KITH AND KIN.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 203, 7 May 1912, Page 4

KITH AND KIN.

I Some absurd person, with more imagination than common sense, has been attempting to raise a controversy in Sydney by alleging that New Zealanders are ""disliked" in Australia, and are boycotted by employers. Of course, in the silly season, when the sea-serpent is hibernating and the giant gooseberry has been made into strawberry jam, the inevitable individual who suffers from chronic cacoethes scribendi has to search elsewhere for inspiration. But this particular genius appears to have been exceptionally insane, or else to have kept extremely doubtful company. We are quite well aware that the average Sydney larrikin lias no time for the New . Zealander, but his dislike is based upon the fact that the Maorilanders are one too many for him in his favorite pastime of football, and' have also shown a most improper prowess in other branches of athletics. His narrow horizon is bounded by littlenesses of this sort, and a personal sore toe is to him of far vaster importance than the wreck of the Titanic. A little more than kin, he is unfortunately a good deal less than kind. Still, the wheels of progress will not cease by reason of this dreadful incident, and it is extremely doubtful if the farmers of the country have lost any sleep through the cabling of this irresponsible statement. It is a calamity that we could doubtless survive even if it were true. Fortunately, however, the charge carries its own refutation. As a matter of fact, New Zealanders, owing to their grit and initiative, born perhaps of climatic advantages, get along a good deal better in Australia than the average Australian does in New Zealand. In every branch of life, except, perhaps, in the gentle art of spieling and in the ability to live at somebody else's expense on that intangible quantity, known as "his wits," the New Zealander more than holds his own in Australia. Professionally, politically and personally, he holds a high place in Australia, and it would be very easy to multiply instances where the Commonwealth has drawn eagerly upon the Dominion for the expert heads of public departments, and for men in all the walks of public life, from the newspaper offices to the side-walks. The incident is not of any very great moment, except as being an illustration of that particular fatuousness that finds an insane delight in stirring up trouble between kith and kin. Our cousins overseas are just as much "our friends as we like to think we are theirs. We are quite content to break a lance with them in any department of life, and there is room for as. many capable Australians in New Zealand as the big island continent cares to send us. Similarly, if we care to send good men to Australia we have no fear that their nationality will be any debarment to their obtaining employment. The whole story is intensely silly and intensely vapid, and it is only worthy of notice because auto-suggestion of this sort is apt to be accepted by the unthinking as having more value than it really possesses. Attempts like this to set cousins in blood at variance are as foolish as they are reprehensible, and the casual and thoughtless criticism of a jaundiced New Zealander should never have been, given the notoriety of being made the subject of a cable message to our shores. Fortunately, it is not likely to affect the comity of nations, or to strike asunder those "hands across the sea" which have been such a'pleasing and permanent bond of union with our fellows of the Commonwealth.