THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES TUESDAY, MAY 1, 1894.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10037, 1 May 1894, Page 2

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES TUESDAY, MAY 1, 1894.

In Dr Fixbiay's interesting address at the opening of the Otago University there was an implied severity against ■what may be called the new school of political economy. The problem at issue between the two may broadly be stated thus: Is political economy the science of how to make money, or how to make men ? The older school set out -with the former assumption, adopting as its premises principles that if not wholly false were only partially true. It reached conclusions which were limited and harsh in their practical issue. It was these conclusions that roused the wrath of men like Buskin, Caulxle, Matieice, and Kingsley! None of these were experts in the so-called science of political economy. But they were experts in the needs and rights of humanity. They had the feelings and instincts of men for their fellow men. They were sure that the principles which led to the state of things prevalent amongst the masses half a century ago could not be true. One of these principles was

an axiom that everybody would act from self-interest and take the easiest way to grow rich. Mr Gbadgrikd, in Dickexs's finest book, "Hard Times," is scarcely a caricature of the accepted theories of the political science of his time. He is asked to admit some higher motive than "self-interest." He

answers, "No. The whole social system is a question of self-interest. What you must always appeal to is a person's self-interest. It's your only hold." There were those in our own country and on the Continent who scouted these principles. They did not believe that the true function of political

science was making money, but making men. They conceived that any economic system which did not embrace the distribution as well as the accumulation of wealth could not be other than a delusion and a snare, and they repudiated with scorn the idea that selfinterest could ever be the fixed basis of any science which had the well-being of man in view. Man and not money is henceforth the spirit and goal of the new political science. The acceptance of this ideal carried with it issues which completely transformed the old school. In nothing is the change so marked as in the departure from this axiom of self-interest. M. Charles Pemn-, whom the late Professor De Laveleyb terms a " political economist of high merit" in his work " De la Richesse dans les Socic'tcs Chretiennes" (3rd cd.), claims to demonstrate that it is the principle not of self-interest but of self-renun-ciation which alone can resolve economic and social problems, and Professor De Layeleye says: " The more I study ancient and modern facts the more I find this opinion worthy a serious examination. At all events, it is certain that the grandest human actions have been accomplished by humanity under the influence of altruistic sentiments. ... Political economy, reduced to the abstract formula; of your natural laws, is an emptier scholasticism than that of the Middle Ages. It is on this account it has lost credit, not only in Germany and Italy, but far more in the land of its birth—England." Our purpose is, however, not to discuss political economy new or old, but to draw attention to a singula confirmation of these words of MM. Pehiit and Layeleye which we have just quoted. Some of our readers, we presume, will have read " A Colony of Mercy," by Julie Sutxeb. This book is a description of a remarkable social experiment which lias been going forward for some time in Germany. A certain Pastor BoDELScmviireii undertook philanthropic work among the unfortunate class of epileptics. Like General Booth, he was led on from this to consider the general problem of the homeless and unemployed in his country. There were at the time his mind was turned in this direction an army of about 150,000 to 200,000 homeless •wanderers in Germany. That was about 10 years ago. There are now practically none. The work of Pastor Bodelsciiwixgu has transformed these waifs and strays into sturdy and industrious citizens, either in the land of their birth or in other lands, but for the most part the former. Here is an object lesson for other nations. There is surely something here which we in this colony ought to read, learn, and inwardly digest. How lias this experiment been conducted? What were the methods by which Pastor Bodelschwisgh and his association accomplished such results i It is impossible within the limits of this article to set these out in detail. We can only refer our readers to Miss Suttee's book. It will be enough to say that it was by the planting of labour colonies here and there throughout the country. There are now 26 of these colonies in Germany. We call them labour colonies, but the Germans " Arbeiter-colonie," M'hich is a different thing. It means working men's colonjr. There is something in the name, for, as Miss S utter says, a labour colony has somewhat ominous suggestions about it. In addition to these six-and-twenty colonies there are_ some 2000 of what are called relief stations. The object of these is to give the tramping, labour, shifting population food and a night's shelter in return for the work with

which they pay their waj". "It is simply a fact," writes Miss Suttee in a recent article in a Home paper, " marvellous though it seem, that this network of mercy, quietly but steadily spreading over the land, has gathered in the unemployed, the vagrant, the outcast—keeping them from begging and from the publichouse, and cheering them on their.way till regular labour is found: and it can bo found, for all

these stations are also labour agencies, and the honest unemployed need not tramp for ever. The inveterate unemployed, the hopelessly demoralised out-of-work, by means of this network is soon brought to book. He may find himself in the house of correction in tho end, there to consider his ways. For a wholesome discipline goes along with this charity : in order to lift up a man you must have a grip of him."

Ivow, there are one or two tilings which this experiment should bring home to us. There is, first of all, the need of rooting tho people on the soil. Germany's trouble; England's trouble ; the trouble of all the older nations is

this expropriation of tho people from the land. Miss Suttee, in the'articlc above referred to, says that "homo" is an_ English word, "the key to all that is noble and pure and beautiful in the nation . . . Yet there is not a more homeless race than the landlord-ridden people of England. . . . The land belongs to the few. The people, having none of it, have drifted to _the_ cities, and the result is that vast individual homelessness we call by a collective name ' unemployed, out-of-work' England. It is fast growing to be the national punishment for a national sin." We have not readied that stage in the colony, yet we have a sufficient

number of the unemployed to cause us grave anxiety. This experiment of Pastor JioDELScinvijrGii's should be carefully studied by us. "We believe that it marshals us the right way to go in dealing with this class. The Stale farms which the Government are estab-

lishing may be a step in the right direction. There is a danger, however, that the experiment may be tried on too extensive a scale. One of the secrets of Pastor Bodelsciiwinoh's success lay in its modesty. He began on a very small scale. As he says himself, '■ I set to work humbly." And so ho has gone on dotting over the country these "arbeiter" colonies and these hundreds of relief stations. It is not by the establishment of a few costly farms, but by the multiplicity of small ones, under local control, that we

shall deal successfully with the idle and the unemployed. We have reserved to the last the feature which is perhaps the main element in the success o£ the

experiment of which we have been

speaking, jf you had spoken of

love as an - economic factor, the' old school of economists would have laughed in your face. Nevertheless no one can read the story of "A Colony of Mercy" ■without realising that it is this very element which is the Strongest force of this movement. "Love is the great propeller," said Bodelsciiwingii, when a little over 10 years ago he planted the first colony. " You only need enough of it, and set to work humbly." Here possibly emerges our real difficulty. We must have clever men—men who understand farming—firm, clear-headed men as directors of these colonies, or State farms, as we call them here. 13ut this is not enough. We want also men of character—men who are touched with a feeling of the importance of their feelings—men who can inspire, trust, and draw out the best that is in others. The office of director ought not to be tho reward of political partisanship. "It must be given to those who are touched with a spirit of devotion, who care more to help their brother men than to make comfortable places for themselves." It may not be difficult to find such, but to get the powers that bo to appoint such is the real crux; yet without a willingness to set to work under the guidance of this principle, BodelscmviNGii's wonderful work -will have no fruitful lesson for us.

Mr Paulin telephoned last night as follows ;— " Light to moderate N»E. toN.W. winds, some rain showers, and barometer falling." The Hon. J. G. Ward (Colonial Treasurer) and the Hon. J. M'Kenzie (Minister forLanda) both go to Hyde this moaning, and will be present at the ceremony of opening the Otago Central railway to Moloney's. The Minister for Lands is to be entertained at a banquet at Hyde this evening, and will proceed to-morrow to Naseby, whence he will return to his homo at Shag Point. On Saturday he will leave for the north. The Colonial Treasurer will return to Dunedin this evening with the rest of the party who are to be present at the opening of (be Otago Central extension, and will leave for Inveroargill to-morrow morning. The Railway Commissioners notify the following changes in the classification of goods -.—Gas, liquefied carbonic acid, in solid drawn steel tubes (owner's risk), Class A; oilcake, New Zealand-made (owner's risk), Class E. The charges for the 12-trip commutation tickets (which are confined to the second class) commence with Is 6d for two miles and increase by 6d for each mile up to 20, which coßts 10s 6d for the 12 tickets. The difficulty in the way of trustees placing money in the Post OSce Savings Bank was brought under the notice of the Hon. J. G. Ward, Colonial Treasurer, yesterday by Mr F. Whinam, secretary of the Dunedin branch of the Amalgamated Carpenters' Union, who was introduced by Mr W. Hutchison, M.H.R. Mr Whinam explained that what was desired waa to have a current account, but the bank refused to take the money as the union was not registered in this colony. In reply, the Colonial Treasurer said the present arrangement was really a safeguard. A man who put money in the bank was the only person who could withdraw it, but in the case of trustees they might disagree among themselves, or with their union, or any body they represented, and if that occurred there might be a dispute. The bank, therefore, must protect itself. He would submit the matter, however, to the law officers to see if the difficulty could be overcome. Mr Whinam remarked that ia Christchurch the Carpenters' Union had an open account in the Post' Office Savings Bank, and Mr Ward said he would make inquiries concerning it. Tho Rev. A. S. Bowden, 8.A., who has been recently appointed to St. Mary's Church, Mormngton, was welcomed at a social gathering of the members of the church and congregation, which was held in the Temperance Hall, Msrnington, last evening. There was a large attendance. Mr James Horsburgh presided, and, on behalf of those present, extended a cordial welcome to,, the Key. Mr Bowden. Occasion was also taken to bid farewell to the lev. Mr Cotes, who has left St. Mary's, Mornington, and has been appointed to the church at Queenstown. Short addresses were given in reply, and some very good music was contributed during the evening, under the direction of Mr J. Easton, the church organist.

Tho vital statistics for the present month are:—Births, 110; deaths, 43; marriages, 48. For tho corresponding mouth of last year they wero:—Births, 95; deaths, 30; marriages, 33. The Auckland correspondent of the Christchurch Pres3 states that when Pastor Blaikie, of tho Tabernacle, proceeded to hold his usual open-air services in front of the City Hall he found a man with a barrel-organ and a monkey in possession. The blending of sacred and secular music was so irresistibly comic that a orowd of several hundred psoplo soon assembled. The young lady who played the harmonium for Pastor Blaikie had no chanco against tho barrel-organ, aided by tho meretricious attraction of the red-petticoated, cockod-hatted monkey, but was encouraged to persevere by the choir tinging "Hold the fort." At this stage Constable Bastgato put in an appearance, but, (lading both pirties had permits, he adopted a policy of masterly inactivity, and retiring, left the solution of the difficulty to the

"survival of tho fittest." The crowd began to take sides, one section being for the pistor and the other for tho barrel-organ man, and msro particularly the monkey; ao that there seemed a probability of a serious street quarrel. Constable Howell, who was unaware that Constable Eastgate had been about, capo oa the scene, and, witnessing conduct which he thought likely to create a breach of the peaca in a public thoroughfare, interposed and requested the barrel-organ man to move on. This, after some parley, he did. Somo of the tradesmen in the vicinity complain that these street services in the midst of tho day interfere with business. A branch of the Christian Endeavour Society —an organisation which is rapidly extending iv all parts of the colony—was formed in the Wesleyau Church, Mornington, last evening. News was received yesterday of the death of Captain Matthew Gibson, who was well known in this port us master of the Jesisia Readman. Captaiu Gibson (who died on the voyage between Manila and Singapore) waa married in Dunedin to Jlisa Cochrane, whoso mother resides at Maori Hill.

Tho Ball Committee of tho Caledonian Society, at a meeting held last night, tho president (Mr H. S. Fish) occupying tho chair, decided to bold a ball in tho beginning of June. Some years have elapsed since tha society last held a ball, and tho gathering was on tbat occasion regarded as haviDg had a boneficial effect ia promoting social intercoureo among

tho members. It is hoped the revival of the ball will this year produce similarly satisfactory results.

It is questionable whether Mr W. S. Gilbert's fine mythological comedy, "Pygmalion and Galatea," has ever previously, at any time or anywhere, been produced at suoh low prices as

those charged by the Keimedy-Deering Company at tho Princess Theatro last evening— prico3 which were certainly not warranted by tho quality of the entertainment, for it was of a distinctly creditable and satisfactory nature. Misa Linda Raymond's performance as Gilates was calculated to enhanco her reputation as a pleasing and painstaking actrefs; Me Oily :i>eerit)g revelled in the part of Chrysas, the ait patron ; and Mr Norton suitably represented Pygmalion. Not content with ottering the publio a lerformance of "Pygmalion aud Oal.itea," tho management supplemented tho Gilbertian comedy with the well-known Irish farcical comedy. "O'Callnghan on His Lnst Legs'," iv which Mr J. J. Kennedy, in tho part of Felix O'Callaghan, kept the audience in roars of laughter. Tho company, who are honestly deseiviug of public patronage, will this tvoniuj? produce "Hans tho Boatman," which, at tho ridiculously low prices charged, should draw a crowded house.

An exhibition of work is to bo opened in the Garriuon Hall on May 21 in aid of tho Dominican Convent buildiug I'uud. A very large number of beautiful and useful articles have been collected, and from an artistic point of view it is believed that the display which will be made has never been surpassed here. Arrangements are in progress for other adjuncts to the exhibition.

Shareholders in tho Mosgiel Woollen Factory Company can now obtain dividend warrants. laiies interested in the proposed ladies' social to the Hon J. M'Keiizie are invited to a preliminary meeting at Palmerston on Thursday afternoon.

Claims in the estates of Georgo Lousley and George Thomson, Balclutha, should be sent in at once to Mr O H. Statham,.trade assignee. ~ . vP p resbytery of Dunedin meet on Wednesday in First Church.

The opening meeting of the Savage Club will be held in St. Matthew's Schoolroom next Monday.

The annual meeting for the Chalmers Licensing District will be held on Tuesday, Juno 5 Passengers for London by the Coptic leave for Lyttelton on Wednesday by the Manapouri. The Pott Chalmers Borough Council will hear and determine objections to the burgess list on Monday, 7th inst. The ordinary general meeting of the Trustees, Executors, and Agency Company will be held on Friday, llth inst.

Heller's Bonanza Coterie commence their northern tour on Thursday at Waikouaiti. We have received Stone's ABC Guide and Diary for Hay. We have to acknowledge receipt of the annual iSSS tbe Otago Benevolent Institution for

The Dunedin Parliamentary Union resume their meetings in the Chamber of Commerce on 1 riday evening at 7.30. There are a few vacancies m_ the membership, and persons desirous of joining are requested to send in their names to the secretary. An extraordinary general meeting of the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce will be held on Wednesday, 9th mat., to consider a resolution to alter the articles of association. The annual atatutory meeting of ratepayers in the FortobeHo Road Board district will be held on Friday next.

Consult Peteb Dick, the most reliable Watchmaker. Moray place, Dunedin (opposite Coffee Palace). Watches cleaned, ss; mainsprings, 4s od.—[Advt.j John Hislop, Watchmaker and Jeweller, 74 Princes Btreet. The oldest established house in »»■•. RePs ira, of all kinds. Good assortment Watches Clocks, and Jewellery. Spectacles to suit all sights.—[Advt.] Messrs A. and J. M'Farlane beg to call attention to their advertisement over the leader. Any orders entrusted to them will receive the best attention.—[Advt.] " In chest affections your sodawater, when combined with milk, contains nioro nutriment than beef tea. — Dunedin Practitioner to Messrß Thomson and Co.—fADvr.J ™»»« G. and T. Young, 88 Princes street, are now selling Taylor's first quality Bowling Green Bowls at 19s; extra quality, 22s 6d a pair. G. and T. Young have an efficient staff of watchmakers and jewellers. Repairs a specialty; moderate prices. Advt.j