ENTHUSIASM

Wairarapa Times-Age, 7 December 1938, Page 10

ENTHUSIASM

ADDRESS BY MRS CATHERINE STEWART. “NEW ERA ENTERED UPON.” “Some of us who have fought for years in a movement and who have realised how terribly slow progress can be, are naturally inclined to get a little tired of it all,” said Mrs Cather-

ine Stewart, M.P., of Wellington, who addressed a meeting in Masterton yesterday afternoon convened by the Ladies’ Auxiliary of the Labour Party, over which Mrs J. Robertson (president of the auxiliary) presided. “We begin to Wonder,” she said, “if it is worthwhile striving to attain some jdeal. We become disgruntled and our raith in human nature, if not exactly destroyed, is considerably weakened. In short, we have lost faith in the essential goodness of things, or in other words, we have lost our enthusiasm. We speak glibly of the enthusiasm of youth as though it were some phase of growth which we all must go through but which it is better to grow out of. This is a pity, for enthusiasm, like character, should increase with age. It should be cultivated and encouraged as a gift, like singing or painting or some other form of art, for enthusiasm is an art in the highest sense and while some people are born with a greater abundance of it than others, like all art it can be acquired. Youth, with its abundance of faith, is ever-ready to attempt the new and untried. Failure does not worry youth overmuch and it rebounds more quickly from the blows of fate and responds to that inward urge which beckons to us all, if we would but heed, to attempt some other way. Of course, the practical in us keeps saying that ripe experience should be our guide, that nave oeen through the mill and therefore know all the answers. We are sure that all methods which bear the stamp of new-

ness are doomed to failure. This is amply borne out in many of the organisations to which we may belong. “We smile at the attempt of new members to rush at things in their endeavour to bring about a much-needed reform urgently,” said Mrs Stewart. “Oh! yes, we can afford to smile for did not we chase rainbows too, in our younger days? But have not we forgotten one important factor? Every worthwhile cause, every worthwhile invention, started off with little if any practical attributes; each was merely a dream, a dream of a better life and a better method. And, anyway, if in many cases dreaming or chasing rainbows results in no worthwhile achievement, it at least has this to be said in its favour, it keeps the mind too much occupied to spend time in fault-fmding and distructive criticism. Human nature is fundamentally conservative, it dislikes change. Remember, if it be true that human nature as a whole is conservative it is the units who are the rebels or dreamers who have leavened the whole. What can’t be done today may be possible tomorrow and achievement takes almost a later • earthquake to jolt some people out of their self-complacency. I think, instead of schools attempting to teach self-confi-dence, it might be a good plan if they encouraged the inferiority complex, so that we would be more tolerant and adaptable to new ideas. Ladies cultivate your enthusiasm. This country of ours has entered into a new era and you all know that the transition period of any change is not always an easy path and difficulties have often to be overcome. We are emerging from a capitalistic system, which has fulfilled its purpose and all thinking people realise that the mass of the people do not all travel at the same pace.” Mrs Stewart proceeded to refer to some political issues and to give a few incidents connected with her life since she was elected a member of Parliament.