“BACK TO THE CAVES”

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 405, 13 July 1928, Page 12

“BACK TO THE CAVES”

FEARS FOR SOCIETY IDEALS OF EDUCATION “Development of the airplane with poison gas and bombs will destroy society, if the ethical sense of responsibility and duty of nations i-s not laid down." Professor W. F. Osborne, representing the Canadian Council of Education, urged Auckland to-day to send a delegation to the Vancouver Conference in 1929 to discuss “education and citizenship.” On the motion of Sir George Fowlds, seconded by the Mayor, Mr. G. Baildon, a representative audience formed itself into a committee to consider ways of sending a delegation from Auckland. The professor suggested that five delegates should be sent from the city. Outlining the scheme, he said that Canadian authorities, for eight or ten years, had concerned themselves with the question of massing the attention of the nation at large behind the schools, first to promote the actual efficiency and then to found the ideals of character and citizenship. MOULDING NATIONS History showed that the whole intellectual development of a nation might be turned in certain directions by intentional effort. In the 17th century, France had been so moulded that it “swamped every field of intellectual and artistic effort” and held the political primacy of Europe. The Frenchman of to-day showed the mental characteristics which had been decided on. Leaders in Germany for 30 or 40 years had decided that world control was to be desired and the people had been trained with that object. “The lines may be laid down on which the nation is to go,” he said. “We are nominally Christian: do wa desire to make our civilisation Christian? We should weave the general principles into the web and warp of the people.” The ideal of the schools should not be merely to turn out people capable of making a certain amount of money, but upstanding men and women, who would be a credit to the country. “Let us raise our-eyes from the little domain in front of us,” he urged, “and hear the divine note of urgency of great ideals. “If the qualities of competent citizenship are sufficiently high, then all material problems will be solved. The school is the factory where is developed the destiny of the country.” The leading of the mind of youth toward international peace and world brotherhood, he said, would prevent the world from dragging itself, through destructive weapons* back to the caves. LOCAL SUPPORT Sir George Fowlds expressed ciation of the address, and said that, in the interests of the Empire and the peace of the world, the ideals should ■ be striven for. Auckland should send a delegation. The main difficult seemed to be that of finance. The IVlayor said that, although he could not commit the City Council to an expenditure, he was sure that body would take an interest in the scheme. Archbishop Averill thanked the speaker, saying that he agreed heartily with all that had been said. He hoped other missioners of the type of the professor would come here. Mr. H. T. Merritt, president of the Chamber of Commerce, who was in the chair, was appointed the convenor of tho committee. The chamber and the Rotary Club arranged the address.