PROGRESS AND AFTERWARDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9217, 21 November 1888, Page 5

PROGRESS AND AFTERWARDS.

ADDRESS BY THE REV. E. H. GULLIVER. At the Forester's Hall, yesterday evening, an address on the subject " Progress and Afterwards" was delivered by the Rev. E. H. Gulliver, under the auspices of the AntiPoverty Society. There was a crowded attendance, tiir George Grey presided. Before the proceedings opened, Miss Hamilton played a pianoforte selection. Sik George Grey, who was received with cheers, said he had been asked to preside over a meeting which he regarded as of the highest importance. All over the world great efforts were being made to put an end to the poverty which weighed upon men with so great severity. Able men were turning their attention to the alleviation of the sufferings of the poor, and he was delighted when he heard that a society with that object had been started in Auckland, and that an able man like Mr. Gulliver had chosen to speak that evening. (Cheers.) Mr. R. Batty, President of the Society, said the principles of the Anti-Poverty Society were those proposed by men like Herbert Spencer in tho old world, Henry George in the new, and Sir George Grey in tins Southern hemisphere. (Cheers.) The objects of the Society were what Henry George advocated, and not what he was said to advocate. (Hear, hear.) Present social conditions were the outcome of class legislation, and they maintained that right and good legislation would undo all that bad class legislation had brought about. Here they found in a country that laughed with plenty men compelled to suffer involuntary poverty, because of the social conditions prevailing. Mr. Batty instanced what had been done during the last session by class legislation. The society was not altogether composed of the residuum of the community, for amongst the members were many ministers of religion, and even one Cabinet Minister. (Applause.) The Rev. E. H. Gctlliver, who was also received with cheers, said he could not but feel that to a certain extent some justification might be required for his appearance upon that platform. He was not a statesman, nor an employer of labour, nor an artisan; he was a mere student, but having he trusted an undyiug sympathy in what was good and true, so far as he understood it. (Cheers.) His position, however, was not without its advantages ; he had no bias which would carry him to the right or to the left; he occupied the position of an on-looker, who could see more of the game than those who were engaged in it. The title of the Anti-Poverty Society was a winning one; and he hoped they would not be horrified if he mentioned in this regard the Jesuit Society. He did not mean that there was any connection between this organisation and the Anti-Poverty Society, but they found in the Jesuit Society an initiative idea, which acted as an incentive, leading the members to undergo all kinds of difficulties and dangers in the interests of their society, and, on other hand, they saw the most wonderful discipline. In the A.nti-Poverty Society there was aleo an initiative idea, and he hoped the members would copy the example of the members of the Jesuit Order in working for the object which thev had in view Mr. Gulliver went on to speak of the progress of the past two or three centuries, and alluded principally to the discoveries of steam and electricity. Steam had revolutionised commerce, so that the man who would succeed in commerce must possess the brain of a statesman. They saw space annihilated, and wealth increased to an enormous extent, and when they considered all that had been achieved they felt a natural pride, in spite of which, however, they might! not inaptly oompare themselves to children who disported in view of a contlagration, because, with all these marvels, they might, amongst the roar of the steamengine and the buzz of commerce, hear the sullen sound of those forces which might plunge them into anarchy, and which threatened an outburst worse than that which swept acro3s the face of ancient Europe. The speaker pointed out that immense fortunes werepossessed by such men as the Duke of Westminster, or the Duke of Bedford, and the merchant princes of London, whilst the poor around them were starving. It did not require muoh foresight to perceive the danger which threatened society when such a condition of things existed. Everyone feels and had felt with a keener appreciation since the publication of Henry George's "Progress and Poverty "—that the question of the land was an all-important one. The question was, Is it right to give this absolute freehold in land? and the answer to this question was, No. (Applause.) Nature herself laughed our freehold to scorn; men came and passed away, and Nature alone held the freehold, and said to everyone, " Six feet of soil is all that vou can claim, and even that is not freehold." (Cheers.) Again, as a matter of equity, it would not stand. To concede to any man the right to hold freehold was to give to him the right to enslave his fellow-men. What was the origin of the great estates ? Why, either the sword or fraud. Of course in this matter they must distinguish between the land and the property upon it. The land belonged to the individual, but the houses and improvements were as much personal property as the coat a man wore or the watch he carried in his pocket. (Applause). In remedying these evils of which they had to complain, a Draconian policy of confiscation would be wholesale robbery. The blame rested upon the community at large. (Cheers.) The question for statesmen wasTiow to convert wrong into right with as little trouble as may be, and Nature herself was the best guide in these matters. Mr. Gulliver concluded with an eloquent reference to the time to come when men would be bound by the common ties of universal brotherhood; and he resumed his seat amidst loud applause. On Dhe motion of Mr. Cowlet, Vice-Presi-dent of the Society, a vote of thanks was passed to Mr. Gulliver, and a similar vote was also accorded to Sir George Grey. Three verses of " Auld Lang Syne "were here sung with excellent effect by a lad named Arthur Hould, the audience joining in the chorus. Sir George Grey briefly replied. They had been told that though this earth teemed with everything that was good and desirable for man, millions starved. The reason for this was that man had hitherto failed to make fair and just laws for the distribution of property—(cheers)—and they had now to address themselves to the question of remedying this defect by good legislation. (Cheers.)