YOUNG FARMERS’ SCHOOL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22293, 20 June 1934, Page 5

YOUNG FARMERS’ SCHOOL

A FULL PROGRAMME THREE ADDRESSES DELIVERED VISIT TO THE ART GALLERY The young fanners’, educational course was continued yesterday, when an unusually full programme was carried out. ine day’s sessions commenced with an address in the, morning by Dr R. Lawson (pro- ; feesor of education at the Otago Umver- ; -eity) on the subject of " The Relations of Farmers to Democracy," and after the morning tea adjournment Mr J. Renfrew , White dealt with the subject ot 3Health.", r.’-, , . . ' In the afternoon a visit was paid to the Art Gallery, where the party bad the benefit of the services of several members of the aociety, who undertook to explain , and commentbnthe pictures. Later in the , afternoon the premises of the Otago Daily Times-were thrown open to the boys, and ! they wefa given an opportunity of seeing something of the varied activities involved in the production of a' modern newspaper. In the evening they were addressed by Mr J. Hutchison (editor of the Daily Times) on the subject of newsgathering. ... FARMERS AND DEMOCRACY As a preface to the discussion of his wide subject. Dr Lawson said: “The present political and social changes threaten a complete break with our past. It .is-of this, p&ticularly that I would speak—of this past, and of democracy to- • day. What are thc'essential features of our institutions? I put first growth.; Magna Charta and our first Parliament date from 1215 and 1265, but the parliamentary tree has its roots back in earlier centuries ' still; ; its taproot is in the English soil. In the Cromwellian period —say. 1640-1660 —were fought out the major issues of democracy versus herei:, ditary privilege, The germ of modern ; politics, can be found in this seminal . period., 'tateri'British history has, with ■Jew exceptions, seen a steady application 'of' the principles of liberty, as freedom slowly passed down from the few to the many.

DEMOCRACY IN OTHER COUNTRIES

.‘‘bemocracy in France has been, in a d, state..of unstable,, equilibrium ever since jta emergence in the French Revolution. ' In that country defeat of the Ministry does not-mean another election. There ? the Ministry is not in such close contact '• with the electors as amongst us. But there is-a system of committees at work ,i during the four years’ currency of the . . Chafer o£ Deputies which helps to give continuity to the legislation, keeps, alive the sense of individual responsibility in members, actively helps in directing Min- ’• isterial policy, but at the same time k lessens Ministerial responsibility.' But in France there are certain relations of ; the courts of Jaw to politics,. certain press influences which we would think to be un- , deniable in a Britisli community, i: . . "In the United States the President ' chooses. his owij Cabinet, but these may not' participate in Congress—which ■ creates a certain difficulty in practical v working, particularly in critical times ! ‘ like:thoae of the present. f-. ‘‘Now there is.no doubt .that democracy v. is ,in( danger of , collapse. France has gone'close to': the dictatorship-—at least in the method of appointing the present ‘ Premier. Again, the enormous Stavisky * frauds, with their 1 ramifications amongst politicians and" police, halve shaken the confidence of patriots in the present system. In, France democracy came in with a .flood in 1789 in the Revolution.

That " event ‘ influenced all civilisation. '"'From-it ardse -what is known as ‘‘the liberal State,” such as the nineteenth . century eaw in England, -America, France, and some 1 -other . countries.

The liberal .. State was a - great advance, democratically «-speaking, , upon the feudal or ‘privilege’ State., “ It- brought- fr-Targe -frfeVdom and offered every man a field to do the best for himself. In England in-; the, -nineteenth century v.the policy of : ; predominated—‘•let each;Sman •. da -tftei beet he can for will’ same , time redder the greatest .bejhefit to ;his fellow-men. But the result*, of an unchecked liberal State were ruthless i capitalism, profiteering,.; combines;- •uuequal disribution of money.': ' W .‘‘England saw, the danger and,-bdgan d;the-transformationof the ‘liberal-State ’ into tha..‘social, service’ State as-we find

it in New Zealand to-day; ;c 'ihere could 'be liberty of contract there' ie rot equality' in bargaining . pbii er. tin > America, as in France, yv.e hear the ;cry ( * democracy is played Anieriea had the laugh on British 'democracy till the depression smote her. - There was in America -.a' great Socialism Movement, be* ‘ cause under the unrestrained individualis-tic-system any or. every man found die had i-a chance of rising to any position. ‘ “The various American States could

. not legislate ’successfully against the will lot capital. : The governors of. cities found ...themselves powerless, arid so in the storm Vhf the depression the Americans find that their: form of democracy, the completely individualistic tene, has failed them. They ." have no State tradition of social services Vas, understood in England; private eiiter.'prise ahd capital cannot meet, the national •vemergency. The President is invested - with dictatorial powers, and the cry goes up ‘democracy is played out.’ Meanwhile • Ford and other business magnates resist 7 -the ; President’* efforts to -restore prosperity—because necessarily his efforts involve interference. with the unrestricted system of ‘make.all the money you can in the quickest possible way? “ At present the Americans are being led stewards Federal planning and dictaterial’powerr r ’ The State, as we know it, has hardly existed there. Of course, in that country, as here, there is an invisible'.'government—that is, so everywhere. No Government in England could pais that was resisted by capitaltas a whole.

; ;;-FASCISM beginnings of Fascism, are advisory only ■ and•‘Germany their powers go yi;Atipiesent even in a little place itßke&Wjpif 'Zealand the problems of Gov- ; erntoent-are^b'eyond, the power of poli* ! The'complicated world of tariffs, Exchange, education, and a •QiOnsand; .other things demands: specialist ; and this can be drawn only from ■. the SpeciM industries and prolesIwtmsi. 1 ; 'Piit. briefly, we need an economic as the present Parlia- ■. ' *»®i- have • now Italy and' Russia to consider. In Italy the theory is a ‘ cor- ;; ROritlve; State-V-every man in the counNecessarily be a patriot, and it^tafpfeV fiolr wish what-the Government *jgg#&k .him'' to wish. All opposition in an obstacle. Mueaollfli balU dhip fprm of government ‘negaand so it is, representing tffil minimum 6f' encroachment on personal liberty; bid; it he is criticising the 'liberal Stated rather than the social service State. Where we merely license a moving picture for public display Mussolini would take it over for the State and actively Use it as propaganda if suitable for his wheat, drainage, or military projects.' But I know this: The Government that is to succeed in, any country must be in accordance with the traditions, aspirations, and. psychology of that country. Fascism has its roots deep in Italian

character and history. Italy has been accustomed to thinly-veiled dictatorship, if not of one man, of a few. Italy was disorganised, inefficient, 30 per cent illiterate, a prey to the Black Hand and brigands in the mountains and worse brigands in the public set vice. In other words, Italy, both by her tradition, her psychology; and her desperate condition, needed a Caesar, and be has given her order, confidence, unity. “But at what a price! Such a talk as I am giving you now would be dangerous in Italy; for the professor there has to take an oath to the Government and may be dismissed ‘if he put* himself ’ (so the formula runs) 'into a position of incompatibility with the general political tendencies of the Government.’ No doubt the muzzling of professors does not alarm the public, because professors have nothing to recommend them to the general public or the politician; but in Italy the Fascist movement has gone in for wholesale suppression, a muzzled ptess, a rationalistic education —a whole country ‘ tuned in ’ to the Fascist keynote. But-wait —when Caesar goes, whence comes such another. The Fascist movement is a middle class movement, with contacts above with Capitalism, and below with Socialism. If Mufisolini went, what would happen? “Are you farmers prepared, in order to get the outward unity and the temporary efficiency that Fascism would undoubtedly bring, to have a muzzled press, a muzzled pulpit, to have dictation at every side and freedom at none? If 1 know your class at all, you will choose rather lees of efficiency and more liberty; you will choose the way of steady growth rather than that of hothouse forcing. BesideA, we are not illiterate, inefficient, a,prey to banditti: not corrupt, or hopeless, not in need of a Ceesar. There is, I am sure, not a man in this room who is not on one or more responsible committee*. All of us are thus used to governing; indeed, a large part of every British community runs its own affairs and never troubles the State at all except to say * Damn the State ’ when gome over-zealous official is'too inquisitive in matters that do not concern him. WHAT IS COMMUNISM? “ But. ‘ Democracy is played put ’! We must, forsooth, have Mussolini or Bolshevism, We respect Mussolini—we always respect a resolute fighter who does not seek his own ends. A qreat man, and just the touch of theatricality about him that big people demand —but he i* not for us. So we must have Bolshevism! “Communism, a* Trotsky says in his recent book, was first applied by a proletariat people. Exactly; it is fit for sucn. The Russian was a serf for 1000 years and more. In the end he awoke. The dirty, Vermin-infested Moujik, slumbering or steaming on his stove in hi» insanitary mud hut, heard a voice of hope. He awoke, came forth, and assailed the tyrants of 1000 years—Czar, aristocrats, and Church. There is a great outcty against Russian antipathy to the Church. There is no reason why the Russian should not abolish an institution which has drugged him so long. The Moujik then came forth, and Lenin offered hini bread, work, education, and a measure of justice, which to him was as Paradise to Hell compared with what he had before.; ‘ “Every reason which wade; Communism acceptable to the Russian discredits it for us. Age-long serfdom, illiteracy on a scale far worse than that of Italy* backwardness -in every department of .life, unorganised, helpless, hopeless! .He will one day turn from his Communism, when he catches a sight of the true goddess - of liberty, instead of the mere phantasm that dazzles Ins half-opened eyes at present. ■ c GERMANY •“ A word on Germany. Here, again, a dictator—Herr Hitler. The Germans, despite their eminence in war, science, philosophy, and music, are political children. They do not understand freedom as we understand it. The German States never reached unity till 1870. The Gormans need a military dictator. Frederick the Great in 1743-86 drilled Prussia in war and all the arts of peace with all the ruthlesaness of a drill sergeant, and they worshipped him almost as an incarnate Thor or Odin. A century later Bismarck united them in his mighty / fist. After the, war again a . collapse—and now again the national . mind is hankering after ‘blood and evil’—i.e., the Teutonic ■ race and its old traditions gives birth t as it were, miraculously, to Hitler. “Once again war preparations, drilling,, unity, ahd the muzzling of press, pulpit, and professors. In Berlin University 100 of the staff have 'been dismissed—the number of students in uni■versitics has-been limited, to 15,000, and -only those are being admitted who come from Stqrm Troops,. ’ , “Again, every argument that supports the Nazis and their creed in Germany discredits, it for us. We arc, not die-, united: we /are not squeezed between France and Russia; we are not threatened by Jews, and, above all. we ate not political children. THE MONARCHIC SYSTEM “I see no reason why we cannot go on developing the social service State, and so secure all the advantages of Socialism without its disadvantages and without abandoning the principle of growth. This means taxation, of course, but taxation of all for the sake of all is better than revolution. A common cry ie that the present social system cannot last. Of coufse it cannot. It never has lasted. It is always changing, even in a period of outward stagnation. But in British-communities the more it changes the more it is the eaihe. Luckily for us we have a kind of-bovine complacency about us which, though it may render us unreceptive to new ideas, gives a stability to our social life and a continuity, to our institutions. Outwardly we live under a hereditary Monarchic system. Nothing could be more illogical, but it works, it maintains sanity, rational equilibrium, social distinctions without economic barriers.. . Inwardly we live in a socialised state- —when I say ‘ we ’ T mean the British Commonwealth of Nations. “ Where else in the world will you find a Government at present, despite all the new varieties of democracy—a Government that is prepared to enact laws giving effect to arrangements made between employers and workers? Yet in England only a few months ago the Minister of Labour said* that ‘if employers and workers in the cotton industry desired it the Government. was prepared to give legal effect to voluntary agreements on wages and conditions of work.’ Our institutions, like our language, have an inherent vitality that flows directly from the racial character. The English language did not disappear, as did the old languages of Spain and France—it continued on its way of muddling through, of keeping the old Saxon alive while taking in the Franco-Latin elements. So with our institutions. No one can define the British Constitution—it cannot be reduced to a formula or compressed into a document. “Its supreme merit is that it works — it has worked, and will work. I would urge on you, as representatives of the most stable class in the community, to discountenance with all your might the doleful litany ‘democracy is played out, and to take to your hearts more consciously than ever that democracy, as we know it, the monarchic, socialised democracy, suits our mentality, has served us well, and will continue to serve us well if we are true to it. But we must not expect too much. Man himself is rapacious and unjust, and he know ß he is. We know our faults. We do not expect a millennial world to dawn upon us overnight by Divine Providence. A good world is never attained —it shows itself only in the effort to attain it. It is like the horizon —always beyond our grasp and yet always existent.

“ PRIVILEGED GRUMBLERS ” “ You belong to a class of privileged grumblers. Well, I beg' of you not to blame the Government for all your woes. Your class is immediately affected oy conditions that no Government can control — the world spirit is at work, and no human power can resist that spirit, It is: easy, of course, for me, a townie, a >white collar man, to give you armchair advice; yet what I say is the sober voice of truth. And finally, don’t stake all your happiness on wool, wheat, butter, meat. It is possible to be very miserable though wealthy, and very happy though poor. May I advise you, young farmers to live for your higher Selves, for the embryo higher man in you all—put that first and all other things will be added unto you. You have hard days ahead —steer by the higher self; it is the permanent light in' the gloom. You will then see that markets, trade, money, commerce are not the .essentials in democracy, important as they are, but that the essential now, as of vore, is and will be ‘ the good life.’ And in the _ good life the greatest thing is freedom.”

On the motion of Mr Andrew Pannetl (Clydevale) a hearty vote of thanks was accorded Professor Lawson for his address. 1 "HEALTH” Mr J. Renfrew White spoke on the subject of “Health,” and created a visible impression on his hearers. . He explained that the subject was too big a one to be crammed into a short address, but he would try and touch on some of the major considerations. , ■ The lecturer sought in the first place to explain the real meaning of hdalth by variations of spelling and form in toe word itself. It could be spelt “ whqleth," “ well-til,” “hale-th," and “weal-th." To be healthy was to be whole, hale, and well. That collection of words presented everything there was in the whole business of health.. Health and wealth were actually the same thing, and pursuing one they must pursue the other. There was one aspect of the search for health which must be realised before there could he any hope of success. It applied to their ,cattle, their horses, on their children. They must consider the whole question of health, look at every aspect, and not make the mistake of concentrating on any single phase of it, unduly emphasising a ? articular means to or cause of health, t was because too many people looked at the question from one side only that there was so much quackery in, the world. The speaker then went on to . compare the human body to a fire which could not burn without fuel. As soon ds the fuel gave out the fire must die. Cut off the fuel and the fire must ao out in a short time, but cut-off the supply of oxygen and it must go out few minutes. It was the same with the human body. It depended for its life and its fire on its •fuel, the food with which it was fed. This fuel was the carbon which was so necessary to the fire. .And it must be made available in the proper quantities, not only to keep the fires of life burning, but to keep them from burning too fiercely or too dully. Actually, it was easier to cook to .death than Jo freeze to death. The body must have air as weir as fuel, pure fresh air all the time. Fresh air was. of the greatest importance, but not onlv in its contrast to foul air. They should always keep their windows open, keep their clothing as light as they could become accustomed to. This was not so much to avoid foul air as to enable the body to get rid of the surplus heat it generates. , Open air was one-of the secrets of health.. Why should they, keep children inside for the greater part of the dav—five hours in school ? Heaven • knew how many hours in their .mother s kitchen—and then when they developed ailments they suddenly shot them into fresh air to be cured. That was hardly logical. Why not keep, them in the open air for every possible minute of tneir lives instead of waiting until the damage was done. It sounded foolish, but it was amazing how much that waa done. On the subject of food Mr White commenced with milk, with its mineral salts, proteins, and vitamins, the basic food designed bv Nature, for the encouragement of 8 growth of all animals. Cheese, also, was a building food because it contained all the constituent parts of milk. Butter was more of a fuel food because it was not composed of all the valuable parts of milk. Children needed a Pint and a-half of milk per day to get their tub ration of growth food. At present the children of Otago were consuming on an average no more than a third of a pint per day. Was it any wonder that the standard was not high as far as child health was concerned? , . . Why should they send all their butte? and cheese to England? - England did not want it, at least not all of it. But tneir children needed it. The difficulty wae that the . country. regarded ts milk products as something Jo be sold, some thing which could make money. iney got their money, bought their American motor cars, their machinery or the pioduction of more, foods for the'r horbLS cattle, and Pig». and all the tome country wake up to the fact that its ch»l children went without. Whcnwonld the country wake up to the fact that its children came first of all! Another important factor in health was in avoidance of poisons in the body, lup of the most important were well enoug known to them—alcohol and tobacco. Both tastes were pleasant, but they were enslaving, and they, wrought tremendous havoc with health. When they came to a health crisis in their lives they were unable to withstand strain if they .had poisoned themselves with such things. Millions of people in the world were poisoning themselves every day and one of the reasons for it was that .others were making money out of it. Millions of nounds were made out of cigarettes, but they would probably find that not ope of the cigarette millionaires would smoke a cigarette themselves. Of course, theie were other poisons that found their way into the body, but these two were the most deleterious because they were the most common. He was not regarding the question from a moral point of view, but purely from the standpoint of the effect of these poisons on the health. One questioner wanted to know how Mr White explained the fact that most very old men were smokers. The answer was that they were the few survivors. All the rest were dead. The whole thing about drinking and smoking was the question of its effect. Most people got pleasure from it, but they must remember that if they enjoyed the pleasures of the habits they must he prepared to take the consequences on the other side ot me le Mr r ‘Norman M'Latchie (Hilderthorpe.) moved a vote of thanks, which was carried by acclamation.

AT THE ART GALLERY On arrival at the Art Gallery the visitors were met by Mr P. R. Snrgood, Mr R H. Neilson (secretary of the Art Gallery Society), and other members ot that body. . Mr Sargood welcomed the party on behalf of the council of the Art Gallery Society, and expressed the hope that the visit would be one to be remembered when the week in the city wa s finished. Country people, he said, had the advantage over city people of living always in close touch with Nature. Too many city Die bad toi be content with a secondacquaintance gained as a result ot study pictures. lu fact, in many of the areat cities of the world there were to be found thousands of people who scarcely ever saw even as much as a blade of grass. One thing that he would like to stress in this connection was that country people should never waste time on regrets that they did not enjoy all the advantages of city life. They had ample compensation, among them being continual contact with natural art. Nature s art was the most beautiful of all. Nevertheless, he thought that they would mid plenty to interest and attract them in the pictorial representation of that art which they • would find on the gallery walls. Having studied and enjoyed that art, however, they should not go, away thinking that art was something very

beautiful and very rare which waa kept locked away in great galleries. There was art in everything, and particularly in accomplishment. There was art in the straight furrow, in the building, in fact, in any job well done. Efficiency was an art, and he hoped that in the future they would regard everything in life as an art to be studied and developed. In conclusion, he would just express the hope that they would find their visit both pleasant and profitable, , '“..The party was then split into separate groups, which, were conducted round the Gallery by Mrs E. C. Reynolds, Miss Kathleen Salmond, Dr Stanley Batchelor, Messrs J. D. Charlton-Edgar, J. L. MTndoe, C, J. Williamson, and R. H. Neilson, these guides selecting certain representative pictures in each room and explaining the particular points to the lads in their group. The descriptions were listened to with great interest, and the questions asked indicated that the lads closely followed the various talks. At the conclusion Mr Jack Clearwater (Palmerston) expressed the appreciation of all present, and three hearty cheers were accorded the guides. Mr Neilson was especially thanked for having made the arrangements.” , A ROMANCE OF JOURNALISM : Mr Hutchison’s address on the collection of, news by daily papers, with special reference to cable and ' wireless services was listened to with obvious interest, and at its conclusion he. was subjected to a searching cross-examination which probed surprisipgly deeply into the subject he had been discussing. At the outset the speaker said he would like to congratulate the organiser of the course on the evident success which had attended his efforts. It was highly desirable that young men from the country should be afforded an opportunity of studying the industrial and cultural interests of the city, and he trusted that his hearers would return to their homes having not only enjoyed their stay in the city but also conscious .of actual benefit from it. ■ : ~ ■ LOCAL NEWS GATHERING The romance of journalism, he said, was too large a subject to be dealt with in one breath, but he proposed to speak about the collection and distribution of the world’s news which was, in reality, the romance of the press. In this connection he was not referring to the local news of everyday life in the community, with the gathering of-which most of them: would be more or lefts familiar. It was largely the work of reporters,' but in larger centres newspapers employed specialists for various aspects of the work. As a general rule, however, members of a reporting staff were expected to be able to turn their hand to any task assigned to them. A reporter might be .asked to go from a cattle show to a theatrical first night, from a flower show to the Supreme Court, or from a wedding to an execiir tion. In all his experience in Dunedin there had only been one execution that required to be covered, and he had managed to dodge that. Actually lots were drawn to decide who should do the job. and he had lost, but another member of the staff who was anxious to cover the assignment had taken it over from him, and had been sick for a week afterwards.— (Laughter.) The collection and distribution of Dominion news was carried out bv the United Press Association, of which all the larger dailies were members, by a svstem of exchange. He instanced the Bayly murder trial in Auckland, and explained how both the evening and morning paners in the northern centres actec} as collectors and distributors of this news. OVERSEAS SERVICES The Press Association, however, bad a much more important function to which he wished to refer specially;’ It concerned the receipt of news from almost every corner of the globe, Europe, Asia, America, and Australia, and in this respect he often wondered whether readers of the overseas news in the daily press realised that in this little country, so far removed from the centres of the Old World, they got news from all quarters while it was still hot. That was, in his opinion, one of the marvels of journalism. Thev could readily understand that it would be far too costly for New Zealand papers to employ correspondents in all the centres from which cable news was received. Even the Press Association could not do that. It depended on arrangements made with two large press agencies in Australia, rival organisations in constant competition with another. Even they did not employ their own correspondents. but maintained in London special staffs of highly-trained men who worked day and night, seven days a week, rushing news to Australia. They had access to all the great London papers and to the large nress agencies in Great Britain, and the competition between them was so keen that no effort was

spared in either case to provide a speedy and reliable news service. The advantages of such an arrangement could be easily imagined. RECENT IMPROVEMENTS Formerly, said the speaker, all overseas news reached the Dominion through the cable service, and it had been a very good service, too. The difficulty was, however, that except in cases of particular urgency cable news might be anything from five to seven hours on the way. Wireless and beam wireless had revolutionised all that, and news was now received in New Zealand as quickly as it took an ordinary press message to go from Glasgow to London, In illustration of this he referred to information concerning cricket in England. Four years ago a newspaper in New Zealand was: .very fortunate if it was able to publish in the morning the barest details of the previous day’s play. To-day it was possible to give some of the afternoon play. Play was resumed after lunch at 2 p.m. (English time), which was about 1.20 a.m. New Zealand time, at which hour most of those responsible for. morning dailies in this country were thinking of putting their papers to bed. Beam -wireless and summer-time in England, which gave an extra hour’s play, were largely responsible for this. While they now enjoyed the advantage of wireless, cable services had been greatly improved and mews was transmitted much more expeditiously than at one time. Still, it was a very costly way of getting news, and this fact made very drastic condensation necessary. This was a task for experts, since the whole sense and significanse of a message could be changed by (he omission of too many words, or, perhaps, the wrong words. It was astonishing. however, to what extent messages could be abbreviated without becoming ambiguous. Tire system of condensation had resu'ted in the coining of a lot of words which made for economy in transmission without any loss of intelligibility. Moreover, many words so coined were from time to time finding their way into common use in the language. SELECTION OF NEWS The selection of news, said Mr Hutchison, was another expert job. It all had to be sifted at Home by trained journalists with a special knowledge of the re-, quirements of colonial newspapers. The range of interests of colonial readers was very extensive, and it was generally recognised that the average newspaper reader in the dominions was a wellinformed person. This fact was recognised by most of the larger' publishing houses in Great Britain. People out here were interested in wars and rumours of wars, world politics; accidents, tragedies, love and sport, nor must financial, commercial or shipping news be neglected. It was because of this that they would notice all manner of topics dealt with side by side on the same page. They would, perhaps, have wondered sometimes regarding the-’ significance of the line at the head af cable messages. “ By Electric Telegraph—Copyright,” followed by the actual time of receipt of the message. This was required by the law of copyright, and any message bearing such a distinguishing line could not be copied for at least 24 hours after publication, or, if a Sunday intervened, 'for 48 hours., RELIABILITY AND ACCURACY “No doubt,”' said the speaker, “you have sometimes heard depreciations of the cable service which have had their origin in political services. It is sometimes suggested that this news conies from tainted sources and cannot be relied upon. What I have aaid will convince you that such iio foundation. The working journalist takes no active part in politics, and wjhen, on the job admits no allegiance to omit-or class. Accuracy is the first consideration, and he will not jeopardise his employment by subordinating accuracy to any whim of his own. The cable news, therefore, i s as for as possible accurate and reliable. Of course, in some countries the censorship of news has an effect on accuracy, but that is a difficulty that cannot easily be overcome. You may have noticed that we never publish, any cable news from Russia. Anything appertaining to the Soviet which docs appear coimes from Riga because the censorship of. nows is so strict that English correspondents are not permitted to send out the messages which they would like to cable. For a long time the Soviet Government has been very anxious that the London Times should have a correspondent in M os eow, but The Times has steadfastly refused to be represented there as long as the censorship is persisted in.” “ I am now going to make a bold claim, and one which many of you may think is an extravagant one.” said the speaker. “ I will say that the cable news published in New Zealand furnishes a better epitome of world than can be had in any other part of the world. We get the cream of the news from two large agencies with access to all the great papers at Horae and the large agencies such as Reuters, and everything that is sent out to us is the result of the most

/ > careful selection. An official of the Foreign Office, who recently visited Australia, confirmed this statement when he observed that he was given a better insight into world affairs by the Sydney papers than he ever got in London. And in making such an observation he was referring to the news supplied by only one of the two agencies of whose services New Zealand lias the benefit. You may rest assured that every reliance can be placed on the accuracy and completeness of our cable service. It is a service of which the United Press Association has every reason to be proud, and with which the people of New Zealand should be completely satisfied.” —(Applause.) After a large number of questions had been asked Mr W. Gillespie (Maungawera) moved, a hearty vote of thanks to the speaker, the motion being carried by TO-DAY‘S SESSION To-day’s programme will commence with an address by-the Rev. W. Allen Stevely; of First Church, on the subject of “Character,” and after morning tea the series of one-minute talks by the youths will be continued. In the afternoon a visit will be paid to, the Otago Museum, where Dr Benhara will lecture on “Some Aspects of . Natural History,” and Mr H. D. Skinner will discuss “ The Maoris of Otago.” _ Later in the afternoon the party will go to Messrs Arthur Barnett, Ltd.’s, shop, and the evening will be spent at the Dominion Fertiliser works .at Ravensbourne.