TOO EASY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 296, 14 December 1936, Page 5

TOO EASY.

LIFE'S TENDENCY. VIRTUES OF HARD WORK. M.P. ON CHANGING VALUES. The tendency for life to become too comfortable and easy was deplored by Mr. T. D. Burnett, M.P. for Temtika, in an address at the annual prizegiving ceremony at St. Andrew's College (states the "Star-Sun"). The subject of Mr. Burnett's talk was "Unto the Third and Fourth Generations," and he traced the changes that had taken place in the lives of the people since the colonisation of New Zealand, comparing the ease of living to-day with the struggles of pioneers, and particularly with the hardships endured by the men and women who had made Scotland the great country that it had become. Mr. Burnett said that though he was New Zealand-born, he was passionately attached to the old traditions of Scot- . land. He was not so egotistical as to say that if it were not for the Scottish ; people there would be no British Empire, but he would go pretty close to it. (Laughter.) All the world over, he said, the Scottisli nation had had a profound effect i upon thought and progress. The Presbyterian religion was characteristic of < the Scot —it was so democratic and rugged and stubborn, and reflected the environment and tradition of the country that made it. "I'm very much afraid that with the softening of our lives something may go wrong," he added. The danger was that with conditions so much easier and < political objectives making for comfort i and ease, the ever-softening tendency ! would destroy the spirit of independence 1 and the desire to energise our lives. The ; result would be that, owing to the - increasing number of State wards and ] State dependents, the tree of State would ; have its life crushed out. If the objec- 1 tive of the rising generation did not set < above that life of ease, the nation would < come to cliaos. i

Mr. Burnett said he felt like taking St. Andrew's College, with its beautiful surroundings and fine approach, away into the country at an altitude of 1800 feet to 2000 feet. Then what a gallant band they would all be! The two great moving forces were love and fear, and the greatest God gift of all was good, honest work, and coming home tired at night. If they did not exert themselves, but all took it easy, they were neglecting that gift, and they would become a poor, spineless people. "There is a great future for New Zealand if we keep in the foreground these two ideals of work and faith," he declared.