"BITTER CRY"

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 136, 5 December 1929, Page 15

"BITTER CRY"

MIDDLE CLASS BOYS

COMPLAINT AND PROTEST

(From "Tha Post's" Representative.)

LONDON, 4th October.

In the course of an article contributed specially to tho "Evening Standard" cm 2nd October, tho Very Kov. W. E. Inge, D.D., Dean of St. Paul's, made reference to "Life in Dominions.' His subject was "The Bitter Cry of tho Middle Classes." Mr. A. A. _-"onsonby, Parliamentary Under-Sccretary for the Dominions, and Chairman of the Overseas Settlement Committee, made a protest next day. The following is tlic concluding portion of tho Dean's article:— "Wo have to i'ueo the fact that a whole class of young Englishmen, who are decidedly above the average both physically and intellectually, are being ruthlessly squeezed out of existence! They may emigrate? Yes, many of them do, and some.of them make good. But farming is very unlucrative all over the world; in most of the Dominions a man should have considerable capital, both to begin and to tide over bad years. And where is the capital to come from? His father is ground down ta the bone with taxation, and can hardly make both ends moet. - "Nor is the young Englishman always welcomed or fairly treated in the Dominions. When I raised this ques- 1 turn last year I received scores of bitter letters from emigrants to Australia, and 1 have just read a piteous complaint from New Zealand. "I am afraid tho outlook for my own class is about as black as it can be, and that the so-called raco suicide will continue. Tho old professional families will die of bungalitis. These ugly little buildings, erected for deliberately childless couples, will cover the face of the country. "Ultimately, I suppose, the expensive schools and universities will disappear, and we shall all have our children educated by the State. In Sweden, where I believe this change has eomo about, the differential birth rate has ceased, and tho professional has as many children as the working man. In this .way a remnant of the doomed class may survive. That would be the end of social classes in England. Perhaps it must come, but how much love and affection have gathered round our old 'seminaries of sound learning and religious education,' as the Biddin" Prayer calls them! England would not be tho same without -them." MOST UNPAIR CHARGE. Mr. Ponsonby, in his capacity as Chairman of the Overseas Settlement Committee, felt he could not allow tho Dean's statement about life in tho Dominions to pasa without protest. "The recruiting, training, advising, and assisting of settlers is iv any event a matter of some delicacy and complexity/ he says. ''But our task is rendered still more difficult when a prominent ecclesiastic publicly makes tho charge that young Englishmen are not 'always wolcomod or tairly treated in the Dominions,' and goes on to talk of scores of 'bitter letters.' "This general charge, founded on tho receipt of a few letters, is most unfair. The percentage of failures in all classes of settlers is relatively !?^. 11 ' J.i I cau s"y from experience that thoyarc far more often due to the temperamental unsuitability of the settler, for the life lie has chosen than to any negligence or want of sympathy on tho part of the Dominion authorities "But the-failures are apt to get a degree of publicity fjr their grievances winch gives a'"false impression, while the vast majority settle down to their now life without the success of their enterprise being published. "In contrast to Dean luge's letters of complaint, I have in my Department not scores but hundreds of letters from boys m all parts of the Empire, and of all standards of education, paying n tribute to the warm welcome they liavo received, and the attention which ia paid to their welfare. "In many cases they are enthusiastic about their future. A boy in Queensland put, as ho said, 'His new lite in a nutshell' when he wrote in a letter recently, 'I have «. good boss, and ho has land. Where there's a good boss and plenty of laud there's opportunity, and where there's opportunity I stick.' "I have before me a report on boys ot all classes who have gone out to Australia during the past few years Ihese reports show how, starting from zero, a good proportion of the boys arc well on their way to prosperity and independence on the land. "For tho class of boy of whom Dean Inge writes there are a number of speelal schemes in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, .md Smith Africa. They provide for the training of the boys, both with individual farmers and in agricultural schools and colleges. "It is a mistake to suppose that farming is the only opening overseas tor boys ot public and secondary school ! education. There are openings in : commerce, in the professions, Ind in certain public services. "If the' Dean, with his great influence, wishes to help the boys about ivhom he is concerned, I would suggest hat he ahould t . into closer «. i with the actual facts of oversea settlement, and should advise boys who are disposed to seek a career overseas to get into touch with this Department,! where all possible advice and assistance will be given them." I