OUR CIVILSATION.

Hokitika Guardian, 26 September 1924, Page 2

OUR CIVILSATION.

WHAT HAS FI "IT lIK IN STORE. WELLINGTON. Set,tember “21. Sir Robert Slum sounded a note of high endeavour, i f firm faith in the future when addressing liotai-ians on what lay in store for oar civilization at the Hutarv Club ve-torda.v.

Describing himself as a:t optimist. Sir Robert quoted Carlyle's definition of hope, “A rainbow children follow through the wet . . . which never .urchin caught yet.” The world's population was increasing mindly and its future remained uncertain. THE HII-'Fi: I'LTIES IN STORE. In. say one hundred years hence, there would be great difficulty in feeding the population of the earth should it increase at tl-e present. rate. There were other troubles to be laced—financial and military. Would our civilisation continue or not j” ’I here had been eight separate civilisations in Egypt alone. A BIG ADVANCE. I n the past one hundred years even what all advance had been made in all things. To go hack was to lie amazed at the distance which oar rate had travelled. It was only L’fitl years since the first medical school had been established in Kdmliiirga. I hack ami one would lie amazed at the advance made b v surgery and medicine since. CONDITIONS OF WORKERS. At the same lime the conditions of the workers had been miserably treated .starved, over-worked and without even a bed to lie upon. Ihtt to-day cue could contemplate the health and wealth of mir cities. In England and

Scotland the death rate time had been lilt) per Ilk 111. Later it had been reduced to sfi nor thousand, and then to I”. In New Zealand it had lalk.-n te far as it tier thousand. BETTER SPIRIT.

.Moreover, theft' was an increase it kindliness among the pontile. When the subject of kindness to animals first had been introduced into the British Molise of Commons it had hoi n received with laughter. Things had changed since then. Another factor was the increase in the education vote, in Tfifi the vote in Britain had been £:!<),(;:IB. to-day it was CW.ciri.nort. WILL IT PERISH Was the civilisation which had dene this to perish Even in Wellington the strides made in all the things which made life possible: more rode it useful and happy, were great. It was said that war might com.e and destroy the social fabric. In Eus-ia the Revolution had destroyed L’.ObP.HtMI in lighting, and a further lo.OOtl.tlOtt in disease and famine. Hut now there was a demand for universal peace. FOR THE LEAGUE.

The League of Nations was in existence and this meant that not force, hut jit-.tirc .should rule ami these must he applied to iiH civil disputes: 'here

must he no more strikes in industrial conflicts. In the past there had been an ordeal by battle, but these must end if the League was to lie a force. And ii' this came there would lie true peace and the state could concentrate on its problems. ALL NONSENSE.”

Tlie talk of men's equality was nonsense; one tiling which must lie recognised was inequality endowed into the world. Once recognising this they must set to work. to reduce this inequality. and this could be (lone by sitrrotttidings, education, and hygienics. - KEEP IT THE BREED.” Then, too, they must strive to keep the breed up. Trey spent thousands of*' pounds on improving the breed of their catt k i 1 sheep, and did not apply their science to the race. They must rear men and women worthy of Itui,unlitv and who would live up to its tradition-. .MI'ST RELIEVE. Considering the people now and what t bev were years ago, one would find them better fed, better clad, better housed than they hurl Ivelt. We must, proceed with hope. Ldieving that the world was getting better than it had been in the past, that then) was a glorious future for it, must do our ukmost in ottr work, with love and kindness for men and women and our civilisation would not decay, hut would flourish until at last it would lie said that we had become a great nation.