DOMINION OF NEW ZEALAND.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2124, 5 July 1907, Page 3

DOMINION OF NEW ZEALAND.

The Auckland Herald, commenting o l the proposal to substitute the form “Dominion” for “Colony,” as the official designation of New Zealand. does not doubt that Parliament will take prompt advantage of the courteous and considerate offer which lias !>een made bv tlio British Government in compliance with the representations made bv Sir Joseph Ward. Canada and Australia, it says, not only in their Federal organisations, but in their sub-divisions, have, with Imperial sanction, dropped the term “Colony,” under the infhience of a political intuition which is not far astray. The change in these specific instances proclaimed what the Governor’s speech defines as a raising of status, and unless New Zealand wishes to have its political position in the Empire widely misunderstood, we must make the same change. It does not make any difference to us here, nor does it affect by one hair’sbreadth our liberty and our autonomy, whether New Zealand is termed “Province,” “Colony,” or “Dominion,” but no New Zealander would wish liis countrv to be confused with the Fijis, the Jamaicas, and the Sierras Leones of the Empire, through his mistaken adherence to an archaic designation. The free and self-gov-erning States of the Empire—the States whose people not only make their own laws, but are the makers and keepers of our Imperial organisation—are being steadily separated from the subordinate dependencies and commercial colonies, where the Englishman is only an exile, even though he is ruler and master. \Ve have already a distinct secretariat iu the Colonial Office. In a few years wt shall have no connection whatever with the Colonial Office, but be represented in a distinct department of the Imperial Government. The designation, “Colony,” with inuch that it has meant and more that it is going to mean, is no longer literally applicable to New Zealand, and it is wise and statesmanlike to change it for a term which will more clearly advertise our political position.

The Auckland Star says:—“ln so j democratic a community as_ this, _ it I may at first sight seem of little importance by what precise title our country is designated in political I speeches, or official documents, but I while the change from “Colony” to “Dominion” may seem trivial to 1 some of our readers, we think that it is well worth making, and that it re- I presents a material imp rovement. in | our Imperial status. One obvious I advantage is that under the new I name this colony is more likelv to acquire independent political exist- I once ip tke eyes of the world, and is less likely to l;e confused as so often before, with Australia. The phrase, “Australasian Colonies,” to many people at Home and abroad, implies that Now Zealand and Australia are very closely connected, and probably accounts for the popular belief that this colony is onlv an outlying portion of the Australian continent. Another point to be considered is that since Australia has become a Commonwealth in its own right, New Zealand has suffered in prestige through ranking only as a “Colony,” but the chief argument in favor of I the change appears to us to bo that I the use of the term “Colony” tends I to confuse our standing with that of I the numerous “Crown Colonies” inI eluded in the Empire. I The. Otago Daily Times says it may I possibly bo objected to the choice of I the title _ “Dominion,” that having I acquired in the case of Canada speI cial significance, it is not strictly apI plicable to the circumstances of New I Zealand. On tho other hand, it is I difficult to suggest anv designation j to which an objection of a like kind I might not bo raised. Tho choice of a ] designation seems to represent simply 1 the selection of a term least likely to I involve the risk of confusion in fuI ture, while calculated at the same I time to be indicative of the iucreasI ing importance of these islands.