Te Aroha AND Ohinemuri News. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 1909. BRAVO! DR. FINDLAY.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVII, Issue 4461, 11 September 1909, Page 2

Te Aroha AND Ohinemuri News.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 1909. BRAVO! DR. FINDLAY.

This above all—to thine own self be true, And it must follow as the night the day Thou const not then be false to any man Shakespeare.

Dr. Findlay has for some time attracted attention as an author, a platform speaker, and one of the most able members of the Cabinet of New Zealand. He is a man of education, force of character, wide experience of the world, and a good knowledge of human nature in its various moods and phases- He also knows how to express himself by tongue and pen, and he carries his readers and hearers with him as one who means what he says. Some persons talk as if they had plums in their mouth and write as if they were not quite clear what they really believe, but Dr. Findlay is clear, concise, convincing and in* structive.

Of the many sensible things, DrFindlay has said, he never spoke words more true and necessary to be spoken with no uncertain sound than what he said at Wellington last Friday. He was giving an address at the Town Hall on “ Casual Labour, its Waste and Remedy." It was given to the Waterside Workers’ Federation, and he explained that he spoke then as a citissen, not as a member of the Government and in its name. Such being the case we see Dr. Findlay as a man and not as a politician. That is good. We like to see into a man’s heart and mind undisguised up4isftgqre4 by party, belies mt theories. Henpp ftr. Fpdjay-s words art doubly vslwe m this instance.

What did Dr. Findlay say ? Let everyone of our readers, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest what he said :

“ Modern social progress depends upon two factors—upon iutellig?nt State action and upon genuine individual effort, State or collective action can do much more than it b$S yet done in New Zealand to uplift the level of social life and bring to each willing naan and woman a better opportunity of improvement in its ethical and material aspects, but in that growing partnership (even in the ideal democracy) between tne individual and the State, the State must ever ba pfro junior partner. If the State does mojre fpp tb,e maintenance of its ablebodied citiueus than it asks them to do for themselves, it will inevitably breed a race of social parasites- Tlje animal kingdom (including man) everywhere shows that a parasitic generation soon follows the removal of the need of real exertion. A genuine spirit of self "help must meet State help more than halfway if we are to perserve a strenuous and improving type of manhood. But granted this genuine and intelligent cooperation of the two agencies of progress —State help upd self-help—what can hinder this country from bP c PWf n f? —nofc the richest; that should nof bp our cardinal aim—but the land where want and squalor, intemperance and wasteful extravagance are unknown, and where the civilisation of our nation reaches its highest level in the widespread comfort, humanity* mi enlightenment of its people/’

Let parents read that to their children. Let young men burn the words into their minds and engrave them on their hearts. Let husbands discuss them with their wives, and let politicians generally ponder over them. We can think of nothing so immediately instructive and suitable for our public school children as the teaching reading and expounding to them the mhly a nd truthful words of Dr. Findlay, f hej teach doctrines sadly neglected, ignored and abused in these present days. A nation’s strength is character,.not riches.

Look at them Jo real progress, which is something wore than mere money-making, the individual must do more than the State and the latter must be the junior partnerOf course it must. We have always said so, but in these days erf spoon feeding by the State, it is not accept able teaching. Bottle-fed babies are not the most robust; and people who instead of helping themselves look to the State jfojr soup-tickets and spoon feeding are, and ever wjU be, a sickly, namby panpby,

pitiable class. But that is what too many in New Zealand are becoming. Even many who are well off are shunting their parents on to the State for maintenance, and when out of work do not bustle round to get it, but look to the State to find it for them. Shame on them ?

It is thus a race of parasites and hangers-on are bred. Nature destroys the incapable and unfit. The Scriptures too say“ If a man will not work neither shall he eat;j’ but New Zealand is fostering a class of dependents whose sloth, lack of selfreliance and courage render them a burden instead of a help to the State. Look at our struggling small tradespeople and farmers. They work from early morn till dewy eve, and they work not with a Government stroke as if they wanted to go as slow as possible, but :they work with a will, bending all their energies and doing their best to get the work done quickly and well. In many cases they work too hard and suffer for it long ere old age comes on them ; but they want to provide things honest in the sight of all men, and establish their sons and daughters in life. But hangers on and parasites do otherwise. They cringe and crawl and sponge on the State. Dr. Findlay condemns it and we say, Bravo ! Dr. Findlay.