, Doe. 24. Sir Thomas Mackenzie, who returned from his trip to tho South Island early in the week and loft for Auckland by tho northern mail this afternoon, intending to spend his Christmas in the “ Queen City,” chatted cheerily on a number of matters of general interest while waiting for his train at Thorndon. He had been very much gratified he said, during his run through Canterbury, Otago and Southland, which had been-much more hurried than he could have wished, to find tfie people of tlioso provinces still holding him in kindly remembrance. Eight years made up a big 7 si ice in the life of a young community, and th 0 last eight years had been full of happenings that might have weakened mere personal recollections, but everywhere the cordial hand of friendship had been extended to him, making his home-coming a very pleasant one. Of course the country had changed to some extent since he last saw it, and the general progress had not ljeen universal, hut having refreshed his..memory of its potentialities, so to speak, he was more satisfied than

ever that the South Island still had a great part to play in shaping the destinies of the Dominion. AFTER AVAR CONDITIONS.

Speaking of the Dominion as a whole, and wishing his remarks to be general rather than particular, Sir Thomas confessed himself a little disappointed by the failure of many of the old friends he had met to realise the full magnitude and gravity of the problems thrust upon the Dominion by the war. New Zealand had borne itself magnificently during the great crisis in th e affairs of the Empire. Its contributions in _ men and in supplies, the splendid spirit it had displayed throughout the long struggle, had very materially assisted in bringing about the ultimate triumph of Britain and her Allies. The Dominion had shown itself worthy of the highest traditions of the nation. But, Sir Thomas added with diffidence, there appeared to he a disposition among some of his friends to imagine that with the signing of the armistice the need for any special" effort or particular service ceased. They told him this was a time for “go slow,” for conserving the resources of the country and for rest and meditation. In a sense, an important sense, there was obvious truth in all this, hut the rest /mist not lend to rust and the meditation must ho accompanied by vigorous, effective action.

, THE GOSPEL OF WORK. The whole world had been shaken | by the war and for years It would he suffering from the turmoil and waste of the deplorable conflict. New Zealand, however, had come through the ordeal much less exhausted and- rrippled than liad the older countries involved in the struggle. She had made her sacrifices in men and substance side by side with the Mother Country, and had made them cheerfully, even eagerly, j But she had escaped many of the intimate horrors of the war and had emerged from the awful tragedy with her resources and her vigourous youth unimpaired and her place among the nations enormously enlarged. Let her go slow by all means, if that meant cautious and sure progress, but her clear duty, as well as her urgent necessity, was production, more production and still more production. Towards this end the Government hrd done much by placing returned soldiers on the land, a policy applauded everywhere, hut it would have to do much more. Tlie salvation of the country in work and thoroughness, and every man and woman in the . community should be given the best possible opportunity to exercise these virtues. THE FUTURE.

Sir Thomas has made no definite plans concerning his own future. Though he is very far from having lost his interest in nolitics, he is not seeking to re-enter Parliament, and he came to New Zealand with none of the intentions in this respect he understands have been attributed to him. He has been approached by the promoters of a ■big commercial enterprise with a proposition which would lie attractive enough had it any special association with New Zealand. But he feels his eight years’ experience in London, added to his previous knowledge of the requirements of the Dominion, have qualified him—he hopes he may say without vanity—in a special degree to he of service >o interests that accord a little more closely with his own inclinations. Me still , regards New Zealand as liis home, the members of his family having embarked upon tlieir life’s work in this country, and ho is reluctant to separate liimseif for an indefinite tieriod from persona' commercial and political friends that have stood by him through many happy and strenuous years. His movements, in short, are uncertain, but whatever direction they take mut lear to a life of activity.