The Dominion. THURSDAY, MARCH 2, 1911. IMPERIAL AND OTHER QUESTIONS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1065, 2 March 1911, Page 4

The Dominion. THURSDAY, MARCH 2, 1911. IMPERIAL AND OTHER QUESTIONS.

The farewell banquet tendered last evening by a number of citizen; to the Prime Minister and the At : torncy-General on the occasion ol their departure for England proved a pleasant and successful function Apparently the original idea oi making the banquet a citizens' entertainment was abandoned by th< organisers, for the city's first citi zen, its Mayor, .was not in the chaii as was the case at the Dunedin, Ti roam, and Christchurch gatherings enc Chief Justice, Sip. Robeiv: otout, being brought down frorr iNapier to fill the position. Thii unusual, and, as many people wil perhaps think, undesirable depar turc, while depriving the city of th< opportunity of extending an offi eial recognition to the country's of ncial representative at the Corona txon celebrations, fortunately die not mar in any way the enthusiasn proper to such an occasion as Jas night- s gathering. It is pleasant t< recognise that there are times whei our party and parochial politics cat be forgotten and men who disagre< heaitily and sincerely on question: °* domestic policy can sink theii diffeicnccs and meet on a commoi platform. And no occasion lends it self more completely to such efface mcnt, of party lines than one touch ing intimately the loyalty of th< nation to the Throne and the devo tion of the Dominion to the Empire In honouring Sir Joseph Ward th< citizens who assembled at last even ing s function did honour to theii representative at the coming Coro nation ceremonials, but in so doinj they demonstrated also their instinc tive and docp-scated loyalty to th< King, whose Coronation, New Zea lana, with the rest of the Empire, ii so proud to assist in celebrating. The speeches which rounded off th< proceedings last night, while quit< properly appreciative of the guests naturally turned largely on the re lations which exist between the Do minion and the Motherland, anc more especially to the matters likelj to come up for consideration at -the Imperial Conference to be held ir London not many weeks hence. Ii can hardly be said that any new light was thrown on the very important subjects tabled for discus sion, but the speakers were at leasl and the speeches showed greater evidences of thought and careful preparation than we are ac customed to from public men in New Zealand. His Excellency the Governor _ set a very admirable example in this respect, His pica for a better dissemination of news between the various parts of the Empire no doubt has something to commend it. "We suspect, however, thai our contemporaries abroad get verj nearly as much concerning New Zealand as their readers are interested in, and the same thing applies tc rjost of .the other parts of the Empire. That there could be an improvement in the selection of the matter sent- us, however, and especially in respect of the political intelligence from England we mosi heartily agree. The Chief Justice, Sir Robert Stout, made one remark with which all thinking people will be in. complete accord. AVc refer tc his suggestion that the Leader of the Opposition should share with the Priiie Minister the represcritatior pf the Dominion at the Imperial Conference. This question has beer raised before, but has never beer treated with proper seriousness, mainly because the invitations tc the overseas Dominions have not in:luded anyone outside the party in affice for the _ time being. Sin Joseph Ward might very well brine this matter before the Conference it its coming sittings. Without ir lny way reflecting on the Prime Minister's colleague who accompanies him to England, we cannot help thinking that it would bo fai more advantageous to this countrj incl to Empire if the Leader ol :he Opposition were the second representative of New Zealand at the Jonfcrence. Silt Joseph Ward,- whe isually is sound in his attitude 011 Imperial questions, last night reviewed the resolutions which he is :o bring before the Conference, bul laturally was unable to go very exmustivoly into any of them. Most people will agree with him in his general attitude, but it is disappointing that he could not find time ;o elaborate his Imperial Council dea. On the details of this proposal _ depends so much—whethei ;hcrc_is to be created a new piece of nachinery which may prove mischievous, and perhaps 1 dangerous; >r whether it is simply proposed tc ,'xtcnd moderately and reasonably :hc powers of the representatives oi :he overseas Dominions already witching the interests of their rcipective countries in London. Sir Joseph Ward, we trust-, will exercise that proper discretion which las characterised his actions at past conferences and recognise, as has jeen propertly pointed out-, that the .-arious States of the Empire, be!ore they can exercise their full share n the government of that Empire, 1111 st be prepared to take their full share in bearing its burdens.