WORKERS’ EDUCATIONAL ASSOCIATION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21671, 15 June 1932, Page 12

WORKERS’ EDUCATIONAL ASSOCIATION

CLASS NOTES. Considering that; this is its twelfth year of existence,' the Workers’ Educational Association class at Milton is showing a good deal of vitality. Endeavours to induce relief workers to attend have not so far been successful; nor was it found possible to institute a lunch-hour talk with the workers in the mill. On the other hand, an afternoon class for women looks like becoming successful, and, considering the number of engagements that women have, this is gratifying. Economic and political affairs are the subject of the moment, and this is shown by the members of both the Milton classes in their voluntary choice of studies relating to the slump and to the political state of Europe and the world. Every aspect of the policy of the New Zealand Government for dealing with the situation ban been investigated, and there have been keen discussions after each address. In addition, four evening’s were devoted to Mr Basil Mathews’s “ Clash of World Forces,” which was found eminently suitable as a text book. The new classes at Anderson’s Bay and St. Kilda cannot yet be said to have become established, but there are a few keen members in each. Now that the holidays are over, it may be possible to settle down to work. At Anderson’s Bay the Rev. Mr Richards has given valuable assistance; and at St. Kilda Mr P. C. Triggs has displayed his well-tried loyalty to the W.E.A. The St. Kilda Borough Council has granted the use of a room free of charge in consideration of the fact that the class is composed almost entirely of relief workers. At Seacliff a change has been made, and apparently it is going to hear fruit. In previous years the class met in the hospital, and was composed solely of attendants. This arrangement debarred the residents of the township from participating. This year the class is being held in the church hall, and the enrolments are good, men and women attending in about equal numbers. At present Russia is the subject of study, and the interest is unflagging and critical. FACTORY CLASSES. Lunch-hour addresses to at the corporation Gasworks and at Reid and Gray s (Burnside) have been going on for two months, and the meetings are consistently attended. With a weekly meeting, it is surprising how much can be accomplished in half an hour. The association would be glad to extend this class ot work. Any group of employees, large or small, will, upon intimation to the director or organiser, receive attention. Another new class is being formed at Coulls, Sommerville, and Wilkie’s. The classes formed in earlier years at Roslyn and Sargood s are still functioning. ECONOMIC PLANNING. The Wednesday night " class has now turned from a consideration of the broad principles of economic planning to a study ot their application in the programme of planning which has received most attention recently, the Five-Year Plan of the Union of Socialist Soviet Republics. Some interesting sidelights on the Five-Year l lan have been given by a number of Kussian posters, which were collected by Dr fisher 111 Moscow last year, and which illustrate both the details of the economic sides ot the plan and the general propaganda activities of the Soviet Government. POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY CLASS. The syllabus of study for this year’s political philosophy class begins ‘ with Ilegel, who developed his political principles as part of a comprehensive system ot philosophy. There was that in hie system which gave it a strongly marked individuality and caused it to wield an influence in politcal science that long outlasted others. The great distinguishing mark of the Hegelian system was the evolutionary and historical spirit that pervaded it. In it, the idea of will, as the ultimate element in politics and law, was developed to its utmost limits. Hegel dropped the idea of the social contract as the basic explanation of the State, and it has never received serious recognition from any considerable thinker since. But, with him, the State becomes the very expression of the will of God. Where such doctrine held sway there was an inevitable tendency for the individual to wither and for attention to centre about the institutions in which this Divine essence was manifest. The attributes of political authority rather than the rights of man became the core of discussion. The doctrine of nationality as a fundamental principle of politcal organisation received considerable stimulus from Hegel, He attributed great significance to the geographic and other physical conditions, and included the whole world in a splendid, if not wholly convincing, generalisation as to the past, present, and future abodes of the truly world-historic nations. He wrote of America: “The land of the future, where, in the ages that lie before ns, the burden of the world’s history shall reveal itself.” The class will open for the session on June 30.