HOME IMPRESSIONS.

Colonist, Volume LIV, Issue 13317, 18 January 1912, Page 4

HOME IMPRESSIONS.

Mr. 0. E. Bevan-Brown, headmaster of the Boys' High School, Christdiureh, who has returnocl after spending twelve months in the Old Country, finys that on all sides he heard evidenco of a great diminution in drunkenness in the Old Country. There was a general increase of earnestness amongst , all classes. Many of the members of the Labour party were earnest, religious men. The large numbers of societies—Socialistic societies, Imperialistic societies, like the Victoria League and League of Empire, political and religious societies—implied eager thought to improve conditions at great sacrifice. Those societies had seized upon a large number of university men. There \ was a much deeper religious spirit in the universities. In each college he found brandies of the Students' Christian Union and the Church of England Men's Society and other .similar organisations, and also branches of non-religious societies liko tiie Fabian Society. These facts showed that more interest was taken in matters of public concern, apart from private enjoyment. In Paris, ami to a degree, in London, ho found that all obsequiousness, and a great deal of the old politeness had disnpoeared. There was more surliness. But these tilings were rough indications of the newly awakened self-re-spect. There was deep discontent with the conditions of labour. A Croat deal, perhaps most, of the sen-1 time'nt of attachment to employers had gone. Working men, on the other hand, showed keen sympathy to one another. Men of all parties anxiously studied social problems. Young men' at Home discussed them munh more than they were discussed by young; men in the colonies.