METHODS OF SOCIAL REFORM.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 17708, 17 February 1921, Page 8

METHODS OF SOCIAL REFORM.

REVOLUTION NOT THE WAY.

The folly of resorting to revolutionary methods was emphasised by Prof. T. A. Hunter in a lecture on "Sane Institutions" at a meeting in Wellington organised by the Labour Representation

Committee. Prof. Hunter said institutions are-always founded to meet the needs of the time, but gradually become conservative, look to the past instead of to the future, and very often end by opposing the very reform that their founders had in view. Like human beings, they are filled with generous enthusiasm in their youth, they achieve their immediate objective, the enthusiasm dies out, and* leaves an old age living the past and governed by vestee interests. To reform our institutions was often a difllcult task, but with labour and courage some of these institutions might yet Be made to look forward and serve human interests. To build up, outside the institution, another that would gradually take the place of the effete anl worthless one was also a, task worth while. But to smash the institution and see what happened was a most dangerous policy; history afforded many illustrations of the evils that follow in the train of the application of this method. It was true that revolution had producel benefits in the pa ?,' ™ they had ako nroducedVserious evils. They had been forced on i people whose patience had been exhausted by the cupidity and stupidity of its rulers. But while revolutions might come, no one in his senses would advocate them as a method of social reform. They were too wasteful and top doubtful. The forces once set loose were difficult to direct .There could be no doubt that the world was ripe for radical reconstruction of social relations, and of the institutions in which these were embodied. Not to use every endeavour to bring about the change by less wasteful methods than those of force would be a reflection on the intelligence of our people. i