MODERN VIEW OF LIFE

Taranaki Daily News, 1 June 1935, Page 14 (Supplement)

MODERN VIEW OF LIFE

YOUTH AND WOMEN’S LIBERTY. BISHOP OF NELSON SPEAKS. Tendencies revealed in the attitude to life of modem youth, and of the new liberty of women, were discussed in an interview by Bishop Hilliard, Nelson, when he arrived on his first visit to Christchurch on SaturSay. Bishop Hilliard is convinced that in the future New Zealand and Australia will have an important part to play as the purveyors of the English tradition in the Pacific. The Bishop thought that there was a healthy proportion of young people associated ; with the church in New Zealand. Everything depended, on personal contact. The older generation would never catch the general allegiance of the younger generation unless it showed a definite interest in the young pie, sincere sympathy with their problems, and an earnest. effort to understand. The young people of to-day had a very ■healthy respect for reality, and their very’ critical attitude towards established customs and ways of life, while likely to anger older people in its/more extravagant expressions, came largely from a desire to pierce to the inner heart of things. This modern attitude meant that youth would not rest on a basis of unreasoned acceptance. “Youth has to realise that while it is living in an important age of transition in the history of the race, it is very seldom that the wisdom of one generation outweighs the accumulated experience of the ages,” Bishop Hilliard added. * Another expression of the modem spirit was the more important part taken by women in world affairs. Women now were taking a direct part instead of an indirect part, and they were better equipped to do so than their grandmothers had been. They were justified in demanding a full share in the life and leadership of the world. Nevertheless modem woman at times expressed herself in some ways which, because of their unfamiliarity, would be deprecated by some conservative minds. Some of these extremes would be no more than expressions of revolt against the unreasonable repressions of the past. . Bishop Hilliard thought that this newfound liberty was sometimes like strong wine, and - women’s freedom ; expressed itself in unfortunate ways. There was an underlying spirit, a bravado that he did not like, in seeing a young woman, driving a car with an unut cigarette ■dangling from her lips. It was not’ the. smoking he objected to, but the attitude of mind that was expressed by the manner of the action. "It would be a general pity if in the enjoyment of her liberty and the opportunity of exercising direct influence in the affairs of the world, modern woman should lose f.e old indirect influence,” said Bishop Hilliard in conclusion. “It would be a matter for regret if she did not 'add to all the charm of the modem lady at her best the ineffable sweetness and goodness that characterised her grandmother at her best.”