WHANGAREI MUTUAL IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION.

Northern Advocate, 14 May 1887, Page 2

WHANGAREI MUTUAL IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION.

On Friday, May 6th, the class held its usual weekly meeting. The night was fine, and the attendance was good, more than half of the audience being ladies. This was a pleasant contrast to the first few meetings of last season, when very little interest was taken in the proceedings except by the class. : . Five new members were balloted in, and two others proposed. The president, Mr W. A. Carruttfthen addressed the class on the benefit to be derived by taking part in the debates. He advised his hearers to express themselves briefly and to the point, because it was not the man who said most that carried the day. The object therefore of each member should be to speak, whenever an opportunity arose, logically and correctly, put aoove all briefly, and Ins arguments would carry all the more weight. He knew of no other cure for bashfulness than that of getting up. on one's feet and saying something, let it be ever so little at first, until the speaker acquired confidence, which was bound to come in the long run. Again it would be advisable not to have the debates too high toned, so that every one could join in with freedom. Referring to : the library, he thought it was a very good one, but at the same time deprecated the idea of members reading up a certain book for the purpose of taking part in a particular debate. This in many cases might lead to the debaters unconsciously passing off the writer's opinions for their own. The president then threw out a subject f o* discussion, namely, ' ' The unemployed, and to what cause should we attribute their existence in such numbers? Wbb it owing to the introduction of machinery? Was it free trade or protection that affectea them most ? Lastly was it their unwillingness to accept work except at high wages P " Mr D. 0. Wilson, vice-president, then addressed the class. He reminded them that a lively interest was taken in their proceedings by readers of the Advocate, aud each member should be proud to know that, when he addressed the cl&ss, he also virtually addressed an audience of 1000 people who read the ADVOCATE, This should make them careful to 'tise their best thoughts and r avoid rash statements. The latter 'fault would, however, soon be cured by other members of the class. And, supposing again, that a young man was given to jump at conclusions, t o form rash prejudices, or to be uncourteou< in argument, ho could find no better school than a debating sooiety. The chief benefit however lay in the exchange of ideas. Each member received the ideas of a number of other members, and that given in a form likely to dwell iri'tho memory. It was by the ideas of a great number of men and women that we have arrived at our present state of knowledge and civilization, each learning from ttieir fellows or from those generations which had gone before them. He thought also that the ladies attending the class would ' benefit by learning to argue logically. This was a serious defect in the female character which they might correct. 'He hoped then that when the young ladies present came to silence their husbands in future, which no doubt they would, that they would cause less soreness _by silencing them in a logical manner. ' . The Rev. J. I)ukes, vice-president^ then gave some excellent advice on the choice of books to be road by the blas&C Some men read only one newspaper, commencing at the births, deaths, &o» ' JWJ&jjoing iright "through ifcL_ j Tii4kM n a^ of reining; generally had <s? on the mind that a.heterogenous masii of food had on the digestion ; it spoilt it. He considered that reading everything that came to hand in a hap-hazard way was a positive injury, nor did he consider it a wise thing for a man to try and read himself up on a large number of scientific subjects. If he did he would be apt to fail in his object. But if each member would read up one particular subject until he thoroughly understood it, the class might be made a benefit to f *th© whole community. For this purpose he would recommend the use of epitomes, Manchester Science, Lectures, &c. He approved of a certain class of novels as a brain restorer, instancing such works as those of Scott, Dickens, and ThackStay, but was sorry to state that this heathy class of novels were not so much reajl as those of a type which he considered most injurious. Every member of the class however should read English history and literature, also biography, always bearing in mind that a man's biography was generally witten by his friend, and making -allowance accordingly. Mr J. Wilson then criticised the speeches briefly and favourably, but there was not sufficient time for much expression of opinion by the remainder of the class. • '■'■* The subject to-night (Friday, tv« 1 3th May) will be "Is Pauperism Hereditary." Affirmative, Mr F, Street; negative, Mr D. C. Wilson. This touches on one of the burning questions of the day, and should provoke a stiff discussion.