W.E.A.

Hokitika Guardian, 12 April 1923, Page 4

W.E.A.

At the usual weekly meeting of the lot-til W.E.A. chics iu economics find politir.-il scieiue. held ill the Education Hoard office on .Monday, the tutor, Mr 11. Bel'-haw, .M.A.. dealt with the forces at work in society bringing idaiiit. the chance. “The forces at work in sock ty bringing about i halites ill our social hal/its and iiisi i thl tons.'' said Mr Belslniw. “cfi’cit the natural disposition o! man through the formation nl nr-tv social habits and tin- breaking ot oid. Generally speaking. the lows are external to the individual, hut operate la reel v by aifeelliie changes ill the mental outlook of the individuals in society. The general term environnient might he m-ed to denote these forces.

! “Ei elution involves two prut-esses: tin- a-1 oiiimedatioii of life to environment. and the controlling of the en'.ironocuu to satisfy tin- needs of hvillty thitif's. Changes of the lir-t kind !]■-■ e\l I< tile] y slow. a I.d tie- .a lltl !•>:. •tl man Ira:. < erne mainly : L rough ti, ; eontnd ot mi > j |-o i; 1 s-. s i;, 'lie -mve -s ~\ ■an lefy depends on tin- « 1« f Imrmony in 1 a tin mi t ine nl man and hi - cu vii'ou nn- nl . and i . om- of J !e----createst hl.it-> on modern civilisation, that this harmony i- -o inadequate for siii-li a large number of the inhabit,to: nl so-called civih'Cd coo.utrics. The ; control of cm lronment for the purpose : of satisfying the needs oj mankind i* the great ~iark of pi-ogres-. “The physical en viriminent—el ini a tie conditions, oijoraph ica I comlitioii'. and oth.r conditions controlling food ttspplies have laid an important m- ! tlie-m-e in detenuinine tf,,. conditions 1 ol life and the d vrlopmeni of liuniaii I in-1 i i-i l ion s. Thus (ouditioiis of -oil i and c!: 1 11 :i! wlm L eneonr;igod men to earn a lit ing by iisLing or hunt ill. resulted in the establishment of .-.mall. : unstable families or croups, callous to the claims of parents, thriftless with Mh a very pri In iti i o iilaa s run,-cl u ,-i I miiiiilv with tile right to tin- control oi weapons, je.nie lolled, etc. Pastoral 1 races, oil the other hand, were Wi II organised into stable. I atnnivhr.l fani- ■ dies. Muh as. are ile-crilied in the (lid i 'iV-tjim-iii. The organisation was mark 'd by e religious veiu-ralion lor . rhlei-.. and a i a refill provision for the I future : idias ol private and eomi muiial prepi-rty w. r. well developed. and rules ( >f inherit a nee were definite: i a social order based on properly was j w. II established. l-‘i\i d villages of j agrii-ith lira I folk marked a moiv i-oin- : phot. and in many v. ays. a higher typr || of nrga ii i sat ion. It can la- seen that j the tvoe of organization developed ! which as hc~t suited to the i cnu-fitioils of lip- which Were determined by the physical environment. In modern times tintype* of institution depend- more on tin- economic organ i-a iam than on the plivsieal lVatiii-1 s ol tin- «.millry-side. e-pecailly as modern -cl.-nce ha : . given a man a far area ter c lit ml ovrr that environment limn formrly. ■‘The ei i-m ir-mm.-ut i- 1 iiai due to the changes in pliysii-al conditions anil in social ha'-its and uistilu- | lions by t! i e aetivitc-s ot man ill Ins j at' nipls in earn a living. Perhaps the i most important oeenomic icrer- 1I improved t ran -port iind - oiemuuii :iI ti/iii. Tlie in-jiortam-e o> tins !- j well ii!11-11 at■ d in hi- lory. Ti; ; , xt-. iis-oii ol tin- Ifoman luu- | pin* and Ifoman or,lev resulted from > tin- development oi a system ol road-. | all loading u, Homo. The break up ol : the old village eeomuuy in (float ffrij tain, the establishment of mdepcnd.nl j towns and of ( iuihis \\ it h monopoly I powers in thus,, towns, tie- developj ii-.eut of the -pirit of nationalism und.-i ! | ihe Tudors. the .Gradual ilcvclopmenl I laud ulliiiiale extension of internatlon - j a! i r;u|i■ to the outermost limits ~| | h i j world, mark different singes in tin 1 | de\ -.-I-, pmen t oi tra u-port . aid in tin I ; in 1 1 gr.it |: ut ef mi. it l.v. liNprod-d nun- | maun ;>i hoi ha . resulted in an ever- " "k a-i'e- in, lc oi' i-oeimuioiy ml en .! ;so : now an ini peri an t event 11 “•Ml imp: rl a m e- manna- for,- r- ‘" 1 1 ill;: in a II • • 1111■ i;<! ill- cila Ugo m on I ■ m-t it lltioOs has 1, en Ihe Irene, rnlun■u! ui in i- in I.fa- d, n!■ uim-- in of ie.-h ni- •’ ' :i1 Pf"' •'•mil;. so,, e i i. I;; i- worked hand in hand n :l h improvcd imu in union t ion ami --■ i. • 1111 fi - - ih -- ' ovarii s of I aril 1 ::- sorts to i ll,nice th" port a lit elfecls ha re been : ihe ex Ironic j di\;-iou oi la hour a- r'-uai'd- |u aim, I i la--- -, and individuals. Thi- Ini- ' stilt -d in a r-mitd to rc-di-i: iinit ion of j pm-ei- and in the i ai-ing ~l a tl'eiiion- ! duns sc-iml pro 1 loin which lias not !.--m j laimd. Ihe old Irises of authority are , being ro'de|y challenged tin- world over. • ti ml a fodi -t rihu I i.m of umboritv i- Incan-" arc "nut iii"i"u~o in the popuj lation of Korop an countries a- eom- | 101 rod with tin- incron so in nl her part. Io! the world, "l itis has enti-iderahl\ inj creased the mlmcm-e and the n-spnu'si- ! hiliti; ~ of the western orld. The u! her idle; 1. Ihe emu cut ra lion of capita! into a few baud", present-, the major nr- bk-iii of modeim, sta t.-s, "’! he I bird important foivo ol <-nvi-i-oiiniciit. is that of sy-t.-ms of thought. } Th-- vital force.: chanyine i list it u I ionjure ideas which arise owiii-j to comj I lex causes such a- the ilillucace of j phy-ica! and eiomuoic environment, of i I'chwinii, and so on. Const rtu ti ve | 11 :i.-11;rht i- lice, —sar;. to iiroyrc-''. For ! thi--. I istire I- iieccs-ary. ami a- a con- | sc,picnic cen-trm live timupdit in mod; rn | times i., very larn-'-ly tin- l.y-prodiict o' | privs.tc | : op. riy. This ha - iv-nl i d 'in a di-lii: : to Ida - in our in - l it u I mu-. osjioi tally a tin- vi-hn ies for prnpaeatiue idea-. -uc!i a: tile , ah!,- s-.-r----vii«o■-. and t!ie pn-.-s. land to am;- ulider the control of definite economic interest. The provision of adeipiate leisure for t!u- mass oi the pen)-!", and a plop:-!- edueation so that they may Its: that I: i-ure to advaniam- is an , - - utial all-round and h-damed proof, .. sive dimehijimelil. “We have exp.- mi,-mod.” say- Findlay. “the. opportunity for rapid chanye ami diii’ilsion. h-'fore the rttee ha.s hecome adit(ited either in mind or body to now acts of self-ermtrol.''