Do We Live Longer In These Days of Hustle?

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 370, 2 June 1928, Page 26

Do We Live Longer In These Days of Hustle?

O we live longer than we , _*■ -//IS- ) did in the days when 1 was *- ar more placid, I Mrkt-i MI more leisurely-? Has MyygJXjyi the hurried pace, have i B*-. A-nfcv the vastly increased number ot our interests and the greater demands made on body and mind alike, had the effect of lengthening instead of reducing the allotted span? It looks very much like it.

The Archbishop of Canterbury recently celebrated his SOth birthday, and the 'Daily- Chronicle’’ took the opportunity to glance at some of England's most notable old men who are still active. Not all of them active in rheir professions, for most of these, unlike the Church, have age-limits, lut all of them vigorous in intellect

: and physically energetic, all of them i contributing something to the com- , mon stock of ideas, i In pubic life there are two politic- ; ians close on SO who are full of zest, I still taking a prominent part in the ■ proceedings of Parliament. Earl BalI four will be SO in July; Mr. T. P. - O'Connor will be SO in October. I The former plays lawn tennis, takes journeys to the South of France, goes to concerts, reads the new books and talks of them with undiminished critical acumen. Mr. O’Connor thinks nothing of a trip across the Atlantic. He edits a weekly paper, he sits in judgment on photo-plays as a film censor, he contributes to many periodicals, in addition to discharging his duties as Father of the House of Commons. Of the medical profession Sir James Crichton-Browne is the oldest member prominent in the public eye. He is 88, and he maintains that all average, normal, healthy people should live to a hundred. Business men do not, as a rule, survive very long their retirement. An « exception to that rule is Sir Hugh Bell, who is 84 and who has never ; retired. He returned recently from a trip to Egypt, partly business, partly , pleasure, every minute of which, he '! declares, he thoroughly enjoyed. The literary life is clearly one which tends toward health and length of | days, so long as it does not drive men to alcohol as a w-hip to flagging irtven- , tion or a sedative to jangled nerves. The Poet Laureate is hale and htiarty at 83. Mr. George Moore is youthful at 76, and Mr. Havelock Ellis a mere (Continued on Page 27)