LORD LEVERHULME.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 12 June 1924, Page 10

LORD LEVERHULME.

FAVOURABLE IMPRESSION OF NEW. ZEALAND.

Lord Leverhulme has returned to London much impressed with New Zealand. This is how he publicly states his opinion in the Weekly hen I see what has been done in New Zealand since my first visit overthree years ago I ani amazed at the wonderful development which has taken place. The people .who have performed this feat were under the dire necessity of earning their own living by the power of their right arms and the'exercise of the principles of self-help. How well they have succeeded in the sixty years of serious settlement of New Zealand is truly remarkable.’’ His tour round the world has convinced him that what is needed more than ever to-day is a return to the gospel of Samuel Smiles. Self-help is; what the community needs more, than Acts of Parliament. “It is futile (he writes) for mankind to think that they can in any way be helped by legislative enactments of an redistribution of property. I think that property always disj tributes itself, while there is too much faith reposed in. politics and too little activity and faith in production. Generally there appears to be an idea ' amounting to an obsession, that Gov-, ernments can do something for us all, even if they neglect the art of governing. There is far too much politics today. Early in life I based my career on self-help. I was a student of Smiles; and found in him a stimulus to thought aud effort which every man and woman ought to strive to possess. No matter what stratum of society you may be in you should place more confidence in your «myn active ability than in any help which the community or the State may give you through Acts of Parliament. These only tend to stifle selfinitiative. “A famous philosopher once said that the greatest benefactor of mankind was the man who could make two blades of grass grow where only one grew before* That may have been true of his time. I believe that the real benefactor to-day is the man who—by organisation the application of mechanical principles, and the invention of machinery—can make one mail do the work that a dozen formerly did. That man confers the greatest benefit on mankind and the weJ-being of the race. As an instance of the reverse side of self-help, take the case of Russia, In the last few years_ she has conscripted all capital and ignored her national debts. That this policy has not made Russia wealthy but poorer, no one can deny. It has not stopped Russia’s requirements for. all time ; it has only made it impossible' for Russia to obtain the capital she now requires more than ever.” The outstanding feature of Lord Leverhulme’s journey was - the discovery of the enormous opportunities of acquiring wealth in ail parts of theEmpiie which exist for those who are prepared to adventure out to reap the rich golden harvest that Nature is ready to give in exchange for organised labour applied under the stimulus of self-help.

“Here in England (he writes)'we are all tumbling over one another, and* unemployment consequently exists.. . Yet. we have an Empire overflowing with opportunities, -with rich, virgin soil, great and vast forests and undiscovered minerals; where the rain descends every day and the sun continually shines, and the growth of vegetation is continuous. All this is disregadded_ as if Great Britain were the. only part of the British Empire and as if, when employment is not available in the next street, we had either to starve or accept doles Regrading to mankind and a serious' handicap on individual initiative.

“I do consider that the most dangerous operation of what we call the ‘dole’ is that it starves the hardy spirit of adventure and causes the un.employ-„ ©d to stand shivering on the brink, rather than to make a bold plunge to success apd fortune overseas. Within Hie British Empire w© have every variety of climate and can raise every variety of cron that Mother Earth is capable of yielding to organised effort. It seems to me that the great trouble in various parts of the Empire is had packing. There is enough space within the British possessions for at least fifty-flod the population that it now contains. Possibly, when the population ha s reached fifty-fold its present nuim ber, : we shall then have means of agriculture and transport which will bring in other areas, which will again enable a happy arid contented peoole to find employment, happiness, and wealth within British boundaries. . . . There does: seem to be an idea all over the world that in some mysterious way Acts of Parliament. Government ‘doles,’ grants in aid, and especially high taxation, can help to build up a happy, contented. and prosperous people. Yes, I don’t think.

“I know that people nowadays are inclined to scoff at Smiles and his gospel of self-help, but my advice to the young man of the present generation is to act oh the principles taught in Smiles’s philosophy. He will go further than Jus competitor who doesnot.