HENRY GEORGE ON SIR GEORGE GREY.

Inangahua Times, Volume XVI, Issue 301, 21 April 1892, Page 3

HENRY GEORGE ON SIR GEORGE GREY.

•■ On his arrival in Auckland on March 4 th, 1880, Mr Henry George was presented with an address by the Auckland AntiPoverty Society, of which Sir George Grey is the president. Mr George replied in a characteristic speech, in the course of which he said that it had been our great mistake, as a people, to have forgotten the essential truth, that all are equally entitled to the "natural opportunities " of existence, and he expressed the single tasers creed, as follows: — " What we aim at is simply the culmination of Christianity. It is simply the carrying into effect of the golden rule. It is simply the bringing on earth of that kingdom of righteousness for which the Master taught His disciples to pray, and therefore to work. And so it is with the idea which the name of this society expresses — the Anti-Poverty Society — the society for the utter abolition of poverty. It is no mere dream of dreams. It is no mere imagining of a crank, or cranks. We believe it is possible to abolish involuntary poverty. We believe it is possible to bring about a state of society in which there will be work for all, leisure for all, abundant opportunities of development for till, because we believe God is good ; because we believe that His laws do not support injustice and that they are such as will give their fullest development to all reasonable human hopes and aspirations." Then, alluding to the presence of Sir George Grey, Mr George said:— "There is nothing in which I feel more honoured than in the presence of that man. He has been a little in advance of this time. Ten years ago he gave you what would have made you the leading Englishspeaking community in the whole world — the root and beginning of the single tax. But it was too early. Though the seed was sown, the ground had not been prepared; but I trust he may still live to see that seed springing up and growing into a tree to overshadow the whole earth. 'Whether he does or not is a matter, however, of little moment. When it is his time to go he will know that the work he has done has not been useless work. It matters not now who dies, time and the tides are with us. All we want is discussion. Our enemies serve us only a little less than our friends. The only thing we fear is being ignored, and the day for that is past." At the close of the meeting Mr George returned to the Mariposa, and was soon on his way to Sydney. .