THE SURE ROAD OPIUM PROBLEM

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 141, 11 December 1935, Page 7

THE SURE ROAD

OPIUM PROBLEM

PEACE AND PROSPERITY

CHRISTIAN PHILOSOPHY

UNIVERSITY AND MODERN

THOUGHT

The Christian philosophy is the only real sane philosophy, the only philosophy of reality, and the only one that can bring peace, happiness, and prosperity back to the world, declared his Grace Archbishop O'Shea, S.M., when speaking at the prize-giving ceremony at St. Patrick's College, Silverstream, yesterday. His Grace remarked that at the university some would find a philosophy that differed from the Christian, but he pointed out to the students who would be go-

ing to the University the way in

which they i*ouia preserve their

belief in the Christian faith when

Miey came in contact with this

modern thought.

Archbishop O'Shea said that' for som» of the boys it was the end of their schooling, but others would go on further to the university. He would remind them of the motto of St. Patrick's College, "Sectare fiden," which could be interpreted "Adhere closely to the faith." He would also like to remind them of how great a privilege it was to be educated at St. Patrick's, which tried to put first things first and give a complete education What was wanted was an educated, loyal, cultured laity, and they looked to the secondary institutions and colleges to give them such a laity. At the college they were taught the only true philosophy of life, the Christian philosophy. On going out from college they should make it evident by their example in being good Catholics. The Christian philosophy was the only real sane philosophy; the only philosophy of reality, and the only one that could bring peace, happiness, and prosperity back to the world. At the university some would find a philosophy that differed from the Christian. It went under .various names, for it had no unity. It was called agnosticism, Communism, or free thought, but it was often summed up as modern thought. The pupils must use the knowledge gained at St. Patrick's when they came in contact with this modern or contemporary thought, for it was not really modern thought at all. It was thought that was really very ancient and was known even in the early days of Christianity. He commended to the pupils the Catholic Students' Guild at the university. The college would go on turning out a good, faithful, cultured Catholic laity. This was a young and glorious country. If they wanted to make it God's own country they should hold har<? to what they were taught and make it a truly Christian country.

Speaking more personally to the boys, the Archbishop said he would like to extend his congratulations on the excellent year that had just ended. The boys, to study well, must have good health, and one of the means was to get plenty of exercise, such as was given by games. He specially praised the musical .programme provided by the boys. The pupils had' several times assisted with the lithurgical music at St. Mary's. The conductor (Father C. F. Feehly) deserved praise.

RECTOR'S REPORT.

The Rector (the Very Key. Father J. W. Dowling) said they were glad to have present Archbishop O'Shea, who now presided over the spiritual destinies of this archdiocese and was now the patron of the college. To his Graca they promised their loyal co-operation in the arduous duties which he was now called upon to fulfil.

The roll number which had been so well maintained during the years of depression showed a further increass this year. The number of boarders exceeded 200 and day boys totalled 30. The year had been one of progress and improvement in the equipment of the college buildings and the college farm. ■ They had now :a first-class dairy plant. The antiquated buildings had been replaced by a thoroughly modern structure ecuipped with the latest machines. They had also added ■* woodwork room and workshop. The college was now well equipped fo.r theoretical and practical work in agriculture. A five-roomed cottage had also been built to house the lay brothers who assisted in the work of the college.

The great majority of the boys took either a general or a commercial course, and a fairly high standard had been reached in all grades. He would appeal to parents who sent boys for the commercial course to insist on their taking all the subjects of that course. Far too often during this year he had been asked to allow pupils to drop several of the subjects. This interfered with the school programme and organisation and it was alsq a bad policy. Some had informed him that all that was necessary as a preparation for a business career was English, arithmetic, bookkeeping, and typewriting. Proficiency in these subjects alone was quite inadequate as a preparation for life. Specialisation in a few subjects should be left till after a full secondary course had been completed. He held strongly to the view that for boys who had ability above the average the general -course was the best preparation for a business career. This was the view supported a few years ago in England by over a hundred men holding the highest commercial positions in the land. Many large firms in England had established continuation on purely non-vocational lines. At the end of the previous school year two of • the students qualified for University bursaries, fifteen were awarded higher leaving certificates, twenty-seven were successful in university entrance or matriculation, and twenty-eight passed the school-leaving certificate examination. Many were successful in the various commercial examinations.

Thanks to an abundance of good material well coached by the sportsmaster and his assistants, the college had a very successful year in games and athletics. In football the first filteen suffered defeat in only one game. The college maintained a good standard in cricket and tennis, and golf had been as popular as ever. For the second time in succession the college won the McEvedy Shield for the athletic championship of Wellington secondary schools. In the Lord Roberts Trophy competition for rifle shooting open to the secondary schools of the Empire the college gained first place in the Wellington district, second in New Zealand, and fourth place in the Empire. More important than these results had been the fact that all the boys had taken an honourable part in these activities and derived immense benefit in health and physical fitness. The health of the boys had been excellent and the school free from epidemics.

Referring to the death of Archbishop Redwood, Father Dowling said his Gi'ace's deep affection for the college was never shown in a more touching manner than at the end of his long life, when he bequeathed to the college his most treasured possession, his famous Stradivarius violin. It would take too long to give adequate expression to the college's gratitude to his Grace and appreciation of his services to the college over so many years.

"May his name be held in everlasting j benediction," said Father Dowling. j Since the Silverstream College . was the continuation of the boarding department of the old college, it took a i full share in the celebration of the ' golden jubilee. The many hundreds of old boys who came from all parts of New Zealand spent a pleasant day at Silverstream, and expressed themselves as delighted with the buildings, equipment, and playing fields provided lor future generations of patricians, said Father Dowling in conclusion. SCHOLARSHIP EXAMINATIONS, j Father Dowling announced the following results of scholarship examinations for the college:— College scholarship of the value of 66 guineas, tenable for four years: Patrick Quinn, Marist Brothers' school, Napier. Kennedy scholarship, of the value of £40, for. two years: Edward Kennedy, Karamea. Special scholarship of the value of £40, for three years: James Barry, Convent of Mercy. Westport. Next in merit were the following: David Peterson, Waituna West; Edward Comerford, Convent, Westport; Neil Davy, Nelson: j James Brosnan, Marist Brothers, ' Hawkestone Street, Wellington; Leo Butler, Mission Convent, Balmoral, Auckland; Noel Whitehouse, Marist Brothers, Tasman Street, Wellington; Terry Ryan, Marist Brothers, Tasman Street, Wellington.

The college orchestra, under the conductorship of the Rev. Father C. F. Feehly, played "A Musical Switch" (Alford) and two excerpts from ballet music. The college choir sang, with orchestral accompaniment, "Tramp, Tramp, Tramp" (Herbert) and a selection from "The Mikado" (Sullivan).

POSITION IN THE EAST

DUE TO BAD CONDITIONS

A y report prepared by the International Labour Office for discussion by next year's International Labour Conference on the effect of opium smoking on labour questions attributes a large proportion of the blame for opium addiction in the East to bad labour conditions, says the "Manchester Guardian."

There can be little doubt, the report says, that the opium problem would lose much of its intensity if the conditions of work and life of the workers affected were improved by such measures as the adjustment of hours of work to the normal physical possibilities of human labour, a medical organisation capable of ensuring adequate treatment of illness, the adjustment of wages to a level sufficient to allow a standard of living consistent with normal health and comfort, the establishment of facilities for labourers to be accompanied by their wives and families when the employment involved protracted absence from their homes, the settlement wherever possible of such labourers on land on which they could cultivate food supplies, and the provision of increased facilities for the utilisation of spare time.

The evidence contained in the report showed that many opium addicts took the drug as a relief from sheer exhaustion, especially in the more arduous occupations.

WORKERS AND NUTRITION.

Following the decision of this year's League Assembly, and the resolutions adopted in June by the International Labour Conference, the 1.L.0. governing body decided to undertake a complete study of the question of nutrition in relation to the requirements of the workman and the workman's family.

A special committee is to. be set up for this purpose, and will meet in December. Among the members of the committee will be two professors of physiology, one of whom is to be Professor Cathcart, of Glasgow University; two experts on the question of consumption, one of whom will probably be selected by'the co-operative movement; an expert on family living and family budgets, and two experts on general nutrition questions, one from the United States and one from the Soviet Union. The committee's task will be to give technical advice to a larger committee, which will in turn co-operate with the League of Nations Health Section.

A plea that the work of the committee should not be too much weighed down by scientific experts was made by the British workers' delegate, Mr. Arthur Hayday, who referred to the tendency of scientists to draw up measures of sustenance based more on protein qualities than on practical knowledge of the requirements of a working-class family.

CONVENTION EXCEPTIONS,

Dealing with the exceptions made in the case of India and Japan in international labour conventions, especially those concerning hours of work, the Japanese workers' delegate said that sixteen years had elapsed since the first of these exceptions (in the 48----hour week convention) was made.

In my country (he said) there lias been notable progress in the main industrial undertakings to such an extent that Japan no longer requires any exceptions. It seems to me that Japan has reached the stage where my Government should endeavour to remove all the prohibitions regarding work-ins conditions, which constitute a danger to international standards.

A similar attitude was adopted by the Indian workers' delegate, who pointed out that the Government of India had itself reduced by legislation the hours of work in factories to 54 per week, although the exceptions under the convention provided a 60-hour week for India. He proposed that not only should a committee be set up to examine the exceptions to conventions, but that another should be appointed to assist in the negotiations with Governments to secure ratifications of conventions.

Replying to the Japanese workers' delegates observations, Mr. Yoshisaka, the Japanese Government delegate, admitted that progress had been made in certain industries, notably in cotton, but Japan hadj nevertheless many difficulties to overcome in other industries. "The view of the Japanese Government is that conventions and recommendations. should be based on conditions throughout the world generally, and not on conditions which exist merely in European industry," he declared.

That development of public opinion and education was the only way of securing better social and labour conditions in India was the view expressed by the Indian Government delegate.