HONOURING THE PIONEERS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1551, 21 September 1912, Page 10

HONOURING THE PIONEERS.

For the first time in its history Weilington is honouring its old scttlore, bv holding a .special entertainment in their honour. Iho pioneer men and women, [who cawe out to tho Dominion in tho early days of its history have been- quietly slipping; away out of sight and out of reach of intimate everyday intercourse, and it is surely well to pay those who arc left among us somo honour before it is too late. No country could have bad as its founders a sturdier, braver, inoro independent lot of forefathers than Xew Zealand has had, and the stories of tho hardships, privations, an 4 dangore that they faced with such indomitable courage, such magnificent strength of purposo are suoh as (o make their descendants wish to keep up their traditions and to do credit to the names they bear. Almost more than any other trait that fills ono with admiration as their fine independence of spirit. Tho things that came to them came to them by tho work of their hands and the sweat'of their brow, and thev looked to no or* for'undeserved assistance. Not for their children were such thinps as scholarships, technical education for practically nothing, pensions, and the thousand and ono things with which tho individual is helped now, so that, if he bo that kind of per- ; son, he can live almost nil his days with- ; out doing strenuous work of any kind, and can always look for salvation to powers oulsido himself. It would be sad to think that Hint spirit has not been handed on.

It is thp memory of their ancestors that nerves tho Japanese to act worthily of their descent, and It was the memory of theirs that mndo tlift Maoris such ft fine wee of people. If Oriental peoples Mid onr Native raw plnco such importance upon tho' brave deeds of the past it is hardly well that wo should let the memories of our own past times fade nway and die. out. Next Monday evening in the Town null should do much to rovivo Uiew deeds nnd live? (hat stretch back into such stirring times.