PURER ENGLISH.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 15 November 1924, Page 4

PURER ENGLISH.

STIMULATION OF INTEREST.

APPEAL BY POET LAUREATE.

An appeal has been made by Mr Robert Bridges, the poet-laureate, in a ietter to Mr J. H. E. Schroder, of the Boys’ Hi»h School, Christchurch, tor the stimulation of interest in the activities of the Society for Pure Eug--rmo societ y was ' founded in 191.3 as it was felt to be the duty of the English-speaking peoples to make the language adequate, efficient and worthy of its increasing and. worldnude use. The society’s puipose is to further the best interest of the language by the promulgation of sound knowledge, so that public opinion and common practice, which ultimately decide the : linguistic usage, may be guided by scientific, philological and historic facts.

In his letter, Mr. Bridges states: “I am.writing in the hope that vou may he able to help in establishing some sort of headquarters of the society in New Zealand. It seems to me indispensable to our ultimate success that there should be independent bodies of workers in the different Brit ish settlements, who should (for the present) contribute original correspondence to be printed in the tracts dealing with the matters that specially interest them. We have as yet very few New Zealanders among our members. I should recommend that, whatever committee or body you get together, the executive should be in the hands of one person, who could be trusted to attend to the necessary business. We do not wish to move quickly, but to make all our steps securely.” The letter was discussed at a meeting of the Christchurch branch of the English Association. It seemed to be the opinion of the meeting that, for a time at least, little more could be done than to increase the mere handful of New Zealand members, especially among professional writers and teachers of English, and so to bring about a wider distribution of the admirable tra< ts and a wider application in practice and teaching of the principles they stand for. Those desiring to become members are asked to communicate with Mr. Schroder.