A HAPPY COUNTRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 December 1922, Page 12

A HAPPY COUNTRY.

DOMINION’S ADVANTAGES. THE NATIONAL CHARACTER. Confidence in the Dominion was the keynote of a speech delivered by Sir John Findlay when proposing the toast of the Dominion at the banquet to Sir Francis Bell in Wellington last week. Sir John, in an eloquent speech. | brightened w ’th humour, enlarged upon the influence of environment upon the New Zealand character. A French philosopher had said that even the nami of a child had an influence upon its character, whether the name he George Washington Smith or Ananias Smith. How much greater must be the influence of the great natural wealth and beauty, the fertility, mineral wealth, equal economic conditions. and elevated impartiality of tile press of the country. Our geographical position had created an aloofness wh en was marked ali over the world. A country so isolated as this mr.si have a character of :t<n own. It could not borrow from neighbours, as it had none. The pioneers han coinage and stoutness of heart proportionate to the distance they had to overcome. And this courage remained, how. ever much they might discount it, in their descendants. Now Zealanders declined to laan on anything, except oc-

casionally on the banks, and that lien, he believed, was highly profitable to the banks. New Zealand fulfilled the test of a young, democracy in the provisions made for the .moral and physical wellbeing of the people, equanty of opportunity, civil and religious l-Uerty, respect for law and order, provision for old age. and impartiality of the administration of justice. Neither birth nor poverty were here a bar to the advancement of a man of brains and determination. We might have our interna! <1 Jlieulties, but the democracy would emerge triumphant from its trials owing to the high level of average character. Sir John concluded with a reference to past Gi.vovumeiits and I’r me Ministers, and affirmed that in the judgment of the future the present Government and the Prime Minister would take a place second to nona