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Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 298, 10 September 1921, Page 8

Addressing the Millions Club in Sydney, Sir James Barrett said that if the policy of a White Australia is to be maintained, and if Australia is to hold her own, there is only onu policy to be pursued, and that is to get population and to make that population efficient. Numbers did not count for everything hi tho present day. Organisation was realty more essential and important, and Australia should be to organised that she would be at her best industrially, commercially, politically, morally, and m every possible way. In the way of organisation tho extension of educational facilities whs of the utmost significance, as it took a trained mind to make tho most of the ordinary conditions of life. When essential facts were placed before the untrained man, who had not the gift of imagination, he wne absolutely nt sea, nnd the information before him was useless. The pre-war and ■ the present strength of Germany lay in her euiun tion system, which enabled tho great industrial and commercial concerns to take the best advantage of the opportunities offered by the markets of the world. England hnd realised that, and as a consequence they had what was known ns tho “Fisher revolution," which meant tho continuance of education up to the ago of 18. France was proposing to make education compulsory up to 20, and Japan was also extending the years of instruction. The reason was that the ages of 14 to 18 were the most important from tho instructional standpoint in tire life of the adolescent, and whether at work dr not there should Ire a. sound system of education of a practical kind continued throughout these years. They should also bear in mind that the Government of the British Empire, and especially of Australia, had now passed into tlie control of the adult population, and the better '•<' adults wore educated in the widest sense of the term the better would be the systems of government. They must, of course, guard against the danger of raising up a race of clever scoundrels.