A UNITED DOMINION

Hokitika Guardian, 29 June 1921, Page 3

A UNITED DOMINION

TOWN AND COUNTRY TOGETHER

THB TliUI! DINE OF PROGRESS

In submitting certain important ques tions to farming representatives which raise the issue of the relations of Town and Country, the evening paper of Wellington has evoked responses in tlio way of several well-cotnsidered pronouncements, which must make for the general welfare of all citizens of the Dominion. Whilst at all times it is desirable that city and country people should understand each other, and cooperate for the common good, it is most particularly necessary that now when the Dominion is underging special strain of financial agrarian, and industrial trouble, that the slogan of unity, tolerance and good-will, should be sounded everywhere. We consider that the affirmation of Mr Thomas Moss of Ek eta-linn a to the effect that “it is well for farmers and townsmen to realise how inter-dependent we are, one with the other" is a truth that cannot he too often repeated. Another thought that we should ever keep before us is that we are human beings and citizens first and merchants, farmers, collide;s or anything else after ward*.

THE CRAZE OF SECTIONALISM. Tt is really asoonisliing at- times to find how much people are bound by sectional ties of thought and move almost entirely in the groove of tlieir own particular calling, viewing all subjects from the standpoint of tlieir own sectional interests. In this respect we are ail sinners. The townspeople cannot throw stones at the country people nor the country people at those of the towns or cities. On one occasion we were present at an important farmers I llicit Conference, with some eighty delegates persont when the following occurred. Til subject under discussion was a proposal for the farmers to acquire a line of shipping of their own. ami after much talk (common to all large conferences) an old tanner rose and said: “Mr Chairman, there is one thing l would like delegates to remember and that is that the sun does not rise and set exclusively for the farmers. v Had there been city people present they probably would have applauded that remark and yet, so blind are we to our own faults, they might have failed to recognise that the moral is for the city organisations ns much as for those of the country. Many times have we heard Conferences of Town representatives discuss wide, general questions as if the sun did rise and set exclusively for them as manufacturers, commercial men. diiip kcepeis, tradesmen, labourers, or others as tiie ease might be. The evil of sectionalism lies here that we eery often fail to discriminate between questions wliidi are special and affecting our own business alone and those which are general and. affecting many other interests.

NEED FOR CLOSER ASSOCIATIONS People of city and country require to come more together; to understand each other’s problems and difficulties more fully; to exercise greater consideration in examining each other's proposals and, in short, to pull together for a United Dominion moving on lines of sound general progress. As a wit has put it “we must hang together for we may bang separately.’’ There does exist in our Industrial centres a good Meal oi prejudice directed against the producers in the country. This is due, we believe, to a general want of knowledge of what the larmers and settlers lives really entail in the way of burdens. On the other band i there are country people whose minds | are choked with the weeds of prejudice | against city people, which again is du<> 1 to a want of appreciation of the work | and trials of the Town and City dwellers. On occasions we have read leading articles in a few country papers wherein the city dwellers were referred j to as parasites. That sort of thing j would be dispelled by closer associations j between town and country people, as both would not think of using harsh terms about each other which they would soon recognise to be foolishness. MUTUAL CONFERENCE AND UNDERSTANDING. Last year the League tried its very best t,o bring about a National Industrial ■Conference at which we suggested ; that employers and wage earners, j farmers and tow ns-pcoplo be represented. The scheme was not carried out. but the propaganda may have had some effect in convincing many o. the wisdom of mutual converse on the difficult questions of our time, j We would now suggest that the Farmers’ Unions, representative of the ! country people, might meet representatives of the City and Town Industrial i and Commercial Organisations and discuss together several questions which seriously effect us all. We found the Farmers’ Unions in favour of the National Industrial Conference proposal. Expressions of mutual goodwill are desirable, but at the same time the members of the. organisations herein referred to might consider whether we cani not do something more tow ards cementing the bonds of unity by occasional ' Conferences of town and country representatives, to discuss matters from a national rather than a sectional point of view. A united Dominion is the best means of securing real progress. and we urge that every effort i be made towards such unity of town ' and country ns will advance the gon- • eral welfare of our people. 1 i (Contributed by the N.Z. Welfare i ! League). | ii !!■ ■ innmiiiHTr«nriirni tt tt