ONWARD, OTAGO!

Evening Star, Issue 25426, 6 March 1945, Page 6

ONWARD, OTAGO!

TO THE EDITOK. -Sir,—" Conservative," writing under the title " Univeristy Council," extols the virtues of the aged in their capacity for business and institutional direction. He quotes many instances of aged men at the helm of businesses and institutions. This is just another proof of the old fallacy that Dunedin is a "solid" place. I' say it is a- fallacy because there is no movement or vitality in "solids." This, surely brings us to the real reason why Dunedin has . been slipping slowly but surely backward during the past decade or more. Our young men of vitality, ambition, and initiative, seldom stay here; they migrate to the north and opportunity, because our aged die-hards steadfastly refuse to have faith in them and to make way for them. These aged directors and board members remind me of the " Ancient Mariner," that famous figure of English poetic fiction. His ship became first ice-bound and then becalmed.Day after day,, day after day, We stuck, nor breath nor motion; As idle as a painted ship Upon a-painted ocean. The stifling of the voice olf younger men in Dunedin is reflected in another passage: And every tongue, " through utter drought, Was withered'at the root; We could not speak, no more thai: if We had been choked with soot. My point is that with lack of faith in our younger men, and through the lapse of, their own once progressive ideals, our ancient mariners are now lacking in that spirit of initiative and enterprise which alone spells advancement of city and province. True, in husiness young men are employed—they may even be managers—but in the main their policy is firmly set by the ancient mariners on the bridge. " Safety first'' is the motto, forgetful of the "past, that the best (form of safety is progress. Merely safeguarding the gains of the past is the death of enterprise. One can imagine the complacent minds of our ancient manners.

0 sleep, it is a gentle thing, Beloved-from pole to, pole. « , For every new industry established here a hundred^are established in the enterprising North. Discouragement at home and enterprise in the north combine to bring about the steady migration of our young initiative. Generally it may be said of our ancient mariners on local bodies that the local bodies carry on in spite of them and not because of them. Take a glimpse at our local parliamentary representatives. Of course, with them age does not really matter; all they are required to do is to carry messages, sav " Yes," and generally do their stuff in the marionette show which runs and ruins the country. Dunedin has lagged behind the north for many years. The blight is getting-worse. .We, have reached the critical stage in our history. We cannot stand still and be satisfied. Either we move forward or we slide backwards. There is no use baying the moon to give us sunlight'. Sunlight means youth and vitality; the moon represents age, the shadow of a vital past. ' 1 hope that (from now on the sunlit vision of younger men will prevail on the boards of our various institutions, particularly educational institutions. Let the boys of the old brigade retire before they' fade away; let them have faith in the age-of initiative. Let younger men step forward and_ look for responsibility; work for it; stop criticising others; go in the boots, and all bearing in mind that if Dunedin is to regain its former spirit of enterprise and progress ancient mariners cannot do it. After reading " Conservative's " defence of oiir aged " die-hards" I for one am at least convinced as to the cause of our provincial stagnation.—l am. etc., March 5. Public Service.