The Dominion. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1919. RIGHT THINKING
In what lie had to say ai the New Zealand Club yesterday, .General iSiii Andrew Russell made an admirably direct appeal to the sound instinct for truth and justice which is never absent in a British community, though it may ;it times be submerged. The truths upon which he dwelt in his survey of social and political conditions in the Dominion are in a sense- obvious enough. No rational human being would deny that co-ordinated effort leads to better results than sectional strife, or that clear thinking is an essential preliminary to effective action. But the essential fact which General Kusseli, emphasised is that these propositions, though they are accepted in the abstract as truisms, are commonly ignored and violated in the. political and industrial affairs of the Dominion. The practical question he raised is whether tho people of this country are capable of the orderly co-operation which would ensure, general prosperity or are doomed to perpetuate conditions of. confusion and disunion which sooner or later must lead to disaster. Only the complexity of modern life and that temperamental disinclination on the part of members of the Anglo-Saxon race to think to which Gesbral lUtssell alluded make it possible for such a question to arise in a community in which the standard of intelligence is reasonably high. Undoubtedly, however, the question is raised urgently as affairs are shaping in A T ew_ Zealand. Apart from, mure routine, conspicuous features of community life in this country are the weakness of constructive social effort and the development of sectional animosities which tend in defiance of right and reason to split the people into warling factions._ In theory all may desire conditions of social justice and equity. .In practice one organised sretion after another sets itself to exploit the rest of the community. The tendency appears not only in industry, but in the prosecution of tho development worl<3 which are hindered so gravely by local jealousies and by the common failure to perceive the practical benefits of sound national organisation and united effort. This country offers its people an open opportunity of attaining better conditions of social life than the world has ever known, but they are frittering away the opportunity simply because they have not learnt to pull together as units in a complex organisation. Tho remedy, if the case admits of remedy, is indicated in such appeals to reason and common-sense as General Bussell made' yesterday. It is agreed that sweeping changes and greatly improved standards of living are called for. Those who oppose such changes and improvement are an insignificant minority, but neither progress nor improvement will be appreciable in the absence of united effort. If they take General .Russell's advice and put on their thinking caps, the employers and workers of the Dominion will find ho difficulty in perceiving that they have in common everything to gain from establishing such settled conditions of industry as will maku in all respects for the rapid expansion of production. It is; the root evil of existing industrial conditions that on the part both ol workers und employers short-sighted .greed instead of intelligent thought 100 often gives the cue to action. The hope of reversing such conditions rests largely on the fact that they are diametrically opposed to the best instincts of the individual as well as inconsistent with human welfare. No nian is really content who forfeits his self-respect by unjust extortion, whatever bis walk in life may be, and on (.hat as on ( other grounds it is possible to hope that Racial conditions in which justice and loyalty to the community are «t a discount arc destined to be s'iort-lived.
While such a renovation of social cotuliiions as CJenkiui, 'Riorum, advocahns is very largely a niatler for Hit! people thiMiisiilvci, ii, wills also for a new spirit in ]iolitics and for a new nice of politicians. In any upward movement a country needs the services of its best men in Parliament, and as matters stand there is nil possible scope for the introduction of new IjIooc). It may he hoped in this connection that Of.n'-f,R,-u, llussEM. will yet reconsider the refusal to which ho has thus far ad-
hercd to seek* election to the House of Representatives. Probably no ono is better fitted than the late commander of the Now Zealand Division to stimulate and direct tho forces that make in this country for social regeneration. Whatever its prospects for the immediate future may be, the Dominion certainly needs the services in Parliament of men of action who are at the same time thinkers and inspired by high ideals, and General llussEtt has shown himself possessed of these qualifications not alone in his war service, but in his infrequent but arresting utterances, since his return, on tho social and political problems of the day.
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Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 42, 13 November 1919, Page 4
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811The Dominion. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1919. RIGHT THINKING Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 42, 13 November 1919, Page 4
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