HOPE OF THE FUTURE.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 27 September 1924, Page 13

HOPE OF THE FUTURE.

OUTLOOK FOR CIVILISATION. OPTIMISTIC FORECAST BY SIR ROBERT STOUT. “Let us proceed with hope. There is a glorious future for our race if we only have love and kindness for our own people, and even those who are net our own people'. If we only do the best that we can civilisation will go on and on until we become a great race. ’ ’ Such was the cheery pronouncement Sir Robert Stout, Chief Justice of the Dominion, had to make in an address, upon “The Outlook for Civilisation,” at the Wellington Rotary Club luncheon (says the Dominion). “It has been said,” commenced the Chief Justice, “that the world is divided into two classes—optimists and pessimists. I am an optimist, and optimists do good, even if their hopes do not always come true.” Carlyle, proceeded Sir Robert Stout, had referred to hope as a shining rainbow. This question ol? the outlook for civilisation was giving concern to the philosophers of the world. It was feared that at the present rate of the advancement pf the population of the world there would be great difficulty 100 years hence in finding food for the 3,000,000,000 people who would then inhabit the globe. On looking round at the present time there was all sorts of trouble in the world —financial trouble and labour trouble. Was our civilisation to go down? History recorded that there had been at least eight civilisations .in Egypt, with periods of barbarism intervening between each one of them. So it had been in Babylon, Mesopotamia and Greece. Were we to lose our present civilisation? “I do not think so,” declared Sir Robert Stout. “I am here to sound a note* of hope. If we look at what we have come through, what an advance we have made. We have advanced in peace, in comfort, and'in housing. When we look at the progress we have made during the past 200 years we can only stand amazed.” Proceeding, Sir Robert Stout said that it seemed incredible that the first medical school had only been founded in 1724. If they even iooked back to 1824 they would discover that the workers of Great Britain were housed, clothed, and fed worse than savages. Compare the conditions of that date with the health of our citizens of the present day. Fifty years ago the death rate in England had been as high as 26 per 1000 of population; it had now been reduced to 12 per 1000. Had there been any advance in the kindness of the people? That was the crucial question. It Avas only necessary to recall that Avhen a Bill to compel kindness to animals had first been introduced into the House of Commons, it had been received Avith derisive laughter. All people to-day had kindlier feelings to animals and to one another. Then let them look at the' advancement which had been made in education. In 1833 John Knox had A 7 ainly striven for the right of the son of eA 7 ery man to go to the university if he had the capacity. Knox had not urged this in order that the students might make money, but so that they could be of service to the State. Last year £95,000,000 had been devoted to education in England. If statistics Avere looked up it Avould be found that the advancement in England during the past hundred years A\'as so enormous as not to be believable. “Do you think,” asked Sir Robert Stout, “that tlie people who have all these adAmntages will be agreeable to; go back to barbarism?” It A\ r as not so long ago since sanitary improvements had been introduced into our cities. He could remember the time when typhoid fever was rife in Wellington, and he had visited the hospital Avhen it had been croA\ r ded with fever cases. ( ‘Look at your streets, look at your lighting, ’ ’ he said; “the progress in civilisation has been simply Avonderful. ” It Avas not likely that' mankind Avould lightly give up the adA'antages that Avere enjoyed at the present time. The only thing that might destroy civilisation was Avar. They kneA\ r Avliat had happened in Russia, where tAA r o million people had perished by civil A\’ar, and fifteen million more had died of starA r ation due to the dislocation of husbandry caused by the re\ r olution.. It seemed incredible, that in this enlightened age such a fate could have OA rertaken any ciA 7 ilised country. But' todav there was a demand for peace, and the hope of the world was reposed in the League of Nations, which demanded that all disputes should, be settled not by force, but by justice. If this AAmre done, there Avould be no more strikes, for that Avould be civil Avar. If there,Avas to be any honesty, the League of Nations Avould not stop at preventing Avar. The outcome Avould be that all labour disputes would be settled by a judicial tribunal. Then the Avorld Avould ha\ 7 e true, peace. But before this could be accomplished the inequality of mau Avould have to be recognised. “The saying that all men are equal is utter rot,” declared Sir Robert Stout; “people do not come into the Avorld equally endoAved. The equality of man is not recognised by anybody. You spend thousands of pounds upon coavs and sheep and horses to keep your breed up. The salvation of the Avorld depends upon good men and Avomen.” Proceeding, the speaker said that 2500 years ago Plato saAv the need of education and of keeping the race pure. “The only danger to civilisation in the future,” concluded Sir Robert Stout, “Avill be if Ave do not act aright, and it should be the aim of each one to do this, ha\ 7 ing the responsibility of the future east upon our shoulders. ” - (Applause.) In introducing Sir Robert Stout, the chairman for the day (Mr M. Myers, K.C.) 'incidentally. mentioned Sir Robert Stout’s birthday fell upon Sunday next, and, on behalf of the Rotary Club, Avished him many happy returns of the day. . As Chief Justice of the Dominion, the club hoped Sir Robert Stout had still a long Avay to go, and they hoped that they Avould haA r e the pleasure many times in the future of listening to such instruetiA’e addresses as he had delivered to them that day. A A 7 ote of thanks to Sir Robert Stout, was carried lrv heartv acclamation.