SOME GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF GOOD CITIZENSHIP.

White Ribbon, Volume 19, Issue 217, 18 July 1913, Page 10

SOME GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF GOOD CITIZENSHIP.

Of the many departments of work taken up by the W.C.T.U., that of Good Citizenship is one that should appeal specially to the women of New Zealand, they being amongst the hist to obtain the franchise and to become citizens in the full sense of the term; various duties and responsibilities being thereby laid upon them which would not otherwise exist, or which would at least be far less binding. Since this department was at the la-t Convention entrusted to my care, 1 should like to say a few words with regaid to it to my fellow-members and co-workers. I am well aware that many of our members are much more experienced and older in the work than myself, and to them 1 would only express the hope that our common interests may bring us into touch with each othei, and that they will give what help they can to those less familiar with the subject, by reporting work that has been done, or giving suggestions as to what should be done, and thus use their wider experience in creating a bond of union that may give a fresh impetus to the work of the department. Hut there may be some, especial l> in the smaller branches of our Union, who perhaps have not given so much thought to the subject, and do not find it so easy to see how to initiate work along this line; and it is to them in particular that 1 would like to offer some suggestions that may be useful.

In considering any subject, there are always two aspects to take into account the practical and the theoretical, the outside aims and methods of work, and the principles that lie behind these; and of the two, the latter would to be of the greater importance, because they are the source from whicn all action springs, and according to the truth and justice of the principles we hold will be the uprightness of our actions. I would therefore, first of all, indicate very briefly what appear to me to be some of the first principles of Good Citizenship, and try to see how the} may be applied. The hr-t has been already hinted at that rights and privileges bring duties and responsibilities; and it i' the dutie. that take the first place, the lights the second. In claiming

rights, we aie really claiming duties the duty is indeed the m*lc reason for the right. 1 think it is Robert Louis Stevenson who sa>> somewhere that the world has heard enough of the word “rights,” and it is time that the word “duty' took its place, for “there are very few rights, but plenty of duties.” I he second principle is closely allied to this, that in all social matters the burden should fall upon the strong rather than the weak; that those who arc the best off, not only m material possessions, but in character, education, and general development, are the ones upon whom rests the responsibil’ty of making the world a better place for all to live in. 1 he greater the endowments, the more is to be expected; w hile the less endowed are the ones to be cared for, to be helped and made happy. For we are all parts of one great whole, whether as a community, a nation, or a race. This brings us to the third of our great principles, which, however, is perhaps first in importance—the principle of unity, the recognition of a common life and a common aim, and the subordination of individual effort to work for the whole. This is one of the fundamental principles of our Union, expressed in its constitution, its motto, its very name; and it is the principle which lies at the root of all successful effort. There is no need to emphasise this—it will be recognised by all; but we want to apply it universally, with reference to those whom we arc apt to look upon a> rivals, or it may be even as opponents, and not only to those who work upon our own lines. It might well be applied to that cry which we hear so often now, for “equal rights with men,” and to what is sometimes called the “sex war.” The Hon. J. T. Paul, in his address at the Dunedin Convention, says: “I do not believe in the sex war; the sexes are complementary, and not rival.” That seems to me the right view from the standpoint of unity, and its essential feature. The parts of a whole arc not all alike, but have their own characteristics, their own place, and their own functions. It is for us women to find out what is our true position, our right work in the community, that which will best promote the welfare of the whole. There is another application we might make of this principle. The understanding

of true unit} should make us willing to subordinate our own individual opinions and methods to the attainment of a common aim, no matter if our own seem to us to be for the best; always, of course, with due regard to the dictates of conscience; but if we take a broad enough view, we shall u>ually find that we can very well afford to sacrifice our own private views on minor points and particular methods o f action, for the ultimate good and the triumph of fundamental principles.

Then there is the duty of indepen dent thought and judgment which responsibility always brings; and here comes in another principle which >hould never be forgotten, that righteousness is above opinion, above party questions, and above all personal considerations. It is the highest law, for “righteousness exalteth a nation.” Phis is directly connected with the question of the franchise and the duty of exercising our vote. it is more important to have a righteous, honest man at the head of affairs, or in any public position, than one who i> pledged to any particular policy or line of action which we approve, however good and advisable it may appear to be in itself. Women might exercise a very great influence in securing righteous government if they would try always to judge of the merits of a candidate on this principle, rather than with a view to any party question. At the same time we should try to form an intelligent opinion on all questions, and where candidates are of equal moral standing, vote according to our own best judgment.

Those principles, assimilated and acted upon, may perhaps help to clear the ground for more definite lines of work. These will, however, vary with the conditions and circumstances of individual Unions, and it is not easy to lay down any precise rules as to methods. It is pleasing to see how many of the X.Z. Unions are interesting themselves in all departments of social and political activity. Thue are many positions on public bodies now open to women, Hospital Hoards, Education Boards, and School Committees, Licensing Committees, Borough Councils, and these are gradually being taken more and more advantage of by women, though much tl 1 remains to be done in arousing interest and encouraging all who

have the opportunity to take a larger part in the management of public affairs. It i» surely by making full u? e of the opportunities already given, and showing ourselves capable and worthy to till them, that we are most likely to obtain others at present closed to women.

Hut there are many who have not 1 he opportunity or capacity for this kind of work, and the question arises, how can those living in out-of-the-way places, members of small Unions, or with no special aptitude for public work, still do their part as good citizens? In thi! first place, there is one privilege and duty which every woman in New Zealand possesses, and that is the right to vote. That means a great deal if it is thoroughly appreciated and made good use of, and it involves a fair amount of thought and work. Every woman should educate heiself in the understanding of the first principles of right government, the knowledge of the laws under which we live, both Parliamentary and Municipal, the methods by which such laws are framed and carried into execution, the principles on whiih to form a correct judgment as to the merits of respective candidates, together with the system and method of voting; and 'he should know something about electoral rolls, and wh.it questions she can vote upon, and what she can not. All this preparatory work cannot be done jU't in the few weeks before an election comes on. When that time comes we -hould all be ready to take our part, knowing what is expected of us, and understanding something of the conditions which depend on the results of the voting. Would it not be possible for small Unions, who feel they cannot take up the work of this special department, to educate themselves along some such lines, so that whenever the opportunity offers, they may be ready to take a more active part? Why not, for instance, have a small class, meeting say once a fortnight, or oftener, according to convenience, for the purpose of studying municipal questions, Parliamentary measures, social and industrial conditions, everything which affects the life of the community; reading the papers, to see what goes on in the political world, and how it is likely to affect the country as a whole, and their borough in particular. One member might be appointed for thi

special work, bringing a short report of anything -inking or of general interest. It might be helpful for two or more small Unions to correspond, and comparing opinions as to the best method of work, and so forth. Anolhei duty which rests with the women cf the community is the training of their children in obedience to the civic laws. Children brought up to be conscientious in these matters will make the best citizens later on. I think we -hall all admit the need of such training. It is no uncommon thing to find the ignoring of such laws looked upon as not only quite permissible, but even something to be proud of, as a clever thing. How often, for instance, do we find people trying to evade the C ustoms, and thinking it a smart thing to do; and I fancy women are sometimes inclined to be the greatest sinners in this way. We want to recognise that to disregard a regulation of that kind is as much an offence against justice as it is tc rob an individual. Perhaps we do not always sufficiently recognise that habits and opinions are more easily formed in >outh than at any later period. We are ready enough to quote the Scripture injunction, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.' but I am not sure that we always act upon it in what we consider minor points. Such training is surely the work of every good citizen.

Then there is the 1 question of practical work. There is always plenty to be done everywhere, but it is not always easy to sec how to begin. In America it is a common practice to form Women’s Clubs, and we have only to read of the work done by them to realise some of the possibilities open to women in the way of work as citizens, if only they are sufficiently in earnest to take the necessary trouble. The planting of trees, the formation of parks, the cleaning up of towns and getting rid of unsightly rubbish, securing inspection of dairies and bakeries, th * sanitary inspection of schools, penny lunches for school children, drinking fountains, playgrounds, evening schools, public reading rooms and librariesthese are some of the things that have been successfully accomplished by these energetic women, and 1 have read of one case where the Club, seeing that proper regulations were

not being carried out in civic matters, made a study of the city records, and then addressed a petition to the Mayor, signed by all the women of the town, calling hi- attention to the* existing legislation, and requesting that it might be enforced. All these thing- may not indeed be possible, even if necessary’, for us in New Zealand, but if they seem too far-reach-ing and too ambitious for u- to un dertake, we may remember that they were not done in a day, but probably began in a very humble way, and gradually grew and extended. If we begin by keeping our own backyards clean and making our own gardens beautiful, we shall have taken the first step; then we can look after the little piece of road in front of our own residence, and beautify that. This might perhaps suggest to others to do the same, and in this way the movement would spread, and larger things could be attempted. I here are two necessary conditions for the carrying out of any scheme of practical work —a clear realisation of what has to be done, and of our own responsibility in the- matter, and unlimited energy and perseverance in its accomplishment. (iiven these, there is nothing really impossible. And 1 think it is very largely for this that the Department of (iood Citizenship exists, that our women may come to feel their responsibility in all matters that affect the public welfare, and may be brought together for united action, which is the only way to ensure success. It is with this idea that I have written this paper, and if it should be of any use in helping to bring the smaller Unions into touch with each other, or in offering suggestions to any to whom it may appeal, its objec t will at least in part have been achieved. MARIAN JUDSON, N.Z. Supt. of the (iood Citizenship I )cpartmcnt. Any Unions who would like to cot respond with others on the lines here suggested are invited to write to Mrs Jud-on, Van Diemen Street, Nelson.