Individualism

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 92, 12 January 1935, Page 20

Individualism

“Extreme individualism in the right to carry oh any activity in any way the individual likes, provided he can get a customer for his goods and services, has long since almost vanished. “No one can stop a man being a doctor or a lawyer if he wants to, but he cannot, however clever, just put up his sign and sell his services. He has to satisfy standards, supplied by the profession itself. “Profession after profession has closed in its open gate, to the great advantage of the community, but with a restriction of the scope of freedom. Interference in the interest of the consumer, or the general public, or the employee, or even the body of suppliers themselves, is no longer regarded as an important cheek on individualism, although at one time it was furiously resented as a limitation of liberty. '

“The price of liberty is eternal vigilance, and the equilibrium between the chaos of unfettered individualism and straight- jacket planning of careers, output, and household budgets, must be found by intelligent criticism at every stage.

"Individualism no longer holds the stage as the normal, leaving every variation to be regarded as a newcomer to justify itself. It must prove its own superior fitness as a method and a motive at every point or it will go under. Those who have individualism in their bones must therefore justify their faith by deeds and efficiency.”—