ENG-1956 — Page 16

Chapter 1: Review

A PROBLEM OF PEOPLE

JUDGING from the criticisms one hears, there is an idea in some minds that the functions of Government are exercised

in a sort of sterile vacuum where theories can be tested and principles applied in isolation from those inconsequential occurrences over which even a Government has no control. In fact, the contrary is far nearer to the truth. It is seldom indeed that a situation arises where principle can be applied with the knife-edge precision of that early Buddha who, tiring of the quarrels of earth's inhabitants, descended to a high mountain in Ceylon and called together all the men, birds, beasts and fish in order to resolve their differences. His audience, says the record, asked a million and one abstruse questions and the all-seeing god, after pondering them, answered every one in the negative.

That divine afflatus is gone. Modern governments can sel- dom answer questions with a 'yes' or a 'no.' There are con- tingencies, hypotheses, counsels of caution and considera- tions of expediency. One never, at the end of a year,' simply reports progress, as if direction were maintained like the path of an aircraft. More often annual reviews are statements of the reasons why progress has not been made, why direction has been changed. One states and assesses the 'problems'- problems being all those varied events, or influences, which hinder or prohibit the application of pure principle, which halt or deflect progress, which inhibit that resounding nega- tive. The reviews with which this report traditionally begins are no exception. Progress has always been there, but it is hedged about with a crop of problems which have confounded