The Dominion. THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 1912. THE SPIRIT OF SERVICE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1400, 28 March 1912, Page 4

The Dominion. THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 1912. THE SPIRIT OF SERVICE.

o One of the best features of English life is the amount of voluntary and unpaid effort and the number of societies engaged in philanthropic work. The need for such work in England is great indeed. It is evidenced daily in the streets and public places, so that nobody can be totally unaware of it, and facts are frequently brought to light showing that many thousands of tho people are living on the verge of starvation, that many others are badly housed and fed, and that thousands of children, born healthy, are being turned into wastrels by tho mere force of vicious and unhealthy environments. Everybody is aware of these evils, but there are many views as to the possible remedies. Legislation, religion, philanthropy—all have their advocates and within each of these categories there are many different methods and ideals. Yet there are great numbers of men and women who are not enrolled in any regiment of the great army of social service, but who are unaffectedly desirous of doing something to help those who so sorely need it... One cause or another holds them back. Perhaps it is that they do not seem to themselves to be the special sort of people fol' that kind of work. These conditions have been recognised liy the founders of the Agenda Club, which owes its origin to an article in the London Spectator. "We are not all of us cut out for direct, social service in the heroic sense,'' said the secretary at the lirst. annual diuuer of the club in l.ondon I lie other night, but he claimed that for , this very roason the Club should be

able to bring fresh forces and new types into social work, and "use the artist, the athlete, the manufacturer, the science student, the journalist, the publicity expert, the publisher, as artist, athlete, and the rest." This idea was developed further in one direction by the chairman, Mr. Owen Seaman, who is best known as editor of Punch. Speaking as a journalist in touch with the side of the profession to which he is proud to belong", Mr Seaman pointed to the fact that in the wide field of philan-. thropy, "for one society that works upon those scientific principles which are of the essence of every great 'undertaking in the world of commerce and finance there are many which live from hand to mouth, aro conducted without knowledge of the art of 'publicity,! and overlap one another to the great waste of time and money and effort." The Agenda Club, scientifically organised and possessing a sound knowledge of commercial principles, would offer its services in the work of systematising and co-ordinating. He asked his audience to "conceive how strong in course of time might come to be the driving power of a great anonymous society pledged to stand aloof from all religious or political partisanship, and to speak only on behalf of great causes, and when the word was needed." One of the principal objects of the dinner was to make the first appeal since the definite establishment of the club to the goodwill of the public. Mrt. Seaman said some of the members were devoting thenwhole time to the office work of the club, and others were giving it their unpaid leisure, but the staff was inadequate, and they could not be sure of maintaining solvency on the present basis. At least £2500 would be required for the planned campaign of the next two years. We do not know whether any of our readers will bo surprised to learn that neither Me. Seaman nor any of the other speakers suggested asking the Govt eminent for a subsidy. That would have been one of the first things thought of at any gathering for a similar object in this country, but it does not seem to have occtirrcd to the men of the Agenda Club. They clo not ask official people to give other people's money. They look to private people to give of their own. This is the English way, and it is a very good way. If the Club is animated by that "new spirit of chivalry and .patriotism" which Mr. Seaman spoke of, the public surely cannot remain indifferent.

Tli« man (he said) who, not being in holy orders, proposes to five his life or his leisure to the cause of his fellow-men is .regarded as something eccentric or at least umisunl. Some call him prip, and some hero, but nobody begins tn_ thinVyf him ns just a natural human being. Yet to want to serve one's fellow-men who have missed their chance, or, worse still, have never had it, should bo as natural as to draw one's breath.

Such faith in one's fellow-men deserves its reward.'