Xxii. PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS 
system we will not only prevent the race from deteriorating, 
but that our system will carry succeeding generations to 
higher levels, physically, mentally and morally than we our- 
selves have attained. Is the boy who leaves the State School 
to-day physically superior to the boy who left it 30 years 
ago? I am afraid not. It is staggering to think that 
because the known systems of physical culture have not 
been adopted, our boys and girls are growing up with only 
half their proper share of health and strength. If it is true, 
and some of the best authorities say that they have actually 
proved it in practice, that one hour per day, if systematically 
devoted to physical culture, will thoroughly develop the 
frame, then why is it not done? Take a walk along any of 
the principal streets of any of our Queensland towns, and 
look at the physique of the youths. Any one will admit, 
I think, that the average is certainly not better than that 
of the youths of the old country towns, and in some of the 
towns it is as certainly inferior. If there lies to our hands 
a method of making the children grow up much stronger 
and healthier physically and we do not use it, then our 
neglect is absolutely criminal. Either the advocates of 
physical cuiture are deliberately misleading us, or our 
authorities are, by their neglect, laying up a store of weak- 
ness and sickness and resultant criminality. Ability 
to extract a cube root is of much less importance than a well- 
developed healthy body, and an hour per day, or even half 
the day, if taken from other pursuits would be well spent 
indeed in laying up a store of health and strength. 
There is one other point in which I think our system 
is woefully defective—in religious training. This is recognised 
by men of every branch of the Christian religion, but unfor- 
tunately none have so far suggested a practical remedy. 
In an old settled community the lack of religious instruction 
in the State Schools is not felt quite so much—there are 
other sources of that instruction. The old spirit which 
made Churchmen everlastingly harp on their points of 
difference is fortunately giving way to a more rational 
spirit, and they are now showing a tendency to find out the 
points on which they agree. As they are all nominally 
believers of Christ’s teachings, it should surely be possible 
for them soon to agree to similarly interpret a sufficient 
