HOLIDAY CENTRE

Evening Post, Volume CCXV, Issue 13, 17 January 1938, Page 11

HOLIDAY CENTRE

OPENING AT HOKIO

TRAINING IN DEMOCRACY

CO-OPERATIVE EFFORT

(Special to the "Evening Post.")

LEVIN, This Day.

••... One of the most- interesting experi--:-merits in social welfare in recent years an ;New Zealand was inaugurated at ■ the Hokio Beach, near Levin, on Saturday afternoon, when the Hon. Walter .\Nash, Minister of Finance, opened the ./holiday centre established by the Cooperative Holidays Society, Ltd., on the lines of-the Danish Folk Schools. It .w'as with the Danish example in mind that a group of co-operators and other -enthusiasts for education during the past few months worked hard to secure <a: centre for adult education • in'citizenship and democracy, and they ■ found it in the commodious buildings planted among the pines and lupins a few hundred, yards from the mouth of the Hokio stream for use in connection with the Wheraroa Training Farm. These, unoccupied for some time, were, through the courtesy of the Minister of Education (the Hon. P. Fraser), leased from the Education Department, and, with slight changes, adapted for the purpose of a permanent holiday centre. Here, on the greensward under the shade of the pines in the heat of Saturday afternoon, the opening ceremony was held. Mr. E. J. Harding, of Wooaville, chairman of the Provisional Com- . mittee of. the Holidays Society, presided over a large gathering of cooperators, their families, and friends, from many parts of the Dominion. Among those present, in addition to the Minister and Mrs. Nash, were Mr. Ben :Roberts, M.P., president of the New Zealand Co-operative Alliance, Mr. C. L. Hunter, M.P., Mr. Ormond Wilson, M.P., Mr. P. W. Goldsmith, Mayor of Levin, Mrs. Barton, representing the International Co-operative Women's Guild, and the leaders of the co-operative movement in New Zea'land,' including Mr. and Mrs. E. F. ! Muriro, Mr. and Mrs. Niederer, Mr. .' Alan Free, and Mr. D. J. von Sturmer. • The: meeting was addressed by Mr. 'Harding, who outlined the aims and . objects of the Co-operative Holidays Society; Mrs. Barton, who brought greetings from seven million co-opera- '•'■ tors in Britain; and Mr. Roberts, who mentioned; incidentally that the British . co-operative movement bought annually "over £4,000,000 wortlv of New ' Zealand produce, mainly butter, cheese, arid meat. All the speeches were characterised by great earnestness' and en--thusiasm. . ..CO-OPERATION IN DEMOCRACY. v '" '.-The Minister, in the concluding .speech, declaring the resort open, entered fully into the spirit of the , occasion. His main theme was the close association of co-operation with the working of democracy. The es-y-seixce. of democracy, he said, was the co-operation of citizens for their mutual welfare. It was not merely co--operation in material things, but also in the. things of the mind and spirit r in order to make possible a larger "'life for all. The co-operative move- : men! was the finest expression yet of the spirit to work for the .betterment of the world, but unless each individual should resolve, to. do ..his or" her part .^in the'movemenf and fulfil the resolve, 'that desired object could not.be attained. He .could, not help quoting a passage brilliantly to the point:— Can democracy survive? The question is asked frequently today. Many return pessimistic answers. Many wonder whether their old faith in the steady, inevitable spread of lil> ... eral ideas has not after all been ■• displaced; whether the. critics of •;■■ democracy may not be right when ';■'" they.charge it with instability, weak- *■:.■ ness, and hesitancy in crises, and inability to frame a long-range policy and carry it out. All thinkiftg people admit that these charges cannot be completely refuted. It is true that the Anglo-Saxon, and French peoples, with those of. Scandinavia, still prefer a less efficient system with liberty, to a more efficient one without. But will their present preference survive the test of, say, a further and more disastrous eco- • l.homic depression There are limits .;' to human patience, particularly when ' the victims do not understand why .'"they are suffering. •If democracy is to meet success--, fully the pointed challenge of its enemies, if it is to cope with the complex problems arising- out of the intricate organisation of .modern society, then popular Government must match the dictators—intelligence for intelligence, ' efficiency '.for efficiency, and self-dis-cipline for regimentation. •With these sentiments, Mr. Nash said, • he' was in agreement. Democracy was .on its trial. It might appear that dic- ' tatorships gave better results from the . material -point of view. Unless democracy could develop the spirit of cooperation and bring out people willing to ■■ serve, with faith in their work, it would be to that extent handicapped ,:'in the inevitable struggle. Good times /'were not the real test for democracy, /for then there was a natural tendency ■to take things easy, noticeable, per- ' haps, in' New Zealand today. Times ": oi stress told the tale. Unless men. could work better under a free society, they coulcl not expect to retain that society'in its freedom. To enable them to work better, the ideal of co-opera-tion was an inspiration and guide, and 'he trusted that the movement they ■were inaugurating that day would help to further the ideal of an educated democracy capable of holding ." its own in the changing world. He ' wished • them every success. (Applause.) RECREATIONAL SIDE. • .After the ceremony there was an '.adjournment to the beach for bath- . ing and recreation before the Minister returned to Wellington. In the evening Mrs. Barton, who has spent a long and active lifetime in the cooperative movement in Britain, recounted eloquently some of the struggles through which it had passed, and how it had served Britain in peace and war. and become one of the great institutions of the world, with rami- . jicatibns everywhere. If was signi- . ficaat.that when a State co-operative institution like the Milk Marketing Board was established, the Govern- . ment" had deemed it wise to seek a manager for this vast organisation from ■ among the co-operative leaders. ' The latter part of the evening was spent in dancing, about forty couples taking part in a large schoolroom to an accordion accompaniment. A ■'.. party of local Maoris added to the entertainment with the part songs in which they, excel. , Sunday was a blend of recreation of mind and body, with free discussions under the trees, and bathing on the beach a»d walking over the dunes. The whole weekend was immensely enjoyable for all concerned. No organisation could have worked better or more smoothly, a remarkable tribute to the efficiency 6f tile ' co-operative leaders, among whom it would be invidious to mention ■•names—'all did so well—and the ? willing assistance of those present. For the educative side the curious impression was that though one heard many speeches and much discussion theihoughts that remained in the mind

could rarely be attributed to any one speaker, but seemed rather to have emanated from the truly co-operative atmosphere of the place. This is freely in accord with the experience of the Danish folk schools.

It is intended to make the camp at Hokio a permanent institution if there is sufficient encouragement. The opening weekend was a brilliant success, and the idea is to have each weekend during the summer season lectures, debates, and discussions on all subjects of interest to people generally. It is understood that next weekend a distinguished German physician will speak on his experiences in Nazi Germany. Should there' be sufficient patronage, similar arrangements Will be made for subsequent weekends."The camp is also open during the week for visitors, who should communicate with the hon. secretary, Mrs. E. F. Munro, at Levin.