AND NOW?
Sir-That was a good leader and something should be done about it. If we are to step out from the position ‘in the world we have won, it will not be by writing letters about follies and mistakes, but by breaking through the whole jungle of them, and striking out, It will have to be by love and work, without limit. We have heard of crowds of young men and women in singing array, armed with picks and shovels, spending holidays on some job of work for the leader and country. That leader had some good ideas, but too many rotten ones. It is this pick and shovel idea that we will need to adopt, and we will only do it out of sheer love for our country, every inch of it, and for God our Creator. Let crowds of young men and women in every part of our land go out and take a good look at thé part in which they live. Look at the denuded and gullied hill slopes, the thousands of acres growing nothing but gorse, blackberry, ragwort,. etc., the thousands of acres of dead land; those pitiful areas of desolation in Westland, the boulder areas where
tie dredges and sluices have been playing about; the thousands of acres producing far too little because ‘the land has been poisoned by chemical stimulants; watch the rivers in flood and behold the tons of rich humus being carried off denuded hillsides into the sea; these and a few more such things. Look and behold till every such thing becomes a shame and a disgrace, and with indignation in their hearts, picks and shovels on their shoulders, and a song on their lips, let them set about a mighty reclamation. This will only rise out of love for God and love for country and love for those millions that are yet to come. It will only come out of a burning impatience with argument and delay. It will mean putting their own time ‘and money into it, getting the idea over to scouts ‘and guides and every youth group. A wise and strong leader in each locality-then long live the "League of Land Lovers." |
A. A.
BENSLEY
(Tauranga)
Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/periodicals/NZLIST19451019.2.11.14
Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka
New Zealand Listener, Volume 13, Issue 330, 19 October 1945, Page 24
Word count
Tapeke kupu
371AND NOW? New Zealand Listener, Volume 13, Issue 330, 19 October 1945, Page 24
Using this item
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
Material in this publication is protected by copyright.
Are Media Limited has granted permission to the National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa to develop and maintain this content online. You can search, browse, print and download for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from Are Media Limited for any other use.
Copyright in the work University Entrance by Janet Frame (credited as J.F., 22 March 1946, page 18), is owned by the Janet Frame Literary Trust. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise this article and make it available online as part of this digitised version of the New Zealand Listener. You can search, browse, and print this article for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from the Janet Frame Literary Trust for any other use.
Copyright in the Denis Glover serial Hot Water Sailor published in 1959 is owned by Pia Glover. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise this serial and make it available online as part of this digitised version of the Listener. You can search, browse, and print this serial for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from Pia Glover for any other use.
Log in