The Dominion. SATURDAY, MAY 8, 1920. THE EXAMPLE OF THE PIONEERS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 191, 8 May 1920, Page 6

The Dominion. SATURDAY, MAY 8, 1920. THE EXAMPLE OF THE PIONEERS

, ./.... ♦ -,/...: : r . Though its effect was marred by the uncontrolled enthusiasm of the big crowd which assembled to witness, its presentation, the, early settlors' pageant at' Petonc 'yesterday' Lid a very appropriate place ii) 'dhe programme of entertainments. ' and celebrations arranged in hon-our,-of-the Prince of' Wales. It is right' and seemly that full prominence'should be. given on great national occasions to the. record ."f the • early settlers, for they laid well arid truly the foundations of aJI that is sound, and, of good promise in the: life of the Dominion to-day. The record is worth preserving, , not merely on account of its historic - )] interest, but because it holds for all time the_ force' of'a telling example "of what is to be accomplished by resolution, endurance,- and industry in overcoming ■ formidable difficulties and dangers.' The story of the successful' settlement of New,. Zealand fills an honourable chapter in the history of- the British race; and the ' estimation in which the achievement •' of'the early settlers is hold at the present day may fairly be regarded as measuring the survival and development of,the best qualities of the race in the modern-population ef the Dominion.- It is a matter of na- . tional pride and duty that. Kenerjus support should be given to those who arc engaged in completing and filling in the historical record of early settlement, and,also to such movements as are afoot for, perpofcu.iting the memory'of the early settlers by the erection of suitable monuments. At a moment like the present, when sectional interests and affairs are set aside or subordinated, and attention , is fastened on the larger facts .of national life, the-debt the Dominion owes.to its early settlers and the stimulating example their achieve-. ~ ment offers to the present- generation .. appear in something like their true - value and perspective. [ Candour compels the .admission ■ that wehave in some-respects fallen '' away seriously from the standards , Bet, by our pioneers. By comparison with what they had to endure and overcome; our lot is easy and for- . tunate. Apart from the-perilous insecurity that prevailed until the period of war's and troubles with the • Maoris had been brought happily to • an end, the.early settlers had.to en- ' 'du'rVa thousand hardships and deprivations as they carved out. their • homes in ■ a new and unfamiliar country. Of necessity their lives were laborious, their" comforts and pleasures few and restricted. l ( 'or 1 those who persevered the only hope ■ of improving their lot was in the qualities of resolution and industry . with which they were richly. endowr ed, and the improvement, at bust, • was slow. Yet there is ample evidence that although the life t.f the early days was hard and exacting, ' the people of, that time were quite as happy and in. the best sense contented as their descendants and successors arc to-day. What happiness the early settlers enjoyed in *,heir pion- ■ coring days was earned by'their own honest industry and ability to pull 3 together for the common good, and v it ought to be better realised than it-is that the pursuit of happiness and welfare is as definitely governed ■ now as'then'by the conditions.' As compared, with. the days . of pioneering settlement the life of to-day is replete, with comfort,_ the burdens to be borno arc relatively 1 light, and the problems to be solved [• relatively simple; It would be mk--1 reading.and .distorting the history of early settlement,to. find in it any I warrant for'the tame and unentcr- . prising acceptance of existing con- " ditions. The mere contrast between the stage of development the Dqmin- , ion has reached and the conditions '" that obtained in the pioneering era ,' is as far as possible from justifying " any tendency to set a.brake on progress. But it is.a simple fact, that a tithe of the courage and cntcr- - prise displayed by the men and w > £ men who laid the foundations of<f civilised life in this country would i. suffice .atrthe present day to set its il national and industrial affairs' in '- such 'order'as would give its whole 1? population sound reason' for happi- ,. '■ contentment. ■ Xherc is ample scope for the development uf

a spirit of practical optimism, and for the exercise of the national qualities of steadiness, fnirnoss and common sense upon which the Pimnce of Wales laid just emphasis in the memorable speech he delivered on Thursday. These qualities have seldom, if ever, been better exemplified than in the achievements of our own early settlers. In emulating their example New Zealaiftlcrs will take 'the best means at once of honouring and perpetuating the memory of the pioneers and elevating in every respect the standards of national life .for- the present and succeeding generations,