UNITY OF MANKIND

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 10, 13 January 1932, Page 10

UNITY OF MANKIND

DEPRESSION'S RESULT

VALUE OF EDUCATION

CHANCELLOR'S ADDRESS

; (By Tolegeaph.) (Special to "Tho Evoning Post.") .-•■■■• DUNEDIN, This Day. "The most remarkable feature of this depression is its universality; it stretches round tho world, missing not even tho most primitive and isolated communities like the Archipelagoes and .jslands of the Pacific Ocean," declared the Chancellor of the University of New Zealand, Professor J. Maemillan Brown, in his address to the Senate today. "For the first time in the history of the world," he went on to say, "it has brought out. the essential unity of mankind and his interests. It has acted like the pneumonic epidemic of 191S and taken the spirit out of oven the most vigorous and enterprising community. America and Europe, East and West; arc at last felt to be one in fluctuations and destiny. This human unit'is the goal towards which we now can see all - history has been evolving. For the first time we begin to realise that thoro is an evolution of tho whole human race in process. Hitherto we have recognised it at work only in sections of our race. Now we feel that where one is affected, the health of all the rest is involved. "It is impossible for any community, however' large and solf-centred, to isolate itself and follow its own destiny without regard to the events and movements that are shaking other centres. The_ world is at last an organism with all its parts linked up, though not to a central will, to a central heart and brain by a nervous and circulatory system that is almost as delicate and unifying as that ,of the human body. For ages every new empire ■ and every new religion aimed at this and failed, sono just at the point where it seemed to be in sight of achievement, coming to grips with a rival inspired by the same ambition.' It has come about almost naturally by tho growth of industry and commerce, aided by science and, invention, and guided by selfinterest." " ■-~,' '. There could be no turning back now, the Chancellor went on to say. The Hague Court and the League of Nations were, the first infantile" efforts to .lead mankind to, sottlo its disputes without resort ,to war. The destructiveness of war was tho primary cause of dopres-. sion. "The beginning of tho cure of this epidemic is tho removal of fears and suspicions. And that cannot be accomplished till the proofs and signs of their existence, the :armed barriers and defences, are removed. Disarmament is .the first step towards, the revival of that mutual confidence which; is the primary ba.sis of all industrial! and commercial intercourse." ,•'■■"• HARD WORK AND THRIFT. - Democracy, , the Chancellor pointed out, should do everything in its. power to keep,in abeyance or obliterate classconsciousness, which destroyed -all chance of a truly united community/ The surest way.to achieve this was by . education, provided the system gives free passage. to talent through all its stages.-. That was possible only through competition, nature's chief method ofprogress. , : ■' . "I conjecture that this depression is not-going to pass completely away^ soon any, more than- its postrNapole.qnic predecessor of.a century ago did. There is no political or economical magic, such as some of .our, Labour friends are so fond of suggesting,"to conjure away the results of this financial blizzard. . We shall hayo to replace the vanished capi-, tal by the same .toilsome work, and thoughtful thrift as slowly :built it up. What comes by gambling generally goes' in the same easy way. It is only by hard work, aided by thought, .that, a stable basis of prosperity, is attained; and in attaining or restoring this the very powers, that ; originally gained -it are strengthened and renewed.. EDUCATION VITAL. "One of the foremost duties of a democracy-to. itself and to its future is to keep raising .the calibre and intelligence of the average man and woman so that itheir ,v6tes;in. the election to their parliaments and boards may be efficient. But it is even more essential for its well-being that the exceptional talents,of each,generation be properly developed and trained for the organisation and management of its vital industries and the solution of their problems." -:■■ ■■•'. ■■: , .- Tho rank and file needed training and support, and. still more they needed faith_ in the capacity of their leaders to discover and poiftt the- way, concluded the Chancellor. Economies were necessary in times like these, but the least economical and most unwise of economies was to stint the system that selects and develops the exceptional talents demanded by the fundamental industries. ■'.-■'" . It was one of the seeming anomalies of periods, of depression that the nimir ber of University students increased. Prevalent unemployment .turned the thoughts of thrifty an d weE-to-So parents of boys and girls leaving eehool without the chance of getting permanent employment or fixed career to university xourses. It was'the duty of Universities to use their funds wisely in attracting and encouraging the talents of the country-into a; career of fuller development. ; Periods.of depression demanded all the brain power of the country to pilot it through them, and it was the function"of- Universities to set the talents of. a oountay in. the right direction. ' ■ /