NOTES AND COMMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19158, 26 October 1925, Page 8

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

CAPITAL AND PROGRESS. "In spite of the fact that economic change will not always be effected in the best interests of society, and in spite of the exceptional unevenness of the rate of change with its incidental disharmonies which may be produced, there seems little question that the rise of capitalistic undertakings has introduced economic innovations of very great net social advantage," writes Mr. Maurice Dobb in his book "Capitalist Enterprise and Social Progress." "Capitalist undertaking has been par excellence a progressive force, as the material progress of the last century bears witness. On the civilisation of' Western Europe its influence was revolutionary and iconoclastic and resulted in a wide refashioning of things annw. The results of its coming in the New World have been equally remarkable, and they show fair to be more remarkable still in the ancient civilisations of Asia. In this value as a progressive force lies its chief advantage over classless individualism; and so long as this outweighs the disturbing effects with which its consort, monopoly, embarrasses it, these latter will tend to bo lightly regarded in the main as the necessary price of economic progress. The plea that 'it works' is usually for habitridden humanity sufficient persuasion." THE MODERN ECONOMIC ORDER. "All of us should distrust extravagant politico-economic adventures," writes Bishop Barnes in the Modern Churchman. "What is called, in Socialist parlance, capitalism does produce social injustice. We admit and deplore the fact. But so far human thought has failed to devise any successful alternative to it. It has been created by a long process of experiment. It is the foundation of modern trade, industry and finance. It has consequently brought vast populations into existence who may resent its working; but, as the Russian experiment shows, I they starve without it. We must, I especially at a time of profound unrest like tho present, beware of impracticable J idealism. Because we dislike many results of our present economic system we should be foolish to destroy it until we have something both better and workable to put in its place. What we need to attempt to-day is to extend the range of Christian idealism within the economic order which we have inherited. Let us seek to transform that order from within. We certainly cannot get outside it. unless we break it to pieces; and that way leads to anarchy." BUSINESS AND SERVICE. "The solution c c the economic problems of the day is in the last resort dependent on there first being a moral revival," said Canon Streeter in a sermon in Westminster Abbey. "By the words, 'moral revival,' I mean a complete change in the attitude both of the individual and ,of society toward all tho complex issues of commerce and finance, capital and labour, work and organisation. What is ' wanted is a new morality of work, a new morality of co-operation, and a heightI ened"" sense of responsibility which will regard both production and distribution as being not only means of individual profit, but as vital and necessary .activities of public service." He remarked that the medical profession and the ser- | vice of the Church were already universally regarded in that light, both by the people and by the men engaged in them, with the result that public opinion acknowledged the value of their services, and the individual was primarily interested in his work as a service, rather than in the remuneration lie received. "There already exists in the world of commerce the delight in efficiency foi its own sake; there already exists a real love of good work well done, a healthy rivalry in the quality of goods or in the promptitude of goods delivered; there is a high pride in the honourable traditions of a firm. This spirit, which is the salt of modern commerce, is simply another, and, as it were, the internal, aspect of the conception of merce as public service," be added. "Personal profit, I readily admit, is a motive which will always actuate humanity, but I do maintain that there are very few men who are wholly indifferent to the claims of public service; and there are very few who do not prefer honesty, efficiency and good work to their opposit es." PERILS OF THE SPECIALIST. An appeal for general rather than special ability was made by Dr. J. Basil Hall, president of the British Medical Association, in an address to the Academy of Medicine in Toronto, which, though addressed to doctors, has a general application. "It is said, not infrequently, that a specialist is an individual who knows everything about his own particular subject, but nothing about anything else," said Dr. Hall. "That definition may lie only a cynical g'be. but I cannot help thinking that it might become a sober truth, and I would urge that the attainment of a high degree of any ability can be reached only by those who realise that wide general knowledge must be the foundation upon which all professional eminence can be built. lo be content to learn one thing, and one thing only, is surely a poor ambition. It may bring wealth and worldly success, but it very rarely brings real greatness. 'Everything of something, but something of everything' is surely the inotto which all of us should adopt. • . . While

it is a great thing to he able to do something better than anyone else, it is a much greater thing to be known as a great scientific worker, who can l»ing to bear upon his special craft a knowledge iif human nature and all those attributes which make men truly great. Those who work for the love of working in the first place work for the advancement of knowledge and the r.niveisal benefit ot mankind. will obtain a great recognition and an ultimate worldly success. 1 would commend the words of Thoreau when he says: If a. man advance confidently in the direction of his dreams and endeavours 11» live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.' "