The Hokitika Guardian SATURDAY, JUNE 24th 1922 THE WEEK.

Hokitika Guardian, 24 June 1922, Page 2

The Hokitika Guardian SATURDAY, JUNE 24th 1922 THE WEEK.

Yestkhd.w was tho birthday ol' the Prince ol' Wales of whom tho pooplo of this district have the happiest recollections. Tlio crowds of intoicsted folk who Hocked to the theatre this week to witness the cinema record of his- two year old tour, testified to the fact that the people are warmly interested i“ the coming and going of the Umpire’s heir apparent. 'lnis week has been signalised by his return to tho Homeland after most extensive .tour which took in India. Further India, and the courtesy return visit to Japan. The hearty welcome home the Prince received in London hut reproduces the spirit pervading the nation in its regard for the welfare of Prince Kdward, who celebrated yesterday his 28tli. birthday. According to Dame Rumour the nation will hear shortly of the announcement of the Prince’s projected marriage, an event which will give the greatest satisfaction both within and without the Umpire, for in every clime the lbince has visited he had compelled the 1 ve of the pc..pic he they 33: iti li or foreign. The hulv of li is choice is to he English, :ucording to all accounts, and such a union will carry with it the gr atest of good wishes. In the late tour the Prince t: a versed troubled India at a time when the reactionaries were very active. Yet his presence must have been of great value in assisting to c. n. ti-ol in a moral way, a difficult situation. Mr Lloyd George happily styled Prince Edward as the Empire’s g.eatcst ambassador and his record abroad fully bears out that high distinctive ap o'lation. Now that lie lias returned H< me with his minj broadened and hi s know-, ledge of the great Empire reinfoiced by the personal touch, It is not t:o much to expect great good to result from his tour.

IN regard to India, in a. recent informative leoture in Christchurch the Rev. Mr North traced the history of the'

British connection with India and showed how England had first obtained a footing in that country. The speaker dealt fairly fully with the work that Clive, the raw clerk in the employ of the East India Company, had done for Britain in the field of battle by defeating the great French General, Dupleix. He next, referred to Warren Hastings, who, he said bud rilled India success* fully at one of the darkest periods in tiie history of Britain; when India was about the only place where the prestige of Britain was maintained. Howevor, Hastings had done things which had left an indelible stain on the name of his country. It was Hastings’ idea to smuggle opium into Chiiiu and foster a desire for the drug by giving it free to the people on the const of China. He considered that it was to the credit of Britain that Hastings, although a successful man, was indicted on his re* li.rn to England, Mr North said that the missionaries had been a very coll* siderable factor in the recent histoi.v of India, anti lie referred to Carey, the cobbler, who as a missionary had done a great deal for India. The lecturer then dealt with the Indian Mutiny and touched on tile main incident of that upheaval, fie added that since the mutiny, with tile exception of some frontier wars, the affairs of India had proceeded with remarkable smoothness until the last few years. As sooit as the late war was elided the problem of India assumed an intensity and complexity never known before. In India at present there was a restlessness with the British rule and a craving for selfgovernment. The difficulties of the situation were as great as the craving, and possibilities of great developments lay before us. Already Britain had made arrangements for self-government for India but by a slow process. Tho immense racial and religions differences in the Country made the problem of self-government difficult and so selfgovernment must be brought about by a slow process to fruition. The British were in India as trustees and they had secured for that country a long period of peaceful government, but. now there was a great demand for selfgovernment. He hoped this would come by evolution and not by revolution ami that India would find a peace* ful resting place amongst the brotherhood of free people.

The Dunedin by-election resulted in favour of Labor. Tn Mr Munro, the Labor party ha,] a most capable candidate, and for that reason he is to be coijiplimented on his success. Mr Munro has tried to secure a eat in Parliament on previous occasions, on one of which he defeated Mr Stntham, but the poll was upset, and in the second effort Mr Stathnm won. On that uegnsion Mr Minim’s candidature had very general support because of the sanity of his views. Wo do not know to what extent he is tied to the banner of Mr Holland, but should surmise that Mr Munro as a respresentative in the interests of sane Labor will he a useful member, and will not he led to any extreme action under the leadership of Mr Holland. There is only one session for Mr Munro to serve before the general election comes round, but the newly elected member will have the opportunity of winning his political spurs. The polling wa s interesting as indicated that Reform is likely to meet with a set hack all along the line when the general election comes round. 1/hour, there appears to he little doubt has the must to gain by an early appeal to the ] ample in the city electorates. Tho T.iberal candidate did not poll creditably. This was not the fault of tile candidate so much as the party, which is without a declared policy. The live-election showed how unprepared the Liberals me. despite the months available for oiganisation since the new united party weie launched. There are lessons for all concerned in the Dunedin polling, the sharpest of which is for the Government which shows that strong individual ">cn alone cannot succeed in the j centres where l-abor is grouped so i strongly. There will be much heart ! searching in the immediate future to seek to stem the tide.

The proposal to hold a Westland Jubilee Exhibition in 1924 to commemorate the sixty years’ settlement of the Province, is apparently going to be taken ufi very wholeheartedly. Judging by the meeting this week tho project is growing in importance and the venture should he assured. The idea of erecting the Exhibition building on Cass Square has much to commend it. It will mean a structure of some architectural pretentions will he jxissiblc in keeping with the general idea. Tho utilisation of the site will involve a greater cost for buildings, but there will be advantages in a more compact display, and the facilities for organisation will he greater. A large display such as suggested it would be possible to run for three rather than two months practically covering the best period of the year, say from December to February. There is no doubt such an event could lie made eduentive from every point of view. It would give the district a great fillip, and should ensure a degree of permanent prosperity at present undreamt of. The advantages would be manifold to the whole of Westland, and other parts of the Coast could not hut fail to participate in the benefits also. An exhibition such as is proposed at once signalises the

great importance of the Otira tunnel, by which alone such an interchange of commercial possibilities is rendered attainable.

Tin: Exhibition in tiie respect just mentioned will be an answer to those critics who have all along belittled the utility of the Midland railway. By holding a ..real display of intercolonial import - im,-e here, it will indicate to the rest of the Dominion bow important it is to have tins part of New Zealand annexed to the rest of the railway system, and made part and parcel of the country’s material prosperity. The event will deserve all the local support which rail bgiven it from every source. It will become the most notable occasion in the whole history of the Province, and servo draw *c«ttonliotl to tho losooroos and poKsihilitios of tho Wost (.ccst titan any oilier mcaits y«l attempted. The enterprise of the people ! : , this nuttier will count towards its ultimate success. Much financial help will he n.eccssary. Considerable additions to the accommodation within the town will lie requisite'. Business laciiii ties generally will require expansion. If j ti e Exhibition is definitely decided upon in Septeinhei next when the project will again go before the Local Bodies ( onfcrtice for final decision, it will mean very active times for all classes of trade in and about tho district. The tourist resorts within easy reach of Hokitika will participate also in the great influx of visitors, and no pait of the district should fail to realise the vital important-' of the occasion mid prepare for tiie busy times ahead. Those associated with this all important movement ai*e to he commended for their enterprise and forotl.ougli and deserve all the Support and eiieniibigeiiieiit possible to cn!ihie the great project to he pushed through successfully.

Tm: result of the Irish elections confirms the generally expressed public opinion in advance, that Ireland was intensely pro-Troaty. But for the Col-lins-Valent compact at the eleventh hour, the anti-Treatv party and probably Valera himself would have l>een lion est politically. As parties stand, the pro-Troaty element lias a substantial majority capable of weldiyg the political fortunes of Ireland into !i Concrete whole. Ireland has flow its long desired, ami over-lotlg delayed. 1 lonic Rule, ami in the hands of its own people it may shape its own internal political destinies. The country is capable of great commercial and Industrial development. If the factional spirit can he allayed, and an end were put to tl;e bickerings of the malcontents, what a period of great prosperity would hi' before Ireland, in the sunshine of which the Emerald Isle would he reborn again as aii integral part of the great Empire. The vapouring* and fulininations of De Valera indicate that the revolutionary spirit is there still. Ireland through constitutional channels has the right and the power to curb that unhappy spirit which has done so much to degrade the country of late, and hold up the natural period of progress anil prosperity which now becomes possible under the voice of the people—the soundest mandate any Government might have for action. The fate of Ireland rests fully with the people tiwunsclvo-. li\ their votes they have transferred the responsibility to their parliamentary , representatives. May they build wisely and well and erect a superstructure for the admiration of all the world.

Tin: optimistic feeling about the immediate future of the Irish question received a sad shock yesterday when the depressing news was flushed through reporting the cold-blooded assassination of Kield-Mnrshal Sir Henry Wilson at tlm hands of some Irish miscreants. Sir Henry was a very gallant gentleman ami soldier who gave ol Ins best, in the service of the British' nation. As Chief of the Imperial General Staff he virtually succeeded to Lord Kitchener’s place iit the conduct of the war. He held many important staff’ appointments, and was a. very able soldier. He was held in the highest esteem all through the war, and was the British Military Representative at Versailles. He was created Field Marshall in 1919 for war services, and with the haronetc.v given him in August of that year he was voted C 1.0.000 by Par!i"iuent. In regard to Irish affairs.

sympathies wore openly with the Northern Army. In politics he opposed the Coalition Government. His loss to the Empire is a national one. The means used for his removal will he execrated hv all l'i'dit thinking: people, and it will not he difficult, to understand the feelings which will he aroused. ii»t only in Ireland, hut also in England. hv the fell murder done. Sir Henry Wilson was not only a great man. he was a stood man. A man of stood living and hhdi thinking, he died facing his eowardlv foes—it was the death of ■. true soldier. He had iust returned from a mi-sion to do honor to the men who had fallen in the war—'■is late comrades in arms. The lines of Kipling which he quoted have a moving effect., re-'d in the lielyt of lie tragic death, and sound like a requiem said on the 10-ink of his own grave. Great soldier thomdi he was, he was also a mn.n of humble wavs, and penitence was in his heart. The vile deed has keen done, and nothing li'MiVMi can he done now to remove the stain upon the section of Irishmen responsible for so dastardly an act. It was an out race on the whole Einnire. for Sir Henry Wilson was the devoted servant of the Empire, and what requittnl can atone for so far-reaching a calamity?