THE GOVERNOR ON THRIFT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 27, 26 July 1911, Page 7

THE GOVERNOR ON THRIFT.

PRAISE FOR NEW ZEALAND WORKERS. Auckland, July '23. His Excellency the Governor had some interesting remarks to make on thrift at the opening of the new premises of ihe Auckland Savings Bank on Saturday. "On all occasions like this the great virtue of thrift must necessarily become the dominant theme of every sO'Hker," said his Excellency: "it is not a very easy subject to speak upon, or to say at any rate anything original about hecause I suppose it is a subject that has been more spoken about than any other. This at least may be said about it with truth, that it is far easier to preach the virtue of thrift than it is to praotiwe that virtue. (Laughter and applause). To practise it successfully requires calling to your aid many important human qualities. It requires good management and careful foresight. It requires, also, especially to those in the industrial profession and dependent on wages and salaries, self-denial and self-sacrifice in varying degrees, and the exercise of this last quality in the. attainment of thrift becomes more essential with the growing advance of modern civilisation. The opportunities for amusement and recreation continue to increase, and with the opportunity comes naturally the growth of inclination. The opportunities—l may say the temptations—to spend are so numerous, frequent and attractive that an unchecked indulgence in them, if only for a short space of time, would effectually extinguish the margin of income from which the Savings Bank deposits can alone be drawn. The number and variety of depositors indicate beyond doubt that such selfdenial, such limitation of indulgence has been effectually exercised here, and it is all the more to the credit of the industrial classes that it has been so. (Applause). The very nature of their, work, laborious in some cases, monotonous in others, would lend itself to seizing those contrasts of pleasure and pastime which, if over-indulged, would have diverted the Savings Bank deposits fr«m their proper destination."