NEW ZEALAND LIBELLED

King Country Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 241, 12 March 1910, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND LIBELLED

Misleading Articles. Speaking at the Cheviot Show last Saturday, the* Hon. T. Mackenzie referred to the misrepresentations of New Zealand affairs appearing in English newspapers, and said that the statement made by butter factories' delegates, as telegraphed from Sydney, to the effect that the system of butter grading in Australia and New Zealand was a failure, was entirely incorrect, and he took the first opportunity to give it an emphatic contradiction. The system had been a success in New Zealand since its inception in 1894, and the number of complaints'received against it were almost infinitesimal Leading men engaged in dairying throughout the Dominion candidly admitted that it had been the means of raising the standard of quality. Producers and merchants were evidently well satisfied'with, the method while the dairy farmer considered grading a protection alike to him and to the merchant. Continuing, tb.3 Minister said the system of discrediting our country abroad is reaching a serious point, and it is time that something was said. "Yesterday," he remarked, "my correspondence brought copies of newspapers published in London and Washington, each of which contained misleading articles reflecting on the Dominion. One of the articles concluded by stating that every branch of the public service is redundantly staffed for corruption purposes. Was that not sufficient to make any New Zealander indignant. He had under his charge three leading Departments of State. Would any man dare to state to him that he would tolerate for a moment the appointment of an officer for corruption purposes? If this sort of business went on good men would refrain from taking part in public life altogether, as they do now in America. Member? of the Ministry, in face of the greatest pressure for extravagant expenditure, were doing their utmost to carry on the work of the country on sound, economic lines. They were making enemies daily, because they were doing right, and the country should support them in these- efforts. We have a magnificent country here, requiring a population of the right class and money a* low rates of interest to develop it. These misleading reports alarmed the very people we require, and prevented them coming here, and also increase the interest charges on the money required for the country's development. New Zealand's public debt was considerable, but we have six times its value in assets."