A Riddle for Psychologists

Maoriland Worker, Volume 13, Issue 31, 1 August 1923, Page 16

A Riddle for Psychologists

BEING A PAPER READ BEFORE THE WORLD'S ECONOMIC. CONGRESS, HELD _T' DELHI IN THE YEAR 3055, BY PROCESSOR YESSAM. In the year 3023 some archaeologists, in searching for evidence as to the standard of culture attained by the Inhabitants of an island in the Pacific, known as New Zealand, now uninhabited owing- to volcanic eruptions that, have rendered the place unsuitable for human habitation, came across some interesting discoveries relating to the political system in vogue up to the evacuation of the place by its inhabitants in the year 2014. In an iron box unearthed, they discovered • therein documents " which proved the existence of a system ■whereby men who had in time of warlent money to the Government, had for over 100 years extracted tribute from the Treasury for the use of that money. The documents themselves indicated that these bonds had been hanOtea down from father to son for three, generations. The archaeologists before this discovery had unearthed many things that proved the inhabitants had reach-" ed a high state of culture in the arts. Some of their poetry is really inspiring. Their examples of work in marble compares favourably with Grecian art, and they knew of, and put electricity to many varied and ingenious uses. . This apparent anomaly set the archaeologists to work to seek a solution of the puzzle. Instead of solving it they came across documents that to this day have confounded scientists as to why such a highly civilised. community .could submit to this glaring political chicanery. The document that puzzled them was a pension°certificate. It appears that when a man became crippled or ~wounded through war, the State granted him a pension to enable him to live.

Contrary to their expectations they could find no trace in any of the numerous law books of the nation that gave the holder of this pension certificate the right to transmit his pension to his heirs on the same principle as the money lender.

Though it may seem incredible to us, it is evident thatjf a father lost three sons in a war, he received £0 compensation, notwithstanding tbe fact that he spent much lnfmo.v.in oi-.' -.vi^Ving useful citizens of his sons —money that he in all probability would have saved had he not spent it as aforesaid. And even in some eases where a father was in receipt of a pension for services rendered to the State in time of war, it secmc that he could not transmit or will that pension to his children. On the other hand, a single man could invest money in Bonds and his title did not cease with the death of the principal, but the holder of such Bonds was by law enabled to transmit and will his bend to his nephew or friend, and they in turn could bequeath it to their children ad infinitum.

At the time of the discovery of this paradoxical system a great discussion arose in the world's press as to whether the inhabitants of the island at that time worshipped money as a God. Many writers quoted extracts from the law books discovered, showing how property and wealth were protected by every conceivable device whereas there was very little legislation embodied in these, books pertaining to the welfare of the majority of the people. Other writer*?, however, partially upset this theory, by proving the existence of many •churches and books that pointed to the fact that they worshipped a Spirit-ual-Being.

The general opinion now seems to be, that although they worshipped a Spiritual Being with their lips, they devoted most of their lives to the worship of what the churches in those days called Mammon. . One well-known writer, however puts forth the suggestion that after careful investigation into the question as to the ideas of the relative value of human life and wealth that these people held, came to the conclusion that the whole race was probably suffering from what is known as endemic insanity. This question, however, has never been really solved and there is certainly a very fruitful and useful field for psychologists in trying to unravel the mystery of how a people with every evidence of a high standard of ; intelligence, could tolerate a system that ennobled property and wealth 'and degraded human Iife.—NORMAN C. . _. __ . . ; -