LIFE'S PRIZES

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 149, 21 December 1923, Page 7

LIFE'S PRIZES

SIR JOHN SALMOND'S ADVICE

TO HIGH SCHOOL BOYS.

At the prize-giving ceremony in connection with the Palfflerston North Boys' High School on Wednesday evening, Sir John Salmohd was the principal speaker of thb evening, and in the course of his address'he gave valuable advice'to the scholars in regard to their future careers.

Addressing the boys, the speaker* said they had finished another year of their school life, and soon for some, and eventually for all of them, they -would go out into the \Vorld to win the. bigger prizes of Which there were so many to be had. But, although there were plenty of prizes, they would not get them Without working arid striving for them. All the good things Of life had to be bought artd paid for. They had. in the Winning of theta, to pfaetise many rigorous Virtues; they niust look to the future, consider 1 carefully what they did, and they must work hard." If they did these tilings then' they would obtain some of the prizes. ' With regard to the latter, there were some people who thought there should be no prizes; who believed and preach' ed that everyone should share and share alike, but in s.pite of such revolutionary doctrines that was not the policy by which the world would be governed. The man who failed in life was regarded as the poor fellow who was down on his luck. True, there might be an element OJ chance in life; personally, he knew men who had mote than ever their merits entitled them .to, but, however touch chance might enter into the fabric Of Human careers, skill had to tell and assert itself in time. They might not obtain all .they desired, and they might not get £11 they deserved; but, if they followed the principles of duty and industry honestly applied, they would achieve success. One thing they must guard against was greed, by which ho meant unscrupulousness. Whatever they did, whether striving for school prizes or the bigger prizes of life, they should make it their solemn duty to achieve their ends by having due regard to the rights and feelings of others. Again, they must Jiot grumble at the success of other people, and he warned them against envy. They should go through life cheerfully, seeking out tho beautiful things that surrounded them, and striving to make their lives happy arid contented. They must learn to play as well as work. ,

"It may seem strange to you that I should tell you to learn how to play," continued Sir John, "but it is wclrk that is the easy part of life and not play. So many men become more and more absorbed in their professions that they seem to have little time for play as the years pass. They conte home at night and sit in their armchair and read the newspaper, and in the morning, instead of looking on the beautiful world in which they live, they think of the work that is waiting fbr them at the office. Do not become like those men; do not lose the ability to play in the years that lie before you."

In conclusion. Sir" John again congratulated 'the school on the excellent results achieved during the year, and wished the pupils every success both in school and out of it.