CHANGED CONDITIONS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 23 December 1924, Page 6

CHANGED CONDITIONS.

. THE LOSS OF HOME LIFE. “There can be no maimer of doubt, V said*'Mr. Elsdon Best, in addressing th§ New Zealand Glub on /Wednesday on the early, days-of Wellington, “that the conditions •of life: are much more favourable now than'they were in -the years we are speaking of r and people, on the. whole, are'much better off. , It is of interest, however, to note ' that the old-time state of good feeling that then . existed among all folks lias to a considerable extent disappeared. Another extremely puzzling fact is the proportional increase in cases of poor health and poor physique., This is a disquieting feature when witnessed in si. land where there is but little real and where all can obtain a sufficiency of. food, and other necessaries oi Jlife. 'lncreased material - welfare miist Re granted.' We ; receive- higher pay for our- work than we did 'fifty .years ago,and assuredly' do less' work for it. W e better,'in better houses (in many cases),' and have a much more yaried food: supply. We* can'how procure luxuries' which were than for th© few only. * ' ■ v .. . “In .those far-off days, however, we possessed one advantage and privilege that seems to be now about lost—ene i phase of social, life >tliat many" look 'back on with keen delight—and that was ■ horn©' life.. .In ; 'many cases this seeiiis to have' utterly disappeared, and the so-called home has become but a sleeping-place. The- lack of home life, and the home training- that • was so marked a feature of former generatiops, has much to, do .with deplorable weakness of the sense of duty .that is how often in eyidehce .i’-— Dominion.