THE WIDE OUTLOOK

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2004, 11 March 1914, Page 4

THE WIDE OUTLOOK

SPEECH BY EARL GREY.

EMPIRE' CITIZENSHIP.

WHAT N.Z. HAS DONE.

AND WHAT IT STILL MAY DO

Eaii GVey.'was entertained at a luncheon;in the.Town Hall yesterday by the New Zealand Club and the Wellington Branch of the Royal Colonial Institute.* Mrf F. W. Pope, actingpresident of the'club, took the chair. Apologies were made-on behalf of His Excellency, the Governor, tho Prime Minister, the' Hon. R. H. Rhodes, Sir Joseph Ward, : 4h6 Hon. C. il. Luke, and the Eastbourne.' There were iabout 300 present, including the Hon, «J. , Allen , ,' Major-General Godley, and Mr. ,J.-I*,, Lfiko: (Mayor, of Wellington). : '' -'■'■ '"' -■' •' "■'."■. i liar! Grey was cordially applauded when,ho rose- to speak. He could not possibly have received, ho said, an invitatio'ii which, ho would more gladly have accepted than one, froni the New Zealand Club and the Royal Colonial 'Institute. The''New\Zg£land Club,' he couldVfsee,. was-" A reproduction of-:n-simiiar... institution with ;rfhich,,ho.had been made very familiar, , during his seven years in Canada.; He regarded the iiew Zealand Club and tho Canadian Club as distinct contribution to Anglo-Celtic civilisation; It had becomo a vcrj'/.-popular' institution, in tho big towns in Canada to.havo,a luncheon once it week' if possible, and to have "a talk" from someone, who' wbuld'rapproacli;his; subject>frotn a,national, and ; not from a sectarian, or'party or paroehiaifvstandpoint.-- The Canadian Clubhad ediloated; drid '■'. was 'educating, the people';bt.Ga.h,atla :> tb.haMe,:a, wide ■outlook, jand ;tff rather than •parochjalWideals.'-.This. spirit had holpeclitc' establish' iij' Canada -some -secu ritfJl Cii";-,;l'His'iiitere'stci*'rg'ovoriuhen\;...' And Ithcre. were; States '.not'. f ar.,"f rom; 1 New ■■Zealand■where every interest was considered, except .the .public : v interest,' Ho hpp'i»d;that the! -saino .good influence exorc|?ed r -by the Canadian Club .would bo exercised' by-tho;New Zealand Club .in all-'(the-;big.towns of this Dominion; No state could bo really great unless there was a sincere- jand honest desire on tho part;- of\ its "citizens .to ascertain . truth,' ; -and > a ; fearless determination 'to apply . it, regardless of consequences to :tho socialneeds, and tho'-,;poiitical".requirements,' of the nation-^applause)—and when the business men, more especially the young business men, who were-mem-bers of such an institution as tho New Zealand Club, were addressed regularly by men'with a disinterested message/.to deliver, a public 'opinion was created which could bo relied upon to protect an otherwise ignorant people' against tho influence of party'sophistries, -and against the effect of demagogue, appeals to greedy class interests. (Ap-. plauso.) '■■'; . '.. ■ . ...

Our Future Greatness. "Now if i , 'were-asked-,^she'said, "on what tho future greatness of New Zealand depended, 1 should bo inclined to reply—on tbo enlightenment of its citizens, and on thoir'dotorniiued resolution to follow a policy to make, for the national greatness of Nown Zealand '20' years hence, aud not for the immediate- temporary advantage of a faction at the expense; of the permanent : interests of the , The future great-, ness of New Zealand, as indeed of every' other country, depends upon the wide national Imperial outlook of its citizens, and upon securing. also the service- in positions of high- , responsibility and trust, of your-most publics-spirited disinterested, independent, aiid enlightened men. I propose to offer, you a very few words on,' both, ; theso'points. What are you o doing- -to-secure a wido outlook to your peoplo? I 'What.are you cloiuf; to mako it .easy'for men of high ideals and independence of character to enter public life?. '< I a'm-one of those who believe that the system of majority representation makes it difficult, and that the; system of proportional ■ropre--eentatidn.' makes it easy for men of tho character-I have described to find their way into representative assemblages. I have not been lpng enough hero to dogmatise on .this or any othor points,, on wliich there is difference of opinion among 'you'." ■ ■■ < .-'■• ■ '-■ '■■ •■

'■'~ .'.i The School Journal, The'.speaker went on to eulogise the "School Journal," which ho said was doing -a very great deal to foster a ■wider'outlook. Ho had boon a prolific readori.of the Journal for years, and ho bad always felt that any nation whosochildren assimilated tho. contents of this admirable publication, could not fail to have a wide outlook or to bo animated by a spirit of ambition to play a man's part in the world's affairs. He did'not' think ho had over been more touched and'more thrilled 'in his life- than when ho received through tho post oho 'day 45,000 "separate ■"contributions from'the .children, of iNow .Zealand to aid,;:the other-cftizons of tho Empiro to makeW Impofi'al park' of tho Heights of Abraham, tho ground on which tho immortal Wolfo lost his life. , So highly did he think of the journal that it lind been his effort 'to, induco public authorities of other parts of tho Empire to follow tho example of New Zealand in founding it,

• ■ Our Flag.' ' After enumerating' ■cm>tnm ■- pf.-tho-waya m which Xow Zoalaiid'hadT-giVeii tho lead to othor dependencies In fostering. the • Imperial. spirit; .'Earl' Grey said ho would venture.: to. suggest olio other way. His' proposal .was that instead, of having: the present blue on-' sign as, the.Hag of' New Zealand with tho Union Jack in tho north-west corner, wo should make tho Union Jack our lliig, with a device emblematic of New Zealand in tho centre. This was •jiow done by every regiment' in tlio British Army. Ho suggested that- ifthis scheme wero genqrally adopted Canada could havo tlio'maplo' leaf in the ceiitro, Australia tho kangaroo, and New. Zealand tholivo stars of tho Southern Cross. By 'adopting such, a' flag New Zealand would givo a lead to tho whole Empiro. , ,'j TheAlilwych Sito. • - . . ' It was again in tho power of New Zealand to give a- lead- to the Empire in endorsing and adopting his plan for the establishment of tho offices of all tho Dominions in ono central building on the Al&wych sito iu London, a block of two acres and a half in tho most central and.,conspicuous part of the city, jcJvor which ho had secured an .option; for --Empire purposes. On this unique and ideal site could be erected a building which would bo, visible to the greater part of London by day, and there was nothing but co-operation lacking to" inako this building tho finest, not only_ in England,' in the whole world. Now Zealand could do its part without feeling, the cost of it. ■ The Dominions' could have their oflic-cs together in this building, and the transaction; of business between one Dov minion and another could bo done oxpeditioualy aud cheaply. Tho building would..impress the imagination of the wliolo of London, and, indeed, of nil tho world, of tho growing importance) of the'overseas Empire.- It would also scrv« 'as a centre to .which all vis.i.\-)rs from tho Dominii'i - i'to. Loiidoii (.'ould go with a cortaiiity that they would find there .'congenial 'intercourse. Auothpr crest vgkie it .wo.ulcl would-be in

its usefulness to advertise the Dominions. Ho had received a letter from tho Prime Minister of; New Zealand, in which -Mr. Masse.vj approved of the notion ho had taken! in preserving tho sito, but stating tli.it: the Government of New Zealand, while; warmly sympithising with the idea,; could not say what action they might he, prepared to take regarding it until they! had considered in conjunction with the! representatives of Governments of tho' other self-governing Dominions • what! would be the best course to take for all concerned. Nothing;, said Earl .Grojv could hnvo pleased him.moro than .to• receive such an expression of opinion from tho New Zealand Government. It was/ as much as he could liavo hoped for, and. the action of the Now Zealand Govern-; lr.eut would bo communicated at once to ! tho Governments of tho other eelf-gov-orning Dominions.

The Dominion's Resources. He had boon amazingly impressed with the character of tho" country that ho had seen in New Zealand, and the possibilities that existed for creating wealth which' would enable a liappv and prosperous nation to support itself here; and so far as ho could learn, wo were just beginning to tap tho ■ resources of the country. It was his opinion that there, wero abundant sources of wealth other than thoso supplied by wool, frozen meat and dairy produce. If the peoplo now devoted 'themselves to the undeveloped resources of the country they would mako; as great strides in tho next twenty years, as they had made in the last twenty; years. Given the conditions of sufficient! capital and suffhi?nt labour, it wouM be, , difficult to. limit the. measure-, of New ; Zealand's swelling exports. He would.: however, say that wliilo it was admitted' that the prosperity of New Zealand was: founded on the success of the primnryj producer, his impression was that New; Zealand was behind Canada and South; Africa in the organisation established by; the State for assisting the farmer to; make a better living out of the cultiva-: tion of tho soil. ,

Earl Grey resumed.liis seat amid a' :ound of applause, and at tho" cull of the chairman three hearty cheers were! piven to mark, appreciation of the address. ■ .■.■••,