THE PAST AND THE FUTURE.

Hokitika Guardian, 25 October 1919, Page 4

THE PAST AND THE FUTURE.

ENCOURAGING HISTORICAL FACTS. (Sydney Herald.) “ For the people had a mind to work,” constitutes the secret of success of a certain nation at a critical period of its history. It was after disastrous war and exile. The day of reconstruction came. It was expedient to rebuild their capital city. The work was begun, but the workers were discouraged and hindered by enemies. However, under wise and inspiring leadership the Task was renewed, and crowned achievement gladdened their souls, and the historian records that the accomplishment was due to the fact that “we returned every man unto his work. So built we the wall, for the people had a mind to work.” This also for us is a day of reconstruction. We may happily not be called upon literally to rebuild our walls, but the foundations of our future prosperity need attention, and perhaps rebuilding. War always wastes, costs much, and produces little. Hence the call is not only for production, but reproduc ■ tion. Because of the latter indubitable need some spirits get discouraged and pessimistic. But this cripples effort and dispirits others. It is a fatal attitude of mind and must be fought. A well-informed American writer infonns us that'in the United States this blinding pessimistic spirit is exhibited. He laughs at it and ridicules it. If this un-Mark-like Tapley spirit can ever be justified, it is surely less justifiable in some nations than others. However, a careful survey of historical facts where a brave people have had to face reconstruction in a critical crisis should banish this unheroic attitude. During the years immediately following the Napoleonic wars, England was certainly confronted with a colossal reconstructive task and . burden. The country was embittered by general distress, intensified by bad harvests. The people, steeling their faces, grappled with the giant and conquered. Whatever our troubles, they are not comparable to theirs. In 1820, a tenth of the net income of the people of England was absorbed in paying the mere interest on the national debt. The working man had to spend no less than three-quarters of his wages on bread. By pluck and heroic effort conditions gradually vastly improved. What must have made the burdens harder to bear was the existence of the pessimistic school, the “ apostles of complaint and despondency,” who prophesied bankruptcy for the wholenalion. Macaulay was obliged to say of this whole period : “ We may have heard of nothing but failure, we have seen nothing but progress.” The secret of the progress was, despite at the outset the problem of unemployment, that the people had a mind to work. And work done created work to be done. Farmers were able to introduce improvements in agriculture which changed the whole face of the country. New industries came into being forwarded by new inventions. Economic freedom was developed and better conditions of labour. ;By industry the income of the people was doubled, and the cost of food enormously reduced. With the s. wisdom of after events, we recognise Inow that the production of the wealth was not always evenly distributed. It is from the years consequent to Waterloo that we have ■the incipient war of the classes, that jsocial strife which is still and in [ereasingly our greatest obstacle to iprogress It is manifest to-day inStrikes and other methods which ■constitute the greatest foe straddling the path of our general "prosperity, hindering reconstruction. Could we but have industrial

jpeace. f America’s task after her Civil j'War was gigantic. The historian Mackenzie computes that the States lost in that war’s death roll no less than 430,000 men. It has been estimated that the campaign to both sides conjointly cost not less that £i,800,0c0,000 sterling. -When the great citizen armies were disbanded they were almost immediately absorbed in reproductive labour. They turned with renewed energy to the development of their great continent, especially in agriculture. They built railways right across their country. Then, although America for awhile made the mistake of being over-optimistic, and men deluded themselves tor a short period by,a merely visionary prosperity, a too rapid and perilous monetary increase, and suffered accordingly, yet the people of the Stars and Stripes learnt from experience and emerged from the crucible with vitality undiminished. Her people had the mind to work, and despite the / tribulation, in thirteen years after the close of the j war she reduced her national debt by no less a sum than £200,000,000 sterling. Necessity becomes the mother of invention in all these critical periods, and in America electricity was made to pay tribute, as steam and railways were in England. Much of the work America did then awaits our doing here in Australia. With enterprise and wise methods we can attain a like success. Another even more striking illustration is afforded us by France. The Germans, after the Franco-Prtissian war, imposed on the vanquished a burden intended to be crushing, and which staggered humanity. After the first blow the vivacious and industrious Frenchman gave his mind and muscle to work, and in September, 1873, amazed the world by paying off the whole indemnity. Then he had the joy to see the armed and i tyrannical German vacating his [ beloved France. By her will to 1 work, her commerce and national ; prosperity revived. Her recuperative power was such that we are told Germans laughingly said that they wished their own country might have such a crushing defeat in order that it might be followed by such amazing prosperity. In the year 19x8, the truculent Hun got the first. His factories and machinery are still intact, and he can certainly work. Will he attain unto the secoud ? Can we afford to sleep and “ go slow ?” If we have

but the mind to work, without fever, without undue haste, but consistently, observing a little more the golden rule, with a land like this, so gloriously blessed, exuding opportunity, our future prosperity is assured. There is no reason why the ingenuities engendered to secure victory in war should not be utilised to obtain. the greater and nobler victories of peace. We may receive inspiration from the success of other nations, adopt the same measures, or petter. So we build the walls, when the people have the mind to work, and each of us performs his own.