The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 6. 1919. INDUSTRY, THE WORLD'S SAVIOUR.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3355, 6 December 1919, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 6. 1919. INDUSTRY, THE WORLD'S SAVIOUR.

J With which is iceorpOTatec l i "The Taihape Post and Waimarino ' News.'*' 5

While it is being iterated and reiterated that the world is entering upon a new era. it is surely of the utmost importance that civilised peoples should concern themselves about whether they will havo a better condition of things in the future than obtained, in the past. In connection with this thought it is regrettable that many more of the leaders of men do not give greater attention to what is to be than to what has been. If Chatauqua has" done nothing else we, in Tiaihapc, might consider worth while, it "has, through one of its lecturers, Mr M. C. Eced, given ample food for thought about the desirability of "the present age giving more cogent attention in moulding the era. we are said to -be entering upon, so as to render its ideals less visionary, less chimerical than those ! of the age we are surrendering to Father Time. Although Mr , Reed's address in the Chautauqua tent last night may not have impressed all alike with the sumptuousness of its vital essence, there was not a man or woman present who will not retain much of the spirit, of what was said, and subconsciousness will surrender what it has treasured in deliberations having la ; similar character, though it may be years hence. We mention this aspect because some people are inclined to think they have merely enjoyed lan > intellectual treat, and that because they do not remember the actual words no lesson has been learned. '"She ! Value of a Vision" wag in no Way tinctured, with anything visionary; it fairly established the contention that all real progT&ss resulted, from the practice of a cultivated power to peer into the future, land a determination to labour persistently to attain all the good discovered there. It was unmistakably disclosed that man is changing as he passes on from period to period; that much of the 'art for which the past must e ver remain famous is dying out of new generations; the poets, the painters, sculptors, we have them not. The world, then, is entering upon a new e .ra without those intellectual passions that the men of the past seemed to be obsessed with. We iare inclined to the idea that men are born geniuses instead of getting down upon the stern fact that all progress in the development of genius, and in every other quality or possession worth having, is the result of nothing more than persistence in effort to attiain; in other words—hard work. Mr Reed gav,» us one more striking reminder that.it! is not one particular nation that needs to look into the future, he sees ' ther c is a wonderful unanimity in the characteristics fcfnd (thoughts of Jtho ages, as the national life in various countries develops. It is not one people alone that is poetless and without genius of art, the whole world's populatlon has forsaken very nea,rly all '

', that contribute to true human ideals and happiness, for the pursuit of commercialism; given themselves up to selfishness and grcca, t» a lust 6or powei- to dominate over their follows. We look into the future, and what do we discover? Largely the development to a fatal extreme of what inhuman passions are now displaying; ■the ultimate of a commercialism that would make the masses its victims. Mr ■Reed made us s ee thatlin age, an era, iis what its greatest men are; he carried his audience back to the past merely for the purpose oS illustration, but every thougbtTul listener must have been -struck with, the 'fateful dearth of men to-day such as the pasr was rich -with. Leaving what Mr Heed said, but following the teachings respecting "'The Value of a Vision" we see .huge shadows looming up in the future. Greatest men of to-day catch glimpses of th e valleys as stray rays of light pass over them. Groat men and great ages are rarely simultaneous, th c men rather precede the age. Judging the future by thc men who precede it. 'what will the future be.? What do we mean by a new age, a new era, a new cycle, and what is the very nature of the man the world look s upon as great to-day? The new era results from the exercise of those passions with which those great men who precede it and shape it, are consumed. Then we may forecast the future of New Zealand by a scrutiny of its 'great men to-day. The outlook is truly appalling; where 'are our great men? 'We see little to admire, and absolutely nothing to venerate. History has recorded those great events which have 'expanded the soul of nations and made some days of the world's life like years, and some like ages; it is the record of th e influence of nvan cm the world, and the world on man; the march rather than the progress of ideas. Great men to-day are making great and unprecedented fortunes, others are making mechanical and 'scientific inventions; progress of for tuno'-mafcing and invention on one scale to balance social and industrial retrogression and rupture on the other. The gi;eat men of the present to-day foreshadow the industrial unrest, social disorder and the prospective revolution of to morrow, just as surely as the culture of Prussian militarism foreshadowed Amageddon, the distressing aftermath of which the world is still experiencing. The danger-fraught commercialism the world is in the throes of has invested our fim e in a cold, chill robing,' rendered us unpoct"icial, destroyed sentimental devotion. The trend of scientific invention is rather intensifying the work of commercialism than otherwise. The masse s are shouting for democracy, but while they ar e using the term as a mere shibboleth, trusts, combines, syndicates, and other profiteering gangs are welding the chains of slavery mor e tightly laiound them. Let have nc false hopes for industrial and social peace while such influences are at work. Occasional outbursts of revolutionary sentiment in this Dominion should be sufficient to warn us that commercialism has .reached the limit-of endurance. At Christchurch the other night Mr Massey encountered an experience which should be profitably applied. It was th e first outburst of resentment from the masses against the cold, cruel, heartless process of commercialism; against the commercialist doctrine that it is the right of every human being to prey upon his fellows, even to their death. The world is no more safe in the power of commercialism than it would be tin that class of extremist who so ludicrously urge that all should be rich and none should work. The history of the ' growth and development of the AngloSaxon rac e is the history of democracy to the present moment; is the curse of commercialism., the lust for power, and the p'assion for voluptuousness now rampant to be allowed to stay the progress of democracy; to stem the making of noble character and the shaping of a beautiful literature? We have to thank Chautauqua and Mr M. C. Eecd for so forcefully reminding us that the democracy of a nafion depends upon its industry, for the struggle of labour with nature in every ago has led to conquest and nobility., and 'he future of the world, and democracy are as dependent upon indusTry to-day as ever the past was. There is no royal road to the attainment of human ideals, the only approach i? by the various avenues opened up by industry.