THE SPIRIT OF PATRIOTISM.

Shannon News, 5 February 1924, Page 4

THE SPIRIT OF PATRIOTISM.

NEW ZEALAND’S WONDERFUL BOUNTY. (Contributed by N.Z. Welfare League) Recently we tread a speech, by Sir Robert Stout on patriotism delivered in Invercargill in 1917. The Chief Justice opened by referring to the area, climate, resources, people and institutions of his adopted country— New Zealand. His utterance carried with it something qf the fervour that a true Scot ' expresses when ■ speaking of Bonnie Scotland. Truly we have .every reason to love this little land of ours, for New Zealand is in many ways a great and beautiful country. How very - fortunate we are who liv ( e in it is, we fear, but poorly' recognised. 'The recent ■holidays was another blessing to many in enabling them to see something more of their home territory. We cannot know or appreciate New Zealand by living only in its cities any more than we can know Auckland or Wellington in viewing merely Queen Street or Willis Street. It is the country, the natural scenery, the mountains, rivers, lakes and fiiords that breed in us a lo'.e for the land we live in. As part of the education of our children it would be well if arrangements could be made to> transport them, in holiday time, to view the beautiful bush reserves, regions of thermal activity, magnificent lakes, sounds and beaches. The children in the mass should be privileged to come more in touch with the natural splendour of the .country that is theirs. As a consequence of thus coming closer to nature they would be likely /to grow. )tp in a healthier faith than is engendered in the cities where 'they come in contact too often With a flash American cynicism altogether too much in evidence amongst us to-day. - Our country is a home of bounteous good things, which may be spoken.of many times over so that >f*a spirit of patriotism, I which our people have, may be kept ever aflame.

Let us look at this beautiful New Zealand. We call it “little,” yet in area it is equal to England, Wales, Scotland and' (half of Ireland combined. If we take the countries of Belgium, Roumania, Switzerland and Serbia, the area of New Zealand .exceeds the total area of all these four natiohs. The contrast is in population, for whereas these four countries had, before the war, a population of about twenty million a, New

Zealand had, roughly, only one. It is in all that makes life desirable that'New Zealand excels. Its equable clin/atje, ample sunshine, and open spaces make for Ihieialth. 'lts death rate is 9.51 per thousand, whilst Australia’s is -12.8 and England 14.4. Geographically we are more favourably situated than most' parts of Europe. We have a climate of eternal spring on all our seaboards and almost' all Europe has a more severe winter than any part of New Zealand; What variety also is found within our borders, from the Southern Alps to the tropics of the new north country. Invercargill is about the same latitude as Lausanne in Switzerland; Wellington the same as Barcelona in Spain; Christchurch about the same as Marseilles; Auckland as Cadiz in

Spain; and'Half Moon Bay about the same as Paris. Our alpine scenery is equalled only in Switzerland, and of our thermal regions of Rotorua and Taupo there is nothing equal to such in any country. Not merely in respect to natural wonders is New Zealand favoured; it h-as large, level and fertile agricultural and pastoral lands, rich mineral deposits, stretches of beautiful forests and swift-flow-ing, broad rivers for _power production. Our expert trade per capita is the highest of any country in the world.- Since the inception of refrigeration in 1880, almost as much frozen lamb and mutton was sent tc Great Britain as from the rest of the world combined. flun is N<-w Zealand, rich in natu.ol beamy, power and resource, '.ich in a healthy people of British de-aa-t.t, rh-h ulso in our free institutions, education, and the exercise of self government, both local and national. Under the British flag, we are proud of this little land—ours by birth or adoption. Let the groohers take a back seat. Ours to love and advance New Zealand and to make it one of the brightest gems in the crown of our British Empire. To fight its enemies both without and . within and to give forth the best that is in us, thus may wo cultivate the spirit of true -Patriotism for the general welfare oi an.