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Hokitika Guardian, 7 April 1931, Page 4

Easti'l! is tlio seal and pledge of the victory of pood over evil. Tn times of depression it brings the message or limyi and certainty of better tliiivs This is the message, says the Auckland Star, we reed to-day. There are mamreasons for depression; there are mom if less elearlv seen, for optimism. Hie pessimist might noint to monetarv collapse in Australia, to the severe dedepression all over the world, ineludi-m \ew Zealand, to the unexampled growth of ii-’omnlovment. to the nnsettlement in Spain and the South Anim-ican re’'” l dies, to the Xaris and (lie bnaneial diflimilties in Cernmnv. to Mn> loss of moral and intellc tual tr>'edom in Tinssia. to the seeming inactivity of the League of Nations in such vital matters as disarmament, to the chaos in China, and to the difficulties attending a settlement of the Tn-

dian question. Yet, great as many of the political and economic difficulties are to-da,v, there is a belter spirit in approaching them, a- greater desire to find sonic point of agreement, a greater willingness to sink differences for the past. The Indian Round Table Conference showed the growth of this spirit of conciliation, and desire to understand differing points of view. In. spite of to-day’s unemployment ligiu'es, social conditions in Great Britain have vastly improved in the last sixty years. There is far less drunkenness and far less real poverty. In Glasgow, for install! e. in 1870, the expectation of life at birth was 30 years for males and 32 for females. A Her expeditin'!' on socinl services the figures had risen by 1920 to 43 years for males and 52 for females. Even in disarmament some progress has been iivido. and tin' Preparntory Commission gives hope of ultimately establishing an effective inlernational armament: control. It may be true that “we climb like tornls, grave by grave,” hut it is equally true that corals have a pathway sunward.