SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20563, 14 May 1930, Page 12

SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS.

CONFERENCE AT WELLINGTON

PARLIAMENT DISCUSSED.

[BY TELEGRAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION.]

WELLINGTON, Tuesday.

Tho annual conference of the Australasian Association of Philosophy and Psy chology was opened yesterday.

Professor W. Anderson, of Auckland University College, delivered his presidential address on " The Individual and the Community." lie deprecated tho tendency to push the individual aspect in educational thought too , far, and criticised strongly such catch cries as " discovered aptitudes" and " agricultural bias."

Professor T. A.-Hunter read a paper on institutions social and anti-social, arguing that many institutions failed ( to achieve their objects, among tliem being parliaments. Ho criticised tho party system, tho evils of which wero increased according to tho number of parties. Trado unions, wjiether- of workers or professional men, were also criticised, tho speaker saying they protected their own members only without regard to tho community.

Mr. J. A. Nash and Mr. P. Fraser, M.P.'s, and others took part in the discussion which followed, Mr. Eraser accusing the speaker of ■" political potulanco" so far as his remarks about Parliament wero concerned. •

Mr. Fraser contended that the machinery of ParlianiQnt worked more efficiently than some of thcin thought, although it was f'' ll ' -from perfect. Instead of destroying their institutions they might examine them and see where they could he improved, to ,make them render the servico expected of them! Another speaker thought that while Professor Hunter had painted a pessimistic picture it was fairly proportionate. In the course of his reply Professor Hunter said the world had been suffering from an overdose of what America called " boosting," and it was time that they began to seo things in a truer perspective.