Winning Essay On Private Enterprise

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29388, 15 December 1960, Page 12

Winning Essay On Private Enterprise

How private enterprise could help a young person’s ambitions was the question posed by the Associated Chambers of Commerce of New Zealand in a Dom-inion-wide essay competition. The first prize of £3OO was presented to Mr P. J. Stewart, of Dunedin, at a ceremony in . Dunedin this week by the plesident of -Associated Chambers (Mr ' J. Roy Smith, of Christchurch). , Mr Stewart’s essay was: “A man’s ambition is a very ■ personal thing. It is nursed , quietly, is seldom shared. It depends as much on his character, his ideals, his talents, his , vocation and his background. So does it vary from man to man, 1 as do the chances of success in achieving the hopes and dreams ’ that go with ambition. Whether . or not the individual does succeed, depends in the. first instance on himself and on his own . determination. If he has the ability and the tenacity to press ' forward to his goal, then he , should triumph. But there are other factors that can assist or ' hinder—health, friends, the faith , of a loved one or, of considerable importance in this complex age, the system of enterprise in which the individual takes part. “My ambition is not an extraordinary one. To reach the top of my profession, to build for myself a. certain amount of security and to have independence, these are the basic components that together make up my ambition. Little enough, ordinary enough, yet of vital importance to me if I am to feel that I have lived my life in its fullness.

“The hope that I shall reach the top of my profession is a natural one. In almost every man,, whether ht admits it or not, whether he is aware of it or not, there is the desire to achieve distinction and to be respected by his fellow men. This applies no matter what trade or profession. In some cases this desire is stronger than in others, and as .well as being a part of his ambition, it can became too a driving force, spurring a man on and helping him achieve his total ambition. Security “Nor is my wish to have a certain amount of security at all unusual. Yet what type of security is meant? Security can mean many things. For me, it means that I know I shall always be able to provide for tny family and myself because I have the opportunity to work in a vocation for which I am suited and which will reward honest toil. In other words, I believe that security can always be found in a society which gives credit for hard work and a performance well done.

“Third, no matter what else, independence is essential. I would be well content to be ‘little in little things’ providing I retained my independence to plan as I wish, to choose as I wish and to be satisfied in the knowledge that I am responsible for my life and for the success or failure of it and my career. “That then, is my ambition. It is necessary here to pause arid to note two facts of importance. In the first place, at this present stage of our development, all men are given the chance to commence their life on equal terms with their fellow men. There is neither extreme poverty nor excessive wealth and other ‘levellers,’ such as education, are available to everyone. And second, today it is accepted that Government and economic policies on the one hand and the welfare of the individual on the other are to a certain extent inter-related and indeed dependent. But there is no need that this close relationship be allembracing—far from it. “Remembering these two facts, therefore, I claim that the achievement of my ambition will be made more easily when the individual is encouraged in a system of economic and commercial life such as private enterprise. In this, where individual effort and initiative are propagated, every person has an opportunity to succeed if he wishes, and the welfare of the individual is considered. Freedom

“But more than this: primarily, private enterprise assumes freedom from restrictions and therefore offers the individual an opportunity to choose. In so doing, it promotes perception, judgment and initiative. Further, it rewards hard work. A person who is prepared to exert himself is recompensed accordingly. Hence, immediately two of the three factors making up my ambition are

realised. I have independence, to plan as I wish, to choose, to develop my individuality and to interpret experience in my own way and to apply it to my own circumstances and character. "Second, I have security. 1 have the opportunity to work and initiative and progressive thought will be rewarded. In other words, I am depending upon myself. "Finally, ip private enterprise I shall eventually prove to myself whether or not I can reach the third component part of my ambition—the desire'to reach the top of my profession. If I am worthy of' that position, if I have the ability to get there, then private enterprise will allow me the opportunity, for it rewards ability. “Thus the system of private enterprise in which I am taking part is assisting me to achieve my ambition. Any other system assumes some control, and where this occurs individuality is stifled and in its place appear idleness, pessimism and stagnation. This must not happen if one is to succeed. To achieve his ambition, the individual must be always striving, ever optimistic and progressive. To these attributes that private enterprise does encourage, can be added humility and respect and sympathy for one’s fellow men. Personal “Finally, I noted at the outset that a man’s ambition was a very personal thing. In his ambition perhaps the individual character of any individual is shown most clearly. Ambition is a man’s hopes and dreams, his aspirations and longings. Well over 150*years ago John Stuart Mill in his famous work on liberty wrote: ‘lt is desirable that in things which do not primarily concern others, individuality should assert itself.’ Of all things, surely a man’s ambition basically concerns himself. And if individuality is to assert itself, nowhere does it receive such encouragement as in private enterprise. “The attainment of my ambition, therefore, depends in the first instance on myself and in the system of private enterprise I am given the opportunity to prove my worth land to achieve my ambition. Here I make my own opportunities and take them when they come. Here I can achieve distinction, if I desire it, security, if I am prepared to work hard, and, most important of all, independence.”