“Cities Must Have Some Consideration*

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 231, 19 December 1927, Page 8

“Cities Must Have Some Consideration*

“GET-TOGETHER” FEELING ; MR. COATES TALKS TO FARMERS “The cities are not against yeti; They are with you, and they realise as much as you do the necessity for keeping the primary in- ■ dustries in a stable position. But at the same time the people in The cities must be considered.” These very true words were ut. tered by the Frime Minister, the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates, when speaking before an assembly of farmers on Saturday, when reminding: the farmer* that, while much depended upon their produce and a successful market for it, the city man also possessed a point of view. "It would be politics only to talk of going back to free trade," Mr. Coates went on. "It cannot be done! Under a policy of partial protection New Zealand has built up valuable industries and it would be suicidal to take away that protection now. There are thousands of our people living in the cities who are dependent upon the secondary industries, and If these industries are killed it will be a bad day for the country. In skimming lightly over the financial position of New Zealand, the Prime Minister asserted that the country was returning to better time*. “We have got to keep our neads up and stick to it. and if every man keeps to his task we will pull through,” he said. “There is no room for pessimists. We can diecount many of the suggestions and questions as to what the Government is doing. The solution of most of our difficulties lies with the people themselves. “We have been told that the Do ; minion is going back £10,000.000 a year but answering that in the politest terms possible, I say such a statement is contrary' to fact,” Mr. Coatee said. “We could not do what we I have done without money, but in the | past few years we have managed to j reduce our borrowing from £11.500,000 a year to £6,500,000, and, in addl- ! tion to that, we have repaid deadweight war debts since 1922 to the | extent of nearly £8,500.000. Our ; critics cannot get behind the fact that j New Zealand’s credit stands higher | than does that of any other overseas | Dominion. | “Can anybody say that credit does i not reflect a standard of efficiency? ; The Government’s opponents say the j Dominion’s credit will be destroyed if the Government remains in power, bnt i it is a fact that since the present ad- | ministration has been in office the standing of New Zealand in the financial market has steadily improver,. It seems to me that the attitude of some people tends to lower our credit rather than help the country along.”