THOUGHT AND MORALS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18519, 2 October 1923, Page 3

THOUGHT AND MORALS.

Sir,— apparent impossibility of ar- ...; . riving at' any correct statistical judgment.Y as to the amount, of immorality that exists ';_{ ill New Zealand--leaves',us', perhaps, further ,y.i confirmed -in a happy conviction "that; we * are, I after all,-no worse than ,other communities, "in spite; of;■...;'! the., unfortunate h announcements .' to the Y contrarjr' which ~ have been .erroneously";; made, arid ; which every honourable woman in the land has ; deeply resented. But while '.We' learn that matters '? are not as serious -as ; has ;; been imputed ; in; .this connection, ■' we ; cannot . overlook , the fact, that evil "does! exist and ■'';. must be organised .against: if :we arc to maintain ;-the, high ?■' standard of morality that,, such a richly-favoured land as ours ' surely calls for. Civilisation in its large centres seems to be urgently in need of some ■ very ""deliberate organisation for cleari : iniridedness.? I have proveS Ybyiex-Y;; s periment that good literature, - pictures, -"-Y--'. and music, ; if''suitably Ychbseii;Y will serve.;'; as: most valuable weapons. ; ".■-. I- have • in- „■.;.;',. terested people in these things, ■ find .have ; " ; : seen as a result the dawn of ae?/-respectji;>:-; arid: with self-respect almost inevitably comes respectability. Public "morals fan ■■■-. j be-'.; very.'' largely; : influenced. f through ;,. the public mind,: a" lofty development of com- i,.; munal ■ thought'; /and; ; what; • influences ':■; publifi thought : more quickly .than public: ■r- ■:" ; : hoardings? If our. city: hoardings ■: could;.; ■; offer :us a few.;' stimulating epigrams and .': brief quotations from bur; national; think- YYu ers and-writers, I am quite sure a surprising- amount of good would result.. .. :' Probably : wo T hava>; not yet quite attained a standard ;of community;thought 1 ./ above;-::.-the level of unclean^gossip; .which more. .-. •; frequently ' than not■". is keeping \ alive|• in /.'../;;■; our. midst ; the ', consciousness of evils •; which.: - ■ actuallyv do not • exist ab all, which is exceedingly harmful,. 'for the Very "con- , sciousness; of. evil is just ono^ of ;the' be- >•..■■ ginnings of it. I believe that ; the universal development of % better ; thinking -j lead- I; 'o)'.' ing ; to;; higher life; motives, throughout all. 5Y civilisatiipi>,", r . i if' J it ; could bo brought about; cYv •would prove one -of the" most -powerful means of saving the world from disaster, and public advertisement ; is' surely -one; of f;,.. the most simple and effective ways ,-of ; , accomplishing this. Y Millie A'.' Paeeer. ■ ;