THE STANDARD OF CONDUCT.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CI, Issue 11884, 6 May 1899, Page 6

THE STANDARD OF CONDUCT.

A few months ago- the Ang&an Bishop of Ballarat, speaking at a Church Congress in Victoria, said something about the manners and moral tendencies of-the AustraEani people. The speaker was severe, almost bitter, in his denunciation, He-, said, in so many words, that the standard of conduct among Australians was lower than it was in most other countries, that virfcuo<aisdconsistency wore wanting, andi that intemperance, gambling, lust and lax living were prevalent to a painfull and deplorable-ex-tent. Possibly the Bishop, who -was addressing a select gathering of his own Church, did' not expect his wordsrin. create a sensation- outside hisown dmiMnanation. He may 'have merely in&arded thcm-us a warning or.an-exbortatdoa to-iis ownJlock, Whether this 'was his intention or mob, he' was no doubt a little- surprised at the din 1 whichiho -created. His-vory-oandkbcri&ißra. awakmwd a-arntrovarsy the-edmes-ofwhich have-not-died away yet. AustaaiiafflM»atives,— and even those who were not-nastives, protested, through their organisations and through the Press, that they bad- been made the victims of biassed and altogether unfounded charges. The indignation in tome quarters was almost amusing. Ifthe community had been-as much above suspicion as the average schoolboy believes Caesar's - wife to have been, the censure of the Ballarat Bishop-could not have been repochated with-a finer show of injured innocence. But, while the case for the defence was taken up with avidity, the critic had pteaiy of support. Teachers and moralists, and, indeed, most people who looked at the matter impartially, were wilHng to admit that the Bishop had by nomeans overstated'the-case. They were inclined to think that -he might i have said- a great -deal more. Amid the hubbub which he. raised about his ears Bishop Thornton remained silent, prasessmg hiasoui in exemplary patience. Thisrweek, however, he has declared himself to be quite convinced that the criticism of his remarks has done no more than to show that they were justified. Whatever other people-may think, his own conclusions remain unshaken. He is satisfied that the Australians-are a very long way indeed from being what they ought to be. Prom this distance it would be^be-nde-the' ■ qußstiott- fco say wliether-the-sbamlard of conduct in Australians better orworse4han-thab set elsewhere. But if anyone’wants to-ibvy an indictment against a ptopie, the teak ia never very difficult; We have no doubt that a certain class of critic could find plenty nf material. f or a general diatribe, against ■ thb . manners and morals of the people of this city.. The indictment could be; made just as strong as that set-out by the Australia Bishop. By taking. a case here and a case there, by looking through a Police Court’ calendar, or even by taking, a walk at night through some of our streets the local censor of morals nught-easUy ]srsnade-him-self that Christchurch was nr a desperately bad way. Provided -only that be lookeclfbr the bad and ignored the good, be . emdd make out the most-dismal of oases and support it by facts and figures-and by chapter and verse. For our own part, we think that no good purpose is served, by a procedure of this kind We are optimistic enough to believe that' tboworld is becoming more enlightened, that it is learning to assimilate principles of conduct, and that it is on that account getting better. Sins and- excesses there always will be, at any rate for a long-time yet, but a careful observer of social conditions, in Australia'- oould probably find just as much to praise- s-sdho Bishop of Balarathaa-found toddame. For the present, leaving aside' th© ; more general question,, we might appropriately' consider whether there is any habit or trait to which the colonial, by‘"virtue of his surroundings, is more addicted than ore other people. Probably no one would have raised an, outcry if the critic had said that the average Australian was more irreverent and less per- . sistent than the average Englishman. 1 Points ; like these axe of general observation. Tradition, whether of family tie or title, goes for very little in Australia. Custom has not - ■ had time to take deep root. The result i* more independence, more liberty of a-land,; but possibly more thriftlessness and ;lesd- >• capacity to achieve great results. s In many I’espepts we in New Zealand axe ■■ niore fortunately circumstanced than • our neighbours. There are in Australia- certain- - ' conditions that tend to react upon character •' in anything but a beaoficiall way, ■ The di* •••? mate hot. and -enervating, the Big cities that - 1 ;

-'attract what is worst as well as best of bnrina.nit.yj the long, monotonous stretches 1 of country, the sudden changes from drought to flood and from disaster;, to prosperity, are hll imposed to the formation of habits of '■ ■ patience -and endurance. The .Australian will speculate because speculation, is in the ■ air." The element of chance is something he cannot ignore. A good season may mean fortune, or a bad one the reverse. And then there is the climate, which for the greater part of the year is hot enough to discourage steady, continuous and persevering work. In New Zealand, on the other hand, although ■ our isolation is at present a drawback, we have most of the elements that conduce to achievement. It is quite true that in some important walks of life Australia has made the greater progress. But in.whatever relates to character and conduct, the advantages, as far as they depend upon outward i conditions, are with ourselves. If a hot sun ■ can sap moral fibre, the New Zealand sun i> fortunately pot hot enough. If variety and natural beauty-can inspire a people, as WB believe [they cap, New Zealand has both in abundance. We do not anticipate an ideally -or a morally perfect race of the kind that,the ascetic Bishop of Ballarat seems io set .before him.- But strength and character 'ate alike desirable, and it is worth while pointing out that in whatever goes to form them’this colony is fortunate above West of jher