FRIENDLY MESSAGE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1758, 25 May 1906, Page 3

FRIENDLY MESSAGE.

(Ftr Press Aeeoelatton.) Wellington, lust Dight. The Earl of Meaib/ originator of tbe Empire Day celebration, cabled to the fia fog-Pi. mier '’to-day : " The sister n*t'<>"B r.j 1-oe.” Mr Hud-Jonea’, rep ywo -‘You- Em piro m‘s-age touch 's choids which vib at•nd ieo procaie throughout New Z aland."

Auoklaud, lass night, pina weather favored she c o, obratir ns of Empite D«y, obsrrv.d by sotiuuir a. d public - cl aod saluted the fl.g. After limning to patriotic speeches toe sohnlar-. were dismissed for the day. Che chief pubi c fu'>c lion was the unveiling of the statue of Sir Joho Logan Campbell. 11 the Father of Auckland.” and donor to the otty of Cornwall Pork. The Governor has received from E»rl Meath, originator of Empire Day, the following cable ■ " Empire, Responsibility, Doty.”

LOCAL CELEBRATIONS.

Empire Day was not ganorally observed Gisborne. The wholesale houses, banka and some Government offices kept holiday, while by business people generally the usual halGboliday was obsorved. The chief celebrations were at the various sohoola, At the Gisborne School special lessons bearing on the day were given in eaoh class, and the school oadets marched past and saluted the flag. The most important future was at the Mnngapapa School, where prominent speakers made highly interesting speeches on tbo subject uppermost in the minds. The flag was saluted by the oadets and aobool children generally, the oadets being highly coafplimented on thoir efficiency by* Colonel Porter. The speoohes were given in the sohoolroom, the Chairman of Committee (Mr M. MoLeod) presiding. The Chairman introduced the various speakers, making a graceful reference to each. Ho said the Rev. Mr Chatterton a calling was one in which the disoiples thereof were the salt of the earth, and were it not for mon of his calling tbo Empire would have gone as other Empires had done. Ho mentioned that Mr W. L. Rees had been a friend and collengue cf the G.O M , tho late Sir George Groy, and he incidentally mentioned that Mr Roes had rendered him (the speaks) many little kindnesses. Colonel Porter, ho remarked, won his way up to most honorable position ho could take in Now Zealand, fighting for the Empire in the early days in this colony, and afterwards in South Africa. Tub Rev. F. W. Chatterton, after referring to the admirable idoa of h aving such a gathering —the second of tbo kind at Maogapipa— describe 1 how 1 10 Empire under which we lived had been built up like a house, little by little, and they wero all proud of beloogiog to the greatest Empire tho world had sceo. Certainly it was an extraordinary Empire. One did not always know where it was or wa- not: for they were always stumbling around a bit of the British Empire. People of other na ions going round the world d d m i, eam to be able to got away from it It was scattered broadcast throughout the world. There had been other great Empires. but they had been concentrated. Nrw Z land felt that they were a pa t of t -18 greit united Empire, and know if th-y wer>attacked or in trouble, they would have other pa ts of 'ha Empire rushing to their assistance Tee Empire had bean bum Up by a variety of causes, and it bal taken a long time. It had been built up by atate>rasnship, an! pntccted by tho military, but b hind a t that them waannher force. Tnev be level God ba< been b lent y, invimblv working »»nd if H had not a’< work tbo Empire would not have been what it wus. G-d shoul i tberef ire be honored by tbem as a nation. Budyard Kipling had written a gr. at hymn on this, oaled ' The Rec ssionalor ii Bmi we Forget.” Toey must not forget who was behiod them. Good and noble men, of character and courage had built up the Empire, and it was desired that thß young people growing up, besides clever ueBS and bravery, should have goodubbb too, so that they would have atrong oharaoters. They mu.t not forget God in their daily lives, and that He provided them with the things they en joyed in their daily lives, health and Jdtspgib, and this glorioua oouutry. Mr

Seddon was fond of railing Now r /«ftt«>a " God's own country." It did scorn that He hod woudrously b'ossod it, and givou Now Zealand many tbiogs which other oauntrirs badnot. Pooplo should thank Him for thoso gift*, and bo like ll'iu in hating all God hated, and loving all ho lovad. He narrated how in the ljoiuo Oooan a groat many islands wore built up by tho tiny coral iusec.' Milhous of those had died and gone to rnako up islands, every one had done it* part, bo the Empire had been built up by tiny units of people, and all could do something to aid the Empire. Children should bo uusolfish and help ono another, and thus bo doing their part in helping tbs Empiro to cmtiuuo great and prosperous. Mr Roes said that in tho 140 scholars ha saw" before him was the ma'orial out of whioh tho fathers and mothers of a future generation woro to noun. When !bo present men and women bad passed away, these boys would have 10 gua-d tho 'country from inva-ion, and ■ ako their work in tho world on farm or in office, while the girls would have to oarry on the households. His wish, he said, was to speak of tho part statesmen like Mr Seddon in Now Zealand and Mr Dankm in Australia >O. k in building up ihe Empire. In that Empire there were nb tit 150 million children, or a unilion ior ovory child tcoic tha'- day. In dealing with the progress mad i in the c 1 my since tho early pioneering days, the speaker told the children how s-ato-mon had often rison from small b-‘gouirgs, among them being Abraham Lincoln, Amerioa’B great President. From Alfred the Cr oat staio-nn-m could bo traced down a n . I, .it ho ped 10 givo character to the ano", who had assisted to oarry its flag to evory sea, and having obtained tho greatest viotory of all, tv victory over themselves, had served their country and their Clod, Ho urged tho children to speak tho .ruth, honor their fathers and mothers, bo generous but never foolish, and strive to do each day’s work well, and then if they wore called to positions of influence they would thus be prepared to fill them. Although many oould not be so oalled, they could all do their part in helping to build up the Empire. In Russia a man’s life was not eafe from day to day, but in our Empiro men had froedom. They oould not gat rid of the gnat responsibility plaoed on them as subjects of the greatest Crown that existed, and they should govorn themselves by the light of truth and justice. Ho hoped the Mangapopa School would have many Empire Daya. Colonel Porter said he was under a disadvantage on that day speakiog for the first time to ft gathering of ch'Hron. That day wae the anniversary of the birthday of the noble lady („> ieen Victoria, tho first Empress of India, and tbo founder of the Empire, When statesmen, ho eaid, wore unable to settle tbo.r differences tho oid of the soldier was sought. A soldier’s duty was to fight for right, olthough sometimes bo bad to light for wbat was wrong. Soldiers knew they had to sacrifice their lives to maintain tho Empiro, because if jt no longor existed they would bccomo slaves to others.. It was the statesmen who had to be careful they did not bting about destruction by wrongful use of tho soldier. People should avoid becoming the aggressors, and es a rule Britain had done so, In the early days of tbo Empire even ministers became soldiers, and WEnt on crusades to light for the laws of God. He paid a tribote to Lord Wolsoley, General Gordon, and Lords Robettu and. KUohener. He bad had the p’oasuio of meeting Lords Roberts and Kitchener. Beneath the latter’s stern exterior there was a kind, considerate heart, but be bad to look to the general good, and not a low himself to.be diverted by email tbiDgs ; he was a strict genoral, and would not swerve from his duty to the Empiie. Children should be obedient to their parenls and those placed above them; they should ignore the bad and emulate the good. Although a senior officer he saluted to those officers placed above him. It was a doty and no odq was more sensible to duty's demands than himself. People thought that in drilling 'boys, they were making eoldiers of them for the purpose of killing others, but this was not so. Only one boy in ten would in all likelihood become a so'dier. They were tfaching them obedience to those above them. Tbo<e boys wou'd then be ready to take arms when necessary to defend their Country The army and navy "houtd be th> support of Church and S

-j 9 , The Chairman, noting Colonel Porter a rem.ck on Lini Kitchener, counselled the ohlJ'en tu be obedient; with the teachers’ stem fac-s there were kindly h arts ooneermd only for the welfare of thoooildien. Mr W J Hunter, the headmaster, who had done a great deal to assure the success of the gathering proposed a vote of thanks to the ap'-lcra. This wa3 seconded by Mr Levey, and thß ohildren responded with hearty oberrs, followed by oheets for tho ladies and teachers. A. holiday was announced, and the gathering broke up after the BiDgicg of the National Anthem. Daring the proceedings the senior children saDg the military song by the New Zealand composer, Mr A. Hill.