XXU. PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS. 



system entails, yet nothing is done. It has been pointed 

 out that a leader who brought about the chancre, would 

 commit political suicide. Let us pray that a leader will 

 soon arise in the Empire who will value the good of his 

 country above that of his own political life. The current 

 literature of the Old Country, even more than that of 

 Australia, emphasises the fact that the nation is getting 

 quite as tired of the present system as the politicians are. 

 With the public so educated, the hour is here, let us hope 

 that the hour brings the man. My reason for introducing 

 the debatable subject of politics at all, is that most of the 

 larger problems T have mentioned to-night must be dealt 

 with by politicians, and they are severely handicapped in 

 their attempts to obtain national efficiency by the methods 

 which our present system forces them to adopt. 



May the time soon come when it will be recognised 

 as the principal duty of our various Governments to so 

 control and direct the States, that the maximum results 

 will be obtained from the efforts of every individual in 

 every trade and profession, and that the national assets 

 of the State will be conserved for our children. 



And the way out does not lie in w^asteful wars between 

 Labour and Capital, between Individuals and Communism. 

 We must have labour and capital, we must have individual 

 freedom and control by the community, and when we, 

 as a people, are sufficiently educated to recognise that 

 fact and abandon the system of party Government, we 

 will have taken the first and greatest step towards evolving 

 a proper State Control in which waste will be as carefully 

 guarded against, and individuality as jealously fostered 

 as in the keenest of private businesses. 



A vote of thanks was proposed by Mr. Richards, 

 and seconded by Mr. Briinnich. An interesting discussion 

 foUow^ed in which His Excellency, Mr. Barton and Mr. 

 Briinnich took part, and Mr. Henderson briefly replied. 



The following officers were returned unopposed. 

 President, P. L. Weston, B.Sc, B.E. ; Vice-President, 

 H. C. Richards, M.Sc. : Hon. Treasurer, J. C. Briinnich, 

 F.I.C. ; Hon. Secretary, F, Bennett ; Hon. Librarian, T. 



