DISTRICT NEWS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 296, 11 June 1912, Page 6

DISTRICT NEWS

MANGOREI. (From Our Own Correspondent). Now, in taking note of events, without wishing to be prosy, we may occasionally spare a few moments profitably in reflection. The present reflection takes the form of an interrogation. Is there not growing prominently into our circulation amidst us a tendency to discredit,, and even disparage the almost boundless conveniences, benefits and privileges which the times bestow upon us all! Are we, and our younger manliood particularly, failing in a capacity for appreciation and praise? The half-hearted "owning up" to what, is good and meritorious as expressed by the characteristic "Not so bad," "not half bad," of our younger members is but a negative sort of praise or acknowledgment, but apparently begrudged, and far from generous. It cannot be that prevailing opportunities and conditions of life are wanting in commendableness; the "want" lies pro> bably in the absence amongst us of the capacity to appreciate. There would seem to be a neglected factor somewhere in our system of training. 'So far as our young folks are concerned, don't let us judge harshly. Let us search out the cause of this non-appre-ciative spirit; this almost entire avoidance of sounding healthy notes of praise, the utterance of which ever makes hearts joyous. Liberty and freedom when unappreciated or abused may easily riotously run us into a sta' ■ of ingratitude. •: Here is where self-rest™: r t is all-needful, and here is where "Terntorialism" may be counted upon to have an excellent effect in getting the temperament of early manhood into discipline, and rescuing the character from the invidious allurements of irresponsibility tendered by the professional disclaimers of all that is authoritatively good—the advocates of brutalising malcontentism. Discipline of character nnd temperament seem to be what we Britishers have been of late steadily losing; the quality so j strongly possessed in the past, under i which our Empire was established— I evolved out of "confusion and conflicting elements.

Now, as addressed to the youth of our times, let us compare the exhortations and admonitions of General Baden- : Powell, as a leader of a progressive national movement, with the injunctions ! proffered so thunderously by the selfconstituted and swaggering leaders of the spurious socialist school—the breeders and fosterers of ingratitude and discontent; the men who use their liberty I and freedom to teach treason and rei volt, on arguments based brutally upon possessing and controlling a species of I "horse-power" numerical animal preponderance of power. One leader gives out the gospel of '"self-help" under the practice of a self-reliance and self-eontrol that shall duly regard and respect others' i rights of privacy and property; the other leader propounds li self-help" by means of self-indulgence and a gluttonous absorption of others' rights. One leader is a promoter of estimable character and ini dividuality; the other would demolish both. One leader is a builder,"by industriousness, of nationality, patriotism, and Empire; the other would be a sweater and parasite upon what is so built. One favors the exercise of strenuous effort, and the justly conserving of what is duly accomplished thereby; the other discourages and represses exertion or emulation, and suggests pillage and brigandage upon others' conserves. Shall we not. prefer the lead that teaches selfdenial and even some measure of selfsacrifice (which is ever the measure of true sincerity) for our boys to follow? With these "leads" contrasted side by side, should wc hesitate to choose? And it is here that we can find the redeeming and abiding stimulant for strengthening the character of our embryo Britishers; and by insistently applying such, do much to restore a sensibility and capacity for appreciation of the advantages and opportunities with ■which life now so abounds for our youths. Here we have the active antidote to the specious pernicious doses so liberally prepared and administered by comfortable and profit-making agitators.