NOTES AND COMMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19832, 30 December 1927, Page 8

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

THE RESORT TO SOLITUDE. That the instinct for solitude is an essential element of human nature is the subject of an essay in a recent volume by "Tha Gentleman with a Duster." He says: "It is not something imposed upon man from without, like a law of the State, or a discipline of religion; rather is it an impulse which rises spontaneously from the necessities of our being, and is as real a part of our nature as the instinct to sleep or the instinct for selfpreservation. It must not be regarded as an idiosyncrasy, or as a particular talent, or as an impulse of genius, but. as something common to the entire species. Indeed, as we may see for ourselves, this instinct to bo alone with oneself is obeyed at some time or another by all men, even the most worldly and the most brutal, but in general so casually and unintelligently that it is not recognised as having a profound origin and a profound purpose. By the majority of mankind it is a Ihing taken for granted, like Nature's demands for food and sleep, not examined, not reflected upon, not employed as a possible clue to tho happiness of true existence. It is in truth a movement of the soul toward tho happiness that comes of self-know-ledge, and solitude itself is an opportunity gratefully to be lised by a rational mind for cross-examination of its labours and its pleasures, lest both should be delusions, with no part or lot in reality."

THE PROGRESS OF MANKIND,

"One of the beliefs of the Victorian age, on which we now look back with an amazed wonder, was its doctrine of progress, as something that was practically automatic and inevitable," says Dr. Archibald Alexander, minister of St. John's Wood Presbyterian Church, London, in a recently-published volume of essays. "The bewildering extension of knowledge in that generation, together with the new way of thinking of life in terms of development, led to a belief in human progress that was independent of man's choice or exertion; the mechanism, in some manner, worked itself, and the world was practically bound to get better all the time. Mankind was on an escalator, so to speak, and must in the end arrive. It was a singularly comfortable and complacent doctrine. But unfortunately it is not true, as we have discovered. For the war came, with its sudden jolt and crash and lapse into barbarism; and with many, many more precious things, the escalator theory of human progress 'went west.' We learned then, through blood and tears, that nations, like men, could take tho wrong turning and drive headlong down the hill. And, so far from the gains of civilisation being fool-proof, they had sometimes to be fought for, and died for. There is such a thing also as devolution, degeneration and descent. No, we don't believe in automatic progress any more. We don't believe that it is possible to drift up stream. Unless wo row, and keep on rowing, we must drift down."

THE POWER OF SILENCE. "Proverbial wisdom has a saying to the effect that the tree of silence bears the fruit of peace, and we are witnesses to its truth. Throughout history poets and thinkers have testified to the value of silence as a source of inspiration. It clarifies the mind and brings peace to the heart," Sir Charles Wakefield, a former Lord Mayor of London, wrote recently. "Little wonder, therefore, thai, the two minutes' silence of Armistice Day has established itself as one of those occasions upon which it is true to say that all hearts beat as one. Whoever first suggested this form of commemoration—if it was one person, and not the outward evidence of the working of the Divine spirit of peac-e in all hearts—deserves well of as. It is the only one of the many possible ways of celebrating the cessation of hostilities that is rightly becoming a permanent part of our national life. Year by year the silence itself becomes more moving, more beautiful, more pregnant with meaning. It is the effective central idea of the ceremony—the silence itself —that is so deeply moving. Many eloquent and sincere words have been, spoken; religious services have been given the due note of solemnity; ecclesiastical, official and civic dignitaries have laid wreaths upon memorials, and played their fitting part in appropriate ceremonial. All these are good and necessary accompaniments, but the universal assent which one feels is now given to Armistice Day celebrations comes from another source. This national and international rite of solemn remembrance gains its far-reaching influence from the healing, consecrating, and unifying power of silence. It is a fitting tribute to our glorious dead and a reaffirmation of our hopes for the future."

MIGRATION FROM BRITAIN, l'he relation between migration and unemployment was discussed by Sir Robert Home m a speech in Glasgow. He said that in 1913, the rate of emigration from Britain was 223,000; in 1925 the figure had declined to 84,000. In 1926 it had risen to 115,000, o; which 93,000 went to Imperial settlements, but that figure was still 100,000 less than the number which emigrated in 1913. The problem of unemployment, was, he thought, very little understood. Although there were 1,200,000 people unemployed, there were in employment approximately as many people as were employed before the war. The vast army of unemployed was due in the main to a surplus which had remained because people had not been emigrating at the pre-war rate. If emigration had proceeded at the same rate as before the war there would not have been this great difficulty. Since the* war every Government inducement had been offered to people to try their fortunes overseas. When ho was Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1922 he set aside £3,000,000 a year from the revenue for the purpose of giving help to schemes of migration, involving training, settlement and cost of transport. The fate of that fund was remarkable. There was to be available in the first year £1,500,000 and after that £3,000,000 a year for 15 years. But down to 1926 out of £10,500,000 available through this arrangement only £1,500,000 had been called upon. Sir Robert Hornc quoted a conversation with a Canadian Minister who had pointed out that, while Continental people offered to go to Canada if they would only be admitted, the British people for the most pqi't would go to Canada only if they wore helped.