W. E. A.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12064, 20 July 1917, Page 7

W. E. A.

(By IDEALIST.) Christchurch Centre.—President, Mr 11. D. Acland; secretary, Mr R. B. Struthers; assistant honorary secretary, 3Jr L. G. Whitehead, Boys' High School. Tutorial Classes.—Monday, Economics (Riccarton), 7.30 p.m. Wednesday, Economics. 7.30 p.m. Thursday, Psychology, 7.30 p.m. Second and last Monday in every month, class for Study of " International Relations.'' Rooms.—Trades Hall, Gloucester Street. Saturday evenings—Popular lectures.

" Truly a. thinking man is the worst enemy the Prince of Darkness r;anhave: every time such a one announces himself. I doubt not, there runs a shudder through the Nether Empire; and new emissaries are trained, with new tartics. to, if possible, entrap hini. and hoodwink asd handcuff him."—Carl vie.

The second popular lecture of the senson was delivered by Mr E. E. Stark, the city electrical engineer, last Saturday evening- When two hundred people can be persuaded to forgo their usual week-end flutter at. the pictures, and spend an hour or so on hard seats listening open-mouthed to a serious discourse on a subject, which requires a little mental effort to understand, then even the most pessimistic and hardheaded W.'E.A.-ite will begin immediately to have beautiful visions of tho shortly approaching millennium. Sellers of serious books and believers in serious subjects have claimed, when explaining i 110 factors that have contributed to the. paucity of their clients, that tho war has served to distract the attention of people from scientific and artistic subjects and compelled attention to be, fccussed on its sombre self. The -war has undoubtedly had this effect to an extent, but if we were to concentrate our whole mental energies cogitating about the horrors of the great world catastrophe, then the planet would become a, vast lunatic asylum. However as long as we have lecturers with the magnetic influence of Mr Stark, then at least there will be a small comer of tho globe which will not be wholly afflicted. Mr Stark will give another lecture on Saturday. July 30. He will deal with " Phosphorescence and Fluoie6conce. M

Since the resumption of activities alVr the month's vacation there has been quite a mild boom in W.EA. matters. The lecture room was crowded to the doors last Saturday evening, while the "Social Hygiene" class which has heon established for lady members commenced oporntions with a. record class, somewhere in the vicinity of fifty students signifying their intention of enrolling. The class studying "International Relations " met on Monday evening, and there was a large number of enthusiastic students present.. Mr Andrews's class in " History '' also attracted a very large number of earnest. students. The Ricc.arton " Economic"' tutorial class had a great, muster of students and friends at the Town Hall last Monday evening. The movement. has now become well-established in Christehurcb, and it is quickly becoming a, potent force in the life of tho i community.

The psychology class, which is now in its third year of usefulness, will meet again next Thursday evening at 7-30 p.m. For those who are interested, particularly in philosophical question}, this class affords a great opportunity of acquiring an excellent knowledge of man's most wonderful treasure—his mind.

There can be no gainsaying the fact that the popular lectures which have 'been such a. successful fenturo of the. W.E.A. activities of the past two years are of the. greatest, educational value in that they act as a stimulant to the dormant- thinking faculties of a. large number of people who demand that their knowledge should be served up to thera in as attractive a style as possible. Tho mo.st vapid intellect could hardly spend an hour or so at these lectures without going away with something to ruminate upon, and very often, as a. direct result of sitting'out one of these addresses, many visitors are tempted to further sounc) the depths of learning, and they enrol themselves as students of one of the tutorial classes. Although good work can be done by short dissertation?; upon useful subjects at,

short intervals, it ' is. after all, the tutorial class work which the association relies upon to promote the ideal of an educated democracy. However, for those who are not prepared to join a, class, the popular lecture should prove, of great assistance to them. Among the many fascinating lectures that have been arranged for the following should appeal to a very large number—July 28, " Light and Colour " (illustrated), Mr E. E. Stark, R.Sc. : August 11,

" Phosphorescence and Fluorescence," Mr E. E'. Stark, B.Sc. (illustrated); August 20. lecture by member?, of the Microscopical Society (illustrated) : September 8. "Roads and Streets" (illustrated), Mr A. Dudley Dobson : September 22, "Lucerne," Mr Macpherson ; October 6, "Standardisation and Technical Education of U.5.A.," Dr Thacker: October 20, " Municipal Activities!" (illustrated), Mr A. Dudley Dobson; November 3, "War and Disease," Dr A. Foster.

The "\Y. E. A. movement since, its inception in the. Dominion three years ago has been a greater success even than the most enthusiastic supporter of tho idea ever dared to imagine. This fact cannot be, questioned. Many hundreds of eager students are striking testimony to the prescience of the pioneers who were inspired with tho belief that the, ultimate salvation of humanity, lav not in quack nostrums nor Utopian panacpas, but in the success of the efforts of each individual to emancipate himself rfom ignorance, and steep himself in the glorious light of knowledge. It was Carlylo who said:—"To reform a world, to reform a nation, no wise men will undertake; and all but foolish men know that the only solid, though I a far slower reformation, is what, each begins and perfects on himself." It I would be hard to question the truth i f this sentence, and it very aptly expresses the reason for the existence of the W.E.A. It is quite obvious that unless a movement which sets out with such an ideal before it can appeal to the majority of tho people, it cannot hope for a complete materialisation of its plans. If a great proportion or folk are prepared to be empty-headed, then those like Adnaschar, who are wont to waste a great deal of their time seeing vistas of paradises and discovering suver linings in the most unpromising of clouds, are but, after all, credulous rhapsodists. However, though the comatose conditions of so many of the minds of those who have much to gain from a decent education, makes one tempted to follow the classical example of Niobe and weep until something very dreadful happens, there is delightfully refreshing evidence everywhere that the mental stagnation of the masses has been violently agitated by recent happenings, and it is only an incorrigible pessimist who cannot see in this fact a roseate promise of better things. V ECONOMIC CLASS REPORT.

One of the students, Mr Georgo Manning, lectured on the question of immigration in New Zealand. In doin" ho outlined the various industries alreocly established and others which would of necessity grow with a larger population. The ltieain featuie foi future development in New Zealand was tho, breaking up of the large estates for closer settlement. This, m turn, would foster intense cultivation of our soil, and probably increase the usefulness or the existing co-operative movement alronrly established in the dairying indus-

try, bringing its operations into a wider field. In order to achieve this it was essential for the Government to provide certain machinery so as to make it possible for the people to get on the land, without them coming into contact with the various agencies which are already established here. The harnessing of the water power of the Dominion was touched upon', also tho development of tho fruit industry. Following the lecture, a discussion took place on lancr settlement, which brought out the question of putting returned soldiers on the land. This question, therefore, will he taken up at a future lecture.