W.E.A.

Levin Daily Chronicle, 6 August 1918, Page 2

W.E.A.

The class in Industrial History under the segis bf the Workers Educational Assqciation was sue cessfully launched on Wednesday night. Thirteen students includ ing five ladies, attended and sev eral apologies from those_ unavoid ably absent were handed in. These classes are worked on a democra tic basis and the members manage their own affairs witTitrat any s in terference or supervision from A superior authority. The class decided to meet, in future, at 8 o'clock on Wednesday evening in the High School building provi ded the school committee consent to its being used. Mr R. Smith, of Levin, was appointed class sec retary. . Mr G. M. Henderson, M.A., ,wlio has been nominated as tutor by the Committee of the Levin Branch, gave a lecture on the sources and scope of History, the main points of which were as fol lows: The subject matter of His tory is so vast that a student can not 'hope in a lifetime to master more than a limitjed quantity. The main object should therefore be to develop a sound historical judgment. This could best be done by writing some his tory himself and thus acquiring a first hand knowledge of the his torian's work. The lecturer gave a list of the sources from which the student got his materials'; the ways in which these are treated; and emphasised the need for veri fication of all information lie re. ceives. Most historians are satis fied if they give a fairly accurate account of events as they occurred ; and of the actions and motives of the leaders of mankind, accompa nied with more orlfcss skilled comment. One historian at least had attempted more than this, Buckle, whise History of Civnisa tion he mentioned' as the most * original and suggestive work he bad studied. This author consi ders that the study of History should lead to the discovery of the laws which govern the movements of man and the rise and fall of na tions. The next, lecture # will be on primitive communities andalarge attendance is confidently expect ed as this iV the first lecture of the Industrial History course proper. ' : .