FUTURE OF YOUTH?

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 121, 24 May 1937, Page 8

FUTURE OF YOUTH?

(To the Editor.)

Sir,—lt would seem from Arthur Fraser's article that youth has no future in this country.; The declining population has nothing to do with the future of the youth we have. They are here, but many of them are leaving us for good and for ever. Why? I believe it is because our so-called democracy has so hedged ■ ■ youth about that its freedom to work out its,own well-being in the community has been destroyed. If a youth wants to learn a trade he will be told that he. cannot because there is no room for him, and' the so-called Labour laws have put insurmountable obstacles in his way. If he wants to be a farmer. the: Labour laws prevent any farmer from, taking him on at what he is worth.' So Arthur Fraser proves lie is leaving the country in hundreds to find a place where he will have freedom to work out his own wellbeing untrammelled by such Labour laws. A system of immigration is suggested■" to remedy -the falling birth-ratei but if'a tfadesmaH^omes to this country and finds a job he must by the compelling force of the socalled Labour laws join a union and come under the domination of the secretary and contribute, to that Labour man's income and through the union to {.he election expenses of the Labour politicians. How' can you expect to establish any sort of immigration schemes when the democracy has lost its freedom? Youth is quitting, and I admire it for doing so. The youths who are leaving us are saying, in effect: "We have no freedom here; .; pur youth is cramped; our initiative • suppressed, and our enterprise, so restricted that we cannot exercise our rights freely as. citizens of the British Empire." • •'■ So' Arthur Fraser deploring : the situation of our youth and the declining birth-rate concludes: —"The most careful and thorough inquiry must be made into,the causes and effects of the present trends of population. They must be made known to the people, whose intelligent co-operation is' essential." And so "means should' be found," says Arthur Fraser, to stimulate marriage and encourage child birth." Will that help the youth problem? Will not more, marriages arid more babies- aggravate the problem? The fact of the matter is that our present youth are denied the right to exercise their individuality, initiative, and enterprise. If not altogether; they are so restricted by Labour laws that they are without hope of breaking down the barriers that Labour or Socialistic laws have imposed upon them. Married people realise this, and they reduce the, number of, their children. With moire and more Socialisation of civilisation We have unbounded and increasing foodstuffs and fewer people proportionately to consume them-rai declining population and plenty of foodstuffs everywhere and our youth quitting the. country because the. Labour or Socialistic ■' laws prevent their getting a chance to keep their freedom and an opportunity to make their own way.

Arthur Fraser talks about our intelligence! What sort of intelligence have we developed? .What sort of politicians have emerged by the exercise of the intelligence of our people? World statesmen and archbishops are today appealing to youth, for^they hold the destinies of the future of the Empire; That's in England. Here our Labour laws are practically forcing our youth out of the country and our Socialist leaders are talking of increasing the birth-rate and of a settled and well-thought-out scheme of. immigration! Our politicians have forsaken ;rinciples. They have lost our guiding stars.. They are ignorant of the course they have taken. The exodus of pur youth is to be arrested by increasing the birth-rate and some immigration scheme adopted. Is not that just going round in a circle? —I am, etc., ; • ' SIMON MAJOR,