REFLECTIONS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 16822, 21 August 1920, Page 4

REFLECTIONS.

THE IDEA OP PROGRESS. MUSIC AND MUSICIANS. A BUTTERFLY’S. GENESIS. (By “John Doe.”) I saw. a reference the other clay to -“The Fourth Estate,” in which the originator ;;0f the phrase was stated to bo Burke, the great orator ami our greatest political philosopher, who spoke of “the King, .the House of Lords, the House of Commons, the Three Estates,” and added that the Press was the

Fourth Estate. But is this correct? Are not the Lords Spiritual, tb,o Lords Temporal, and the Commons the Three J Estates? Is tli© King “an estate of the j Realm”? Perhaps some LL.B. who had ! to learn Constitutional Law, and should j therefore know the Constitution, can j state if Burke is correctly reported. j Can some reader tell mo the origin. of the expression “to touch -wood,” as l a moans of- warding off ill-luck ? If you lanounco that you haven’t yet had ’flu, or have never lost a bail at the sixteenth | hole (which I don’t believe), or missed | the last tram at the Breakwater, some I one is sure to warn you to “touch j wood.” I have a theory of my own which may be true, but I should like j to know if anyone has any information ; on tiie point. j _***_'■ : I read an interesting article recently ! on “The Idea of Progress,” based on ; . hook with, that title written by the j learned Professor J. B. Bury, who edited ; one of the most handy-and useful edi- ! tioas of Gibbon’s “Decline and Fall,”

and also on a lecture delivered recently ! at Oxford entitled “The Idea of Pro- ] gress’’ by Dean Inge, who is well, if i somewhat undeservedly, known as the ■ Gloomy Dean. Progress and progressive ; are words that are often on our tongues, 1 and presumably the idea of progress is in our minds. What do wo!mean by it? Is there in reality such a thing? In material things and matters we have “progressed” : that is, wo have delved deeper into the material natural world, wo have learned the properties of matter, though hero we have probably only just begun, wo are richer as the economist knows wealth. But are we progressing in the real matters, and do wo know that there wo shall and must progress ? Professor Bury thinks wc have failed to discover any law of progress, and indeed that the idea of progress itself, which now dominates nearly all human thought, may one day lose its hold and not he of genera! belief. Mankind in its growth is often compared to an individual who grows from childhood to riper age, which, as Pascal reminded us, suggests that some day wo may reach dotage, oven if as yet wc have not reached maturity. And so far man has not had enough time on this planet to go far. Wo think a thousand years ought to bo enough in which to show progress; the geologist thinks in millions of years and the astronomer in aeons: though astronomy may inform us that our sun, our source apparently of beat and life, is, as the writer of the article referred to says, “an elderly star on its way to join the most senile class of luminiferous bodies.”

Professor Buryks historical survey lends him to the reflection or theory that the idea of progress was a refuge man discovered tor himself when tho

idea cf Providence was shaken and questioned. If we arc in ignorance of or have doubts concerning a perfect homo alter this life, the idea of progress is that men may seek and make one on this earth. Progress to most men is coupled with the advance of science and knowledge, and the -stupendous advance in science in the 19th century was accompanied by a belief in progress. The French Revolution, idealists like the poet Shelley and the patriot Mnsszini believed it: Tennyson wrote “Yea. 1 doubt not through the ages one increasing purpose runs.”

Judging the world by the actions of its most “progressive” nations during recent years and to-day, does it seem to have progressed to a bettor or higher stave- of affairs? Wars arc as devastating as o,v6r, the feeling of hate and rivalry is as keen. But there are perhaps certain tendencies and certain actual doings which were not found in earlier times. The conception of tho League of Nations is, at any rate, a sign that men, or some of them, do desire to live in peace one with another: tho small defensive Leaguer, of tho Greek States were no parallel to the idea of tho League of Nations. 'Hie growth of democracy and the democratic spirit is the outstanding event in tho political sphere of the last hundred years. Is it a sign of progress? “The Times” writer thinks it is. saying “Democracy marks an essential stage in human progress by insisting Hint .all men should have tho chance to make the best of themselves. This is a ’truth which ’mist outlive its perversions into equal servitude.” But if democracy is now or later perverted into equal servitude, is not that rather a sign or a proof, not of progress, but of dcclinsinn, that- men having an idea or theory capable of being used for great good turn it, pervert it into evil ways?

“Freedom,” says the writer again, “in tho last analysis, is not mere absence of restraint, but tho opportunity of each to develop for the good of all'; and this recognition has only been made effective with the coming of democracy.” If, however, freedom includes as cue of its concomitants absence of restraint, then certain tendencies of our modern democracy would scorn likely to interfere with freedom by the presence of numerous restraints, in tho sphere of economic sociology trade unionism may ho regarded as a sign of progress, being in a large measure a revolt against economic servitude, hut it certainly involves personal restraint of liberty on many individuals.

Tho question whether we have progressed and arc processing, and whether real progress keeps pace with material and scientific and perhaps political progress, is one of keen interest,

and would provide a good subject for debate.

One essential of progress would seem to be co-operation, and proper organisation. As nations, as smaller social groups in towns and communities., we make slow progress in this respect. For commerce, for sport, for political ends, for sectional religion's ends, men often co-operate and organise well, but for real progressive aims our co-opera-tion is as yet feeble.

I see it is stated in a local paper that an attempt to establish a Labour daily in London failed some years ago, and this provided material' for Philip Gibbs’ fine journalistic novel “The Street of Adventure.” ’ It is some years since I read tbo book, but my recollection Is that the original episodes in Mr. Gibbs’ mind were connected with the founding and fall of “The Tribune,” about the year 1906. “Tbo Tribune’’ was founded as a penny morning Liberal paper, and though money was spent freely, yet somehow the paper never was popular, and after a few months it censed publication. A wealthy young Manchester merchant ■ was believed to have sunk some £"<500,000 in the venture. I have a copy somewhere of the first issue of this ill-starred enterprise. It came out at an auspicious time for a Liberal daily, as the. first issue contained tbo nows of Air. Balfour's crushing defeat at Manchester, at tbo election where the Liberal party was returned to power with a big majority.

The novel is well worth reading, both as a novel and as a vivid description of life in the world of Fleet Street, “the street of ink.” Another Fleet Street novel, and I think a bettor one really, is “Mightier than the Sword”; I forget the author’s name. Beth books are doubtless in the librniy. No doubt some novelist will write a .story round “The Herald,” with Russia and the Bolshevik rule and propaganda as a fine background.

Taranaki does not produce merely cows and tho products liquid or solidified from cows. Taranaki has produced several fine musicians, and unfortunately is exporting some of its talents. Messrs. E. and AV. Hutchens, of Unworn, are both prominent in musical circles: Mr. AV. Hutchens is a wellknown pianist and composer, and was in New Zealand with the N.S.AV. State Orchestra under AI. A'erbrugghen, and his brother, a fine violinist, who holds the degree of Alus.Bac.. is leaving J-Ja-wera for further study abroad. New Plymouth has its own pianist, as those

who heard tbo concert on Friday know: and on Wednesday next our flourishing little Southern neighbour, Hnwcra, is sending us a fine singer and a first-rate accompanist. Comparisons between men and women pianists arc interesting from the psychological and temperamental viewpoint: and no doubt many will bo interested in the Wanganui pianist on AVednesday next for thft reason. An experienced singer who recently gave a concert hero regards the New Plymouth audiences as quite one of the best informed and appreciative musically of New Zealand town audiences.

I note in a letter from “AV.AV.S.” to the editor that I erred, and that Painted Ladies arc found in Now Zealand. il do not now look at lopidoptera with the eagerness 1 did when I collected as a boy, and I much doubt if 1 could now put one of these dancing beauties, whose motto, like Peter Doody’s, is “a short life and a- gay one.” into a glass bottle in the deadly fumes of cyanide of potassium and then neatly spiked on a pin on to a cork fiame and there extend the Lively wings with thin strips of paper till they were stiff.

If you ever have, ns I have, soon tho wonderful and extraordinary changes that occur in tho life of a butterfly, first a little, white egg, then a caterpillar, who is often a most bizarre person, with an enormous appetite; Irefore becoming a chrysalis ho gets restless and doesn’t oat, then one day ho hangs himself up by silken cords at some convenient place, and suffers a weird change into a chrysalis: after a time most beautiful colours begin to form under tho dull, lifclcss-lcjoking shell; then ono morning in spring tho shell breaks, and out comer, a Jimp, bedraggled object which quickly seems to get life into it and to spread its wings. One can understand on seeing those, changes why the butterfly stands ns a symbol of everlasting life.