LIFE'S BURDEN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20689, 11 April 1929, Page 9

LIFE'S BURDEN

GOLD AND MATERIAL THINGS. LITERARY REVIVAL EXPECTED. (United Press Association.! CBy Electric Telegraph— Copyright) VANCOUVER. April D. Addressing the conference of the National Council of Education, Sir Archibald Strong (professor of English at the Adelaide University) stated: “Life today is staggering under a burden dazzled by gold and by material things; but to hold that such a condition is permanent is as wrong as to deny the presence of such a burden. The whole history of the past is ground for the belief that there will be a literary revival. Wherever there is suffering, and wherever there is faith in life, higher spiritual values are still alive. Time is common to all, but leisure is the priceless property of civilised man.” The speaker sketched the history of English literature. Referring to the changed conditions, he said that the greatest tragedy of literature was the divorce of the poetic drama from the theatre. . He urged that the means to overcome the situation would be to establish national theatres. Mr George Jeffrey, of Adelaide, urged that Canada should pay more attention to sheep raising. He added: “These British Columbia hills would be grand for sheep, but as long as you don’t think so we shall be glad to ship wool and mutton from Australia.” The conference has aroused tremendous interest, and thousands are being turned away from the meetings.—Australian Press Association.