FUTURE OF DOMINION

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 2386, 31 January 1922, Page 1

FUTURE OF DOMINION

SIR. R, STOUT’S ’IDEALS. AN OPTIMISTIC OUTLOOK. HOPE AND ENERGY URGED. A very optimistic note was struck by Sir Robert Stout, Chief Justice, and chancellor of the New Zealand University, in his address at the Auckland Rotary Club’s luncheon recently, when dealing with the present industrial situation and the Dominion’s future outlook. He said he understood that Rotary was aiming at individual improvement as well as national and community improvement. He dwelt upon the importance of this ideal, and the need for personality in attaining it. New Zealand was suffering from the set-back to its industrial life, said Sir Robert. What was the best way in which the country could recover itself and move forward again as it had done in the past? He had been nearly 58 years in New Zealand 1 and had seen a great many ups and downs. When he first arrived here there was a population of only about 170,000; there were no bridges over the rivers, and no roads.

The total amount of savings in the savings banks was about £85,000, while now it was between £40,000,000 and £50,000,000, in addition to the many millions in other banks and institutions. Not only had New Zealand developed in well-being, but in health. The death rate was much smaller than it was 58 years ago, when there were many deaths by drowning through people having to wade through rivers or cross them on horseback.

In view of what development had been made in the past, we could anticipate the development of the future. New Zealand had developed enormously. We were now living in an age of miracles. Who would have thought that a vessel in distress would have been able to send out calls for help? asked Sir Robert, evidently referring to the case of the Helen B. Sterling. Why should we have any fear for New Zealand when it could so enormously increase its wealth and improve so greatly as it had done in the la.st 58 \ears ?

“DEADLY SIN OF INACTIVITY.” The first requisite in New Zealand to-day in its industrial crisis was hope. “Be full of hope,” said His Honour, “and do not be amazed if at first your hopes are not all realised. New Zealand is going to be ten times better than in the past. Let us keep that ever before us.” (Applause.) Proceeding, Sir Robert said the next thing needed was to remember that' we must work, avoiding the “deadly sin of inactivity.” With hope and activity, what had New Zealand before it? It had advantages that no other part of the world of the same area possessed. Our children —not our children’s children, but our own children —would, he was convinced, see enormous changes for the better. He visualised a day when there would be no smoke in any of the cities of the Dominion, water-power giving them heat and energy. In America, he was told, there would soon not be a single railway using coal. They would all be electrified. In New Zealand we had a greater extent of water power than existed in any similar area. He dwelt upon the advantages of no smoke, pure air, and tin absence of slums. UNDENOMINATIONAL EDUCATION. Another thing needed in the Dominion to-day was service to others, continued Sir Robert. He recommended to them the maxim in an old book : “Let brotherly love continue.” He had always strongly advocated undenominational State education, so that we should not sever our youths into different classes. The schools should he open alike to the children of the rich and the poor, and to those of the different religions. All should be taught together. If they were severed into different classes it was bound to lead to dissension.

We should make allowances for the differences of view in the great problems of life. The latter were many and varied. We had come from different races, or fi’om parts of different races; and the influence of heredity should be considered more than it was. Its importance was recognised in respect to cattle, but our knowledge of heredity had not been applied to the human race at it should have been.

“Be full of hope, be full of energy, be full of ideals,” said Sir Robert in closing, “and have perpetually before you, as a motive, brotherly love. Do what you can to help forward our cities, and make them cities of life, with no disease, no illness, no sin, and no trouble. March forward with hope and see New Zealand a nation beloved in the world.” (Applause.)