The Daily News. FRIDAY, JANUARY 3, 1913. NATIONAL LIFE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 192, 3 January 1913, Page 4

The Daily News. FRIDAY, JANUARY 3, 1913. NATIONAL LIFE.

In tin! course of an address at the "breaking-up" oi' the Wanganni Collegiate .School, the liinliop of Waiapu said that there was something even better than defending the Empire, and tlntl was making it worth defending. Every boy should, he .-slid, ask ■ himself, " What has New Zealand and

Wanganui College done for me?" and then think what he has or is giving in return, and wliut results are there from tlu: lessons be has learned. A question everyone had to answer was. "Does the country exist for nie or do i pxist for the country V" That, concluded the Bishop, had been argued out by the Ureeks, and their judgment that a man existed for the good of the State still held good. In these days, when everv department of life seems to be infected with the high-pressnre erasje. few. if any. pau.-e on the brink of life's whirling vortex to give thought to the complex forces and principles which go to make up what we know as national life. The sociologist makes it, his business to investigate the laws of those forces which regulate human society in all its grades, the laws of its development. and the progress of resultant civilisation. It is a fascinating silwlv for those who delight in ethics and 1

philosophic exercises. Unfortunately, the outcome of this form of intellectuality is of little benefit to the masses. The reason is not far to seek. Most of us accept our environment—humanity, morals, customs, laws and everything else —as a matter of course. We do not care about the future, nor remember that our national life is of necessity but a reflex of the moral and social life of oursdves. But there is a dominant sentiment amongst us, as there has been, throughout the ages and aimongst all nations, savage and civilised alike, and- that is' ambition. It appears in diverse phases, and is not infrequently cloaked in a disguise hard to penetrate. But there it is. To its influence is traceable most of the upheavals that have settled the fate of nations. May we not reasonably assume that the spirit of restlessness, which is such a marked feature of the present day. is one of the results <jf this ruling sentiment? It is seen in individual life, in the family circle, and in the larger sphere of national life. One frequently hears the lament that we have fallen on an. age in the world when life is specially difficult and anxious, and the struggle for existence harder than ever. At the same time, no one can fail to observe that not only is there ample leisure for recreation hut, what is of far greater import, there are ever-increasing symptoms of that craving for excitement and self-indul-gence which may in time prove detrimental to the well-being of this young nation. We cannot get away from the fact that the State is merely an aggregate of individuals, and that the chief duty of the unit is not to promote selfishness, but rather to be useful to the community according to his ability and circumstances. As the Bishop said at. the Wanganui College, a man exists for the good of the State'; not that the State exists for the good of the

AX IMPORTAXT FACTOR. An important factor towards ensuring a successful life is the preservation of 'human interest and human sympathy. Devoid of this 1 it loses spiritual contact with the masses, undermines mutual confidence, and leaves an opening for evil influences, which, unfortunately, are always found ready to take advantage of every opportunity that presents itself. Therefore the fostering of this spirit of human interest must primarily he the care of the citizens as units', and be part of tihe home life of the nations. Tn the home this spirit must be looked for, and its presence or absence will be a sure indication of the stability or weakness of national life. Leaving the region of generalities and applying this test to Xew Zealand, how does the matter present itself? It is somewhat significant that new arrivals from Home (at least those who are of an observant nature) are quick to notice the difference that exists between the home life in the old and, the new country, the comparison being by no means favorable to us. According to these observers, there is little, if any, real social life in the family circle. If the question i» viewed from the standpoint of those whose experience is entirely colonial, one of the chief points to impress itself on> the observer is the existence of manifest nomadic tendencies on the part of the people. In Taranaki, this tendency has been developed in a remarkable degree. There has 'been for the last ten years a craze for " chopping and changing" homes in much the same, way- as owners would dispose oE horses and cattle, with the important exception that mostly there is little money passing. The effect of this migratory habit is Seen in the increasing disregard of tihe many benefits derived from 1 home life. TTome becomes merely a temporary shelter, and those who are the victims of these constant changes: become imbued with a spirit of restlessness which may gradually eliminate the best characteristics of citizenship. Tf the future of the nation is to be worthy of the people, then it is they themselves who. must make it so. "As impulsive as a Celt and >as canny as a Scotchman," is the Rev. J. W. Burton's description of the, Xew Zealander. It is, in our view, a wrong one. The Celt has a love for home that we could wish the Xew Zealamder possessed. As for "canniness," it is a virtue that he sadly lacks. He is, on the contrary, one of the most improvident of men, who lives more for the present than for the future. It is a ease of "easy come, easy go." Were he like the Scotchman, we would have no need to borrow from outside all the millions we require for the development of the country's, resources. For then we woukl have millions available, for investment in such work. At present a big proportion of the earnings go into channels neither profitable nor necessary. But that is another story. Education can do a lot in preparing our children for life's battles, and instilling in their minds the true functions and ideals of individual and national life. It is the duty of parents to see that the home life shall act as a co-operator in the good work, and not as a means for fostering the love of excitement and shams. The need of the age is human sympathy and interest, and a more real comprehension of the duties of individuals t,o one another and to the State. It was the philosopher Socrates who said he would rather have a good friend than horses, dogs, money, or honor. True as> we all know this sentiment to .be. it is yet more honored with neglect than with favor. A good parent makes a good friend, a good friend is a reliable citizen, and happy is the country where friendship stamps out selfishness and home life fits the rising generations to adorn the highest offices of State.