LOSING OUR BALANCE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIII, 13 February 1929, Page 6

LOSING OUR BALANCE

ATHLETIC PROWESS V. SCIENTIEIC ACHIEVEMENT LACK OF CIVIC SPIRIT (By Telegraph—Special td "The Mail”) AUCKLAND, This Day. In tlio course of an address to the Auckland Advertising Club on civic responsibilities, Mr W. J. lloidswortli, Chairman of the Auckland Power Board, said that athletic prowess was commendable, hut there was a danger that wo were losing our balance when the exploits of the All Blacks and of Tom ilccney received far greater attention and approbation than did the marvellous scientific achievement of Sir Ernest Rutherford. Our civic privileges had been obtained as the result of centuries of effort and much bloodshed, yet to-day we could get 17,000 to 20,000 any Saturday afternoon to a football match, hut the other day when a proposal of the utmost importance was submitted to the Auckland ratepayers only 8000 persons, representing 17 per cent, of the rateable population, took, the trouble to register their votes. The speaker deplored the absence of an active civic spirit. rliis had been attributed to indolence, hut a well known authority considered it due to lack of moral earnestness.