WORKERS' EDUCATIONAL ASSOCIATION

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 306, 22 September 1919, Page 4

WORKERS' EDUCATIONAL ASSOCIATION

SPIRIT OF CITIZENSHIP." ' "Never before in tho history of mankind was lucre as Urgent ii tilll for uvciy nation to examine the loumlations of its social structure. Never beforo has tho futures.-been so doubtful—so big with the promise -of a better day for tne human family; so 'iminious of the collapse of whuti we have been pleased to call "civilisiv.tdon.'" With these timely words Protocol' Hunter opened his address on "Citizenship" to -students and friends of . tho W.ii.A. at the Trades Ilall on Satn'day' evening, the lecture being the last of a series urranged to interest the citizens of Wellington in hijjher education, and to make known more widbly the' facilities for study which the association affords. Briefly, hut comprehensively, the lecturer reviewed tho evolution of human society under three phases:' The nature of the universe and jiuin's place in it; the nature oi man; and man's icktion to his tallowy which in modern society takes the form oi citizenship. "The deadliest enemies ol' a nation," quoted the professor, "arc not their fortig.i foes: they always dwell wiiain its borders." Of these enemies tho greatest was ignorance—ignorance' l of the vast motives that guided tho vast social machine that man's intellect, hail designed. Jl'ep were not born with a ready-made perception of the gravity of public causes, and the value of social ends. The principles of citizenship cbnld .only W learned through a knowledge of the principles that underlay social relations. Clear thinking was the necessary antecedent of right action. Nor was information alone the aim of civics, the much more difficult task was to capture tho will of the greai democracy, and yoke it. to the'unselfish and resolute service oi the public good.