State Control And The Individual

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 15, 13 October 1943, Page 4

State Control And The Individual

Sir, —It may interest your readers to see what able men of a past generation thought on these subjects. Mr. Gladstone wrote ; —and how modern his words sound I- —“We live at a time when there is a disposition to think that the Government ought to do this and. that, and that the Government ought to do everything. There are things which the Government ought to do and does not do, I have no doubt. In former periods the Government have neglected much. , . . But there is a danger on the other side. If the Government takes into its hand that which a man ought to do for himself, it will inflict upon him greater mischiefs than all the benefits he will have received or all the advantages that would accrue from them. The essence of the whole thing is, that the spirit of selfreliance, the spirit of true and genuine manly independence, should be preserved in the .minds of the people. If he loses bis self-reliance ... he incurs mischiefs for which no compensation can be made.” “Thrift rightly practised is a moral power,” wrote Bishop Moule. “It releases the individual from relying at every turn on the aid of others, whether persons or the State. It makes him able to be his own friend, and so build up strength and freedom of character. Two factors, never to be separated from one another are equally important for full social good. One is , l a right and steadfast individuality. The other is a right, steadfastly developed, sympathetic co-operation and cohesion. . . . Every exercise of will in a- right direction is a mighty builder of character. The man who desires to be a man indeed must be quite prepared tn stand (along . . . stand alone and loo* opinion in the face and determine calmly whether it is right or wrong.” “One of the special and deadly dangers of our modern life is the peril that the individual conscience 'and will may be overwhelmed by the mass of public tendency.” One could wish that our present-day politicians and prelates in this country showed as much sanctified common sense and vision as did that statesman and bishop.—l am, etc., AG UR. Waipawa, H.B.

In a letter from the New Zealand Alliance, entitled “The Licensed Trade,” which appeared in Monday's “Dominion,” a typographical error distorter! the meaning of the opening sentence. The sentence should have read: “The choice of every member of the Royal Commission ought to be governed by their willingness and desire to find practical solutions to the many and varied complicated- aspects of the liquor problem.” *