IS THE WORLD GROWING BETTER?

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXI, Issue 6201, 23 February 1904, Page 2

IS THE WORLD GROWING BETTER?

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—l had intended to have ended the controversy on this subject, so far a3 1 am personally" concerned with the letter you were good enough to publish tor me on Friday. But I must say a word or two in reply to " Bertie Crayon's " latest epistle, the good taste of which, in its rofereiices to myself, is certainly open to question. It is not my fault if " Bertie Crayon fails to discriminate between facts and opinions. And if he choose 3to deny or to seb aside the obviously truthful, beoause omoial statistics, quoted by myself from the latest year book, in proof of the statement that " pauperism, crime, and intemperance are all diminishing quantities in England and Wales," 1 oannot help it. I must, however, point out that it is no argument against an improved state of things, to say that, because crime, insanity, poverty, and intemperance still abound, that therefore the world is not getting better. I daresay that my reading has been nearly, if not quite, as extensive as that of your correspondent, and, I repeat, my reading of history, and of contemporary events, leads me to the conclusion that the world to-day i 3 "infinitely better" than it was a hundred years ago. I am sorry " Bertie Crayon" fails to see things in the same light; I am sorry too that his pessimistic views should have induced him to connect the increasing number of suicides in the world with the Sunday schools. That was the only " argument "he used, as far as I could see, "in regard to the Sunday schools and the effects of scientific research upon the world," and it struck me as being so remarkably silly as to be unwerthy of notice. I am sorry again that" Bertie Crayon "is so wedded to the opinion that the world is going from bad to worse. May I venture to suggest, in conclusion, (as this is my last word on the subject) that it is about time he and others like him set to work to improve matters. To be continually occupied in bewailing the degeneiacy of the world and the iniquity of one's fellows is a poor occupation at the best.—• I am, etc., Marcus Clear.