NEW YEAR RESOLUTION

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 419, 31 December 1932, Page 4

NEW YEAR RESOLUTION

Although he did not venture upon an examination.by chapter and verse, the Prime Minister adopted an optimistic note in his brief New Year message. There were, he stated, definite signs of recovery and with courage and tenacity, the New Year should see a- definite turn for the better. There is no doubt that there will be necessity for both of these qualities and very many more in the New Year, but it is, nevertheless, one which can be faced with a greater degree of I optimism than for some time ! past. A great deal depends upon | Mr. Forbes and his colleagues and the efficacy of the remedial measures which they are considering to relieve the farming community. It is regrettable that the consideration of these palpably necessary measures has been so long delayed and the Government and the country cannot alford to shelve the mat- ! ter any longer. In conjunction j with the Prime Minister's message, it is appropriate to con- | sider the part which the counj try's Parliamentary jrepresenti atives may play in the work of S recovery. Probably, politicians • being only human, make and j break New Year resolutions as quickly as anyone else, but there j are one or two resolutions which l might well be made and rigidly j kept. Some time ago, Mr. Coates i coined the eminently sound j slogan, "More business in Gov- | ernment and less Government in 1 business." It was a piece of excellent electioneering but like i most slogans and electioneering, I precept and practice have had an early divorce. Nevertheless ! Parliament may well resuscitate j this rather bedraggled catchcry j and endeavour to make it somei thing but an empty jingle. Parliamentarians on both sides of the House might take a resolve to spend less of the eountry's time and money on the things that do not matter and more upon those that do. Cabinet, in particular, might devote less time to poultry and tomato and stallion registration bills and get down to essentials. If this New Year resolution had been taken earlier it would not now be necessary to leave the primary producing community to battle with its mounting difhculties while Parliament adjourns to consider them. A determination on the part of the eountry's leaders to make the country live within its income would also be well worth while. This last, after all, is the basic foundation of any real national and individual prosperity. Leaving the national for the individual, it is well to remember that the latter makes the former. In other words, if the individual is loose in his budgetting, the country as a whole must feel the results. The modern system opens up so many avenues of easy credit that there is a most dangerous and ever increasing tendency for the individual to live beyond his means. To live within one's means is quite consistent with reasonable spending and even more consistent with reasonable saving. Reasonable spending and reasonable saving on the part.of the individual will inevitably have its reflection in the national prosperity. It is a mistake for any country to expect its Government and its political leaders to solve all its problems and a greater measure of self-reli-ance with less depenctence! upon State aid and assistance would be a valuable corollary to a policy of "more business in Government ancl less Government in business" on ihe part of the State. For the rest, hard work, good humour, and courage on the part of the people will assuredly carry. them through. New Zealanders .have all three qualities and in that assurance, we may confidently look -jforward to a more prosperous New Year than FhP lggf Wn _