MACAULAY QUOTED

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 272, 16 November 1935, Page 14

MACAULAY QUOTED

ON NATIONAL CRISIS. "HISTORY WILL BE REPEATED" MB. HARRIS CITES PASSAGE. At the invitation of the executive of the Takapuna Grammar School ExPupils' Association, Mr. Alex. Harris, Independent National Government candidate for Waitemata, addressed a meeting, arranged primarily by the association, in St. Michael's Hall, Belmont, last night. Similar invitations have been issued by the association to the other three candidates to address former pupils of the school who will be Voting for the first time at this election. Last night's meeting was presided over by Mr. A. W. Short. The majority of the 50 people present were of an older generation.

Mr. Harris said- he had received in his mail the day before, from a friend, an extract from the "Edinburgh Review" of January, 1830, of a short article contributed by Macaulay. "What Macaulay said then is particularly applicable today," said Mr. Harris. "This is. what he wrote:

" 'The present moment is one of great distress. But how small will that distress appear when. we think over the history of the last 40 years; a war, compared with which all other wars sink into insignificance; taxation such as the most heavily taxed people, of former times could not have ebneeived; a debt larger than all public debts that ever existed in the world added together; the food of the people studiously rendered dear; the currency imprudently debased and improvidently restored. Yet, is the country poorer than it was 40 years ago 1 We fully believe that, in spite of all the misgovernment of' her rulers, she has been almost constantly becoming richer and richer. Now and then there has been a short stoppage—now and then a short retrogression, but as to the general contingency there can be no doubt. A single breaker may recede, but the tide is evidently coming in.' f "That," added Mr. Harris, "is the most wonderful thing I have read for many years. It could, srith true significance, have been written to-day. History will repeat itself in this national crisis." A man, who had been active at question time, moved a hearty vote of thanks to Mr. Harris for the "able manner in which he defended the Government/' He added, "And may the best man win at the election." "You might as well include my name in that resolution, then/' said Mr. Harris. (Laughter.) An amendment, that Mr. Harris 'be accorded a vote of thanks and confidence, was carried unanimously.