SIMPLE LANGUAGE.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 2 October 1925, Page 7

SIMPLE LANGUAGE.

ITS POWER, URGED ON

ROTAR lANS

The weekly luncheon of the Hawera Rotary Club, held to-day, was largely attended, a number of town residents being present as guests of individual Rotarians, while Mr Barton, S.M., and Rotarian Chas. Rhodes, of the Auckland Club, were the guests of honour. The president (Dr. W. M. Thomson) was in the chair, and intimated that he and his fellow-delegates had been greatly impressed with the proceedings at the Rotary conference held at Wellington earlier in the week. At later meetings of the club full reports would be given. Mr Barton then gave a short address following upon an address of his which had been read at a previous luncheon. The paper read dealt with “Misunderstanding as an Element in Dispute,” and he said that if a. title was given to what he had to say today if might well he “The Spoken Word as an Element in Misunderstanding.” The development of the address was a strong plea for the use of simple language. One of the strongest points made was in relation to industrial dis 7 putes, the speaker emphasising the danger of misundertsanding being created if one party spoke in pompous academic language, causing suspicion in the mind of the other party who spoke and thought in simple language. He also emphasised" the fact that simplicity in language naturally led to simplicity and clarity of thought. Thus two parties coming together and addressing each other in simple language were more likely to be sincere, resulting in the creation of mutual confidence and a greater chance of amicable settlement. Incidentally, Mr Barton, quoting from Shakespeare’s plays, demonstrated liow in great crises men of uower and influence fell hack on simple language to express their deepest feelings. i

It was a very fine address, and the Rotarians expressed unstintedly their appreciation of Mr Barton’s kindness in favouring the company as he had done. Rotarian Rhodes, who with Rotarian the Hon. Geo. Fowlds, inaugurated the Hawera Club, was very cordially welcomed, and gave a short address on Rotary work and the development of friendships among the members. Rotarians F. C. Spratt and W. G. Strange were the soloists of the day.