THE NORMAL HUMAN LIFE

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIV, Issue 4630, 26 November 1923, Page 2

THE NORMAL HUMAN LIFE

man a land tulle®. . ■ •* . In one of his works, H. G. Wells describes the normal human life —the life led by the great majority pf mankind till the establishment of the industrial system—as that of farmers living. -quiet and uneventful, but healthy and natural lives on the- land. He advocates a return to that system if society is to escape shipwreck. ' Unfortunately, the modern tendency is all the other way. We quote the following figures to show howpeople are avoiding the normal * human life, even in New Zealand,, a country livirig practically upon its output of what are called primary products. In 1881, 59 per centi of our people were rural, living in the country, and 41 per cent, urban.. In 1921, the respective per centages were, urban 56, rural 44. Yet the cry continually goes up that we are not producing enough; that we have too much idle land, and too much occupied land only half worked. Meantime the towns are boasting of the progress they are making, the number of houses building, oi^requiring to be built, and of the amazing increase in their population. The fact Of the matter is that wa are trying to balance the pyramid upon its apex, and one day it will ; fall, and great will be the fall thereof. We quote the following from a speech by the Dominion president of the Farmers’ Union: “There is a steady drift to the towns. It is with difficulty that the average boy is persuaded to stay on the land. This country is following the lead of) America and Australia, where the cities are steadily growing in power to the detriment of the country.”