THE GOVERNOR AT MASTERTON.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11493, 28 January 1903, Page 9

THE GOVERNOR AT MASTERTON.

THE PROPOSED VETERANS' HOME

AX EABNEST APPEAL.

(SPECIAL TO "THE PRESS.") MASTERTCN, January 27. At the request of the people of the Wairarapa his Excellency tlie Governor to-day visited Masterton, and delivered a stirring address to an enthusiastic audience on the subject of the New Zealand Veterans' Memorial Home, leferring incidentally also to tie great importance of strengthening the British aiavy. Loid Raiiiurly introduced his subject by quoting the traditional conversation said to have tuk«i place more than 225 years ago between Charlta 11. and Noll Gwynne, a seller of oranges at Covent Garden Theatre, when the King expressed hinwrlf as wisi.ing to kiep the .soidiere on his side and the side of hcigliind, and Neil Gwynne's answer -was, "-Bid your architect to set up a, home for these old soldiers who have sewed your fumiiy so well Are you King enough and man enough lo do" it?" askod ih? famous Neil Gwyuiie, and the King, so the story go*-*, said lie was, und he would do it. Lord Ranfurly went- «m n> refer to what had been done in England in connection with Chelsea Hospital, the foundation of which i.s attributed in tbe records to Sir Stephen Fox. In that home there winnow, he said, 5W veterans, bosidts which the institution was giving out pensions to 85,000 wore. (>„ the subject of the defence ot the Empire, the Governor made a stirring appeal for the naval predominance of Britain. "All," he said, "must acknowledge t-nat the safety of the Empire depends upon our arinv and navy, more especially upon the latter and even-thing possible should be dons to make popular this branch of the service. Our independence nnd the privileges we in this colony enjoy depend upon the supremacy of the Motherland. If she is not to be" flouted and browbeaten by nations jealous of her, if ehe is still to continue as the first Empire of the world, we must be prepared to make come sacrifices a-ud to defend ourselves at all costs and against all corner*, but it is not so much on the land as on the sea that our strength is needed. Supremacy on the sea to England and her colonic mean their very existence. llμ colonies are. so to speak, independent unn» of the Empire, but if tiw supremacy of the Motherland were lost on the sea, she aftd her colonies might quickly become it, prey to the count,ry that held the eea power, «nd aucsh a country could make England suffer without landing a single soldier on tier shows, and Without staining her own «h with a drop of blood, by the simple method , of cutting off the supp' ies by means of which New Zealand and other countries- feed her teeming millions. Thus at all costs our navy must be beyond reproach, and I cannot help thinking tiliat some scheme could be evolved by means of which our great trade routes could be protected in time of war without weakening our squadrons m any sphere of action where they might be most required. For instance, by subsidising our principal mail lines we might obtain the services of the speedy steamers, so protected and aimed that tri*y would be a most valuable auxiliary to our navy. They need not necessarily carry their 'heavy guns in time of peace, but these should be ready, so that at any moment they could be placed on board at the various ports. Thus our big passenger ships would be men of war in time of need, keeping up communications, protecting other ships on the trade routes, and thus permitting lils Majesty's ships to unite and strike at any point where nseessary. (Applause.) "With such « demand for defence on laaid and sea, continued Jus Excellency, "they should see that their veteran soldiers and sailors were ptoperly treated in their old age. Knowing the patriotism of the people of New Zealand he thought tlhey in this colony would do something for those old heroes of many campaigns Who were deserving and in need. Ttore could be no more fitting memorial to those who had fallen in the war in South Africa than iius proposed Veterans' Home. What he desired to see ' was a memorial to the dead that would be of the' greatest service to the living. (Applause.) When he mooted the subject he was encouraged in it from one end of the colony to the other, <but he had found that an arduous task had fallen upon his shoulders. However, he did Slot ntind that. He wanted to see hie task completed and the Home an established fact for the benefit of those for whom it was intended. Lord Ranfurly proceeded to give details regarding the site purchased from the Assets Board, near Auckland, and l the buildings proposed to be erected. Auckland was chosen on the advice of medical men, and the site secured was an excellent one, within easy distance of Auckland, so that the inmates of the Home could see their friend? and their friends could see them. Of the 2500 men with medals on hie list of veterans, two thousand were resident in the Worth, and 500 in the South Island. He hoped in fourteen days to have the working plane completed and tenders called for building the Home. They were greatly indebted to Mr Erneet Coleridge, of Wellington, who hae volunteered to do all the architect's work free of cost, which was equal to a very, valuable donation. He said it seemed strange that in some parts of the colony so little had been done towards helping on the movement, but perhaps it was because, tlwugh it had been talked about, none had ■represented the matter clearly to the people as to the necessity for the Home. He was daily in receipt of more and more evidence that it was required. He read a, letter he had received only the other day from a gentleman who had interested himself in the movement, to the effect that he had found an old veteran dying hi the hospital; he had no friends, no relatives, and seemed to have very little life left in him. He was quite destitute, and yet he had seen 21 years' active service, including the Mutiny, and; had both a long service and a good oonduct medal.