MODERN PROBLEMS

Dominion, Volume 25, Issue 260, 29 July 1932, Page 5

MODERN PROBLEMS

Outlook for Youth ECONOMIC FITNESS Three-fold Obligation Mr Problems that confront the world at the present time were discussed on Wednesday night at a reception given to members of the Young Men’s Christian Association. . The Hon. A. Hamilton, Minister of Internal Affairs, who was the guest of. honour, informed his audience that people would be satisfied, not if they kept thinking about those who were better off, but. by thinking of those who were worse off.

Before starting on his discussion of present-day problems, Mr. Hamilton spoke of his appreciation of the work done by the Y.M.C.A. He had always looked upon it as an Institution which sought to keep society on the right lines and from going astray. One of its great advantages was its residential section, which performed the part of a home away from home for so many boys and young men. Part of the Majority.

Speaking of the financial difficulties with which the president, Mr. R. H. Nimmo, had said the association was being faced, Mr. Hamilton said that the association belonged to the great majority, for nearly everyone was hard up. We all had our problems, he added. Every age had its own particular ones, and men always tried to solve them. Sometimes they were difficult to diagnose.

As far as our present-day problems were concerned, even the best brains in the world had realised, that some of them were-peculiar to. this age alone, and that one could not look to history for guidance. They must, therefore, be grappled in our own way, and the process of solving them called for Initiative.

With regard to the financial problem, Mr. Hamilton was inclined to think.that we were prone to set our minds too much on money, and that the capitalistic system had gone wrong and not worked out; as it should have. Certainly the gold standard had shifted its ground. People had their standards and tried to live up to them. The standard of weight is a pound, and one could, not shift that. People, however, had set up a standard of gold, but it had let them down, and had moved, and one could not live up to a moveable standard. The currency standard was another interesting problem, he continued. At Ottawa an endeavour was being made to set up an Empire currency.' But, the speaker would like to see a man who could get up and make a convincing statement on the gold standard, currency and exchange. Sometimes, Mr. Hamilton added, it did good to lose a little money,-for the lack of it often meant increased happiness, and to meet people happy in adversity was certainly a good tiling. Another problem of great importance was that of tariff and its effect on international trading. Mr. Hamilton considered that there might be a time when most tariff walls might have to be knocked down. Brief mention was also made of the problems of war debts and ■of land values, the latter being described as one of New Zealand’s most interesting but least understood problems. Unemployment and its attendant evils were dealt with by Mr. Hamilton, who pointed out that not only New Zealand but all countries were endeavouring to solve it. It was. pathetic to hear of people who through no fault of their own had been caught' in the grip of unemployment, which was described as a social menace. Outlook for Youth. The outlook for young people to-day presented a. very serious problem, especially for those who have passed from school prepared for occupations that were not there for them, said Mr. Hamilton. There was a’ threefold responsibility in regard to these young people. Firstly, the State’s obligation to them; secondly, the big obligation on the part of the parents to make some provision for them and to give them a hand in providing a job; and, thirdly, an obligation on the part of the young people themselves. This was a time when they must strike out for themselves. Our parents had to do it, and that showed a wonderful spirit—the spirit that is needed today.

Young people, must be prepared to fight for themselves. It made men and women of them and did them the world of good, Mr. Hamilton continued. It developed initiative and traits of character that would stand in their stead in days to come.

qjhis., the speaker continued, was an age of opportunities. People often thought otherwise, but that was not so, and he considered that young people started off to-day with as good opportunities as they had in years gone by.