The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28. TOP OF THE LADDER.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 220, 28 December 1910, Page 4

The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28. TOP OF THE LADDER.

A contemporary, hi announcing the fact that two more young New Zealandere have become barristers, is upset at the prospects the future holds for the everincreasing army of lawyers. It wants to know how on earth they are all going' to find work. Yet another contemporary, commenting on the recently published list of admitted trained nurses,." expresses the same solicitude in regard to the "overcrowding of professions." No trade, calling or profession in New Zealand or anywhere else is harmfully overcrowded. A huge proportion of the peo- 1 pie who enter all callings are failures. That is their affair. 'They, should not have entered. It does not matter to an eminent professional if three unskilled men hang up their shingles next door. "By their work shall ye know them," and the man who knows is not "blown out" by the man who doesn't know but wants to. The ancient illustration of the ladder is still good enough. It is the bottom rung that is crowded. If New Zealand produces an overplus of lawyers, the men who wear "silk don't bother. Kubelik doesn't worry abomt the increase of street musicians,- Rutherford is not panic-stricken because Rhodes scholars are being loosed on the world; Asquith isn't troubling because most modem countries which have not hitherto indulged in Parliaments are getting in a supply of Politicians; and Frenoh does not tremble ior his income because some ciitzen officers have reccently been drafted into the Army of Empire. In the matter "the professions," it is possible to take an average boy or girl and to pass him or her through the necessary portals. The world is not concerned with this phase at all. It is concerned with the capability of the recruit when he is left lone-handed to fight the battle of life and to climb that ladder. The increase" of lawyers, "hereinbefore referred to," is not a menace to established lawyers, [unless the newly-joined ones are the kind that will tread down every opposition ! and climb, over the wings of the next best. People are attracted to a professional by the emoluments of its finest exponents. The finest exponents of any speicalty are usually less Jregardful of the emoluments, than the stragglers in [the rank arid file. The "men at the | top"—it does not matter whether they j are manually or mentally skilful—need no protective associations, no unionism. Protective associations are generally the outcome of demands,made by the least competent. It is necessary to protect the least competent, but no kind of protection can increase competency. Qrganisatio and protection may lead to the "overcrowding" of specific occupations, but the best organisation merely gives the least competent a chance to earn a living without adding competence. Most modem protective legislation, and what may be called the "legislation" of nonpolitical organisations, is by way- of insisting on the death of individuality. The "humanist" is frequently anti-natu,; ral. He does not concern himself with the sucftesses, but the failures. "Equality of.opportunity" given to a bunch of persons in any one calling does not produce the same resutl in each unit of the group, and, curiously enough, those whose opportunities are handicapped at every turn will > "win out," supposing always that nature has .supplied the. necessary ability. If it were possible to attain the same standard of brain power or muscle power or manual power*in each subject of a group, ambition to get off the lower rung would die. But under competitive conditions the person on ■ that 'bottom rung, even though he has the best of all opportunities and protection, may never get' a rung higher. Any person who grumbles that his profession.' is overcrowded, or that it is wrong to teach boys his trade because, his particular market is added to, doubts his .own competency . It is natural that the majority should remain on the lower rungs, but as society ,is influenced by the section that makes the most noise and the greatest complaints, most modern "humanist" methods are by way of showing that it is very cruel for anyone to climb to the top of the ladder. Apart from all collective and unified methods of pushing ev yreobdyisqscleebcien'twqp.ASq hshtie everybody to the top of the ladder or in keeping everybody at one dead level of mediocrity, the instinct of human beings is to depend upon their own wit, their own initiative, enterprise and skill. Any means that are taken to kill the spirit of emulation in individuals are retrogressive. A nation of leaners is a spineless, inept nation, gathered round the foot of the ladder crying on someone else; to push them to the top. Oftentimes "'overcrowding" is not due to those who enter trades or professions, but to the unthinking pride of those who push from behind. It is much better to be a good blacksmith than a poor engineer, a clever carpenter, than an incompetent architect, a competent 'lineman" than a bungling surveyor. If it were possible to determine the special qualifications ' of each individual and to fit him into the' niche nature intended him to occupy, the world's work would proceed with less noise and friction. If personal vanity and jealousy are substitutes for efficiency, the lower nings will break under the pressure.