THE DIGNITY OF LABOUR.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1217, 27 January 1886, Page 5

THE DIGNITY OF LABOUR.

On Sunday evening, at Invercargill, the Eev. D. G-ordon, in one of his series of lectures to young men, made some pertinent remarks relating to the dignity of labour. He said the tendency of the colonial youth was to look for something higher than what is called common labour. Under the present system of free education parents were training and educating their children for no other purpose than that of placing them in some genteel position ; such as that of a clerk in a merchant's office or in some profession, and were utterly ignoring the practical road to wealth, which lay in learning agriculture or some such occupation. " To labour," he said " was evidently beneath the dignity of New Zealanders. and it behoved parents to see to it if they wished their children to rise in the world." Young men, as a rule, wished to avoid what was termed toil, and yet they wished to advance, as well as to acquire wealth. That was where the great error lay. Wealth or honour was only to be obtained by toil, industry, aud perseverance. In some of the occupations in which the youths were expected to have clean hands and splendid clothes, it was a well known fact that the remuneration was oftentimes very low, and difficulty after difficulty was found in keeping up a respectable appearance. He held that parents were doing a wrong by putting them into such dangerous positions, for the colonial youth liked to have cash so as to appear what they were not. He urged parents to put their children to employment in which they could rise and become prosperous, and he cited in illustration o£ kis tLeme such men aa Garfield, Lincoln, Cooper, Bennett, and others who had risen from humble and menial occupations to greatness; insomuch that their names will be handed down to posterity in the history of their country. How was it these men achieved high positions ? It was by observing the dignity of labour, and if a young man would rise to power and wealth he must not have a scorn for honest toil. The sooner young men begin to look at life in this light, and to seek spiritual riches as well as earthly ones, the better it would be for themselves, their parents, and ihe State.— "Southland Times."