THE MONARCHY.

Hokitika Guardian, 29 May 1926, Page 4

THE MONARCHY.

LORD STONEHAVEN’S SPEECH. “You are lucky boys to have been horn in Australia, because of the enormous chances that carries with it,” said the Governor-General of Australia recently, when addressing the hoys and a large gathering of friends on the occasion of. his .visit, with Lady Stonehaven, to the hoys’ division of the Church of England Homes at Carlingford, of which Lady Stonehaven is patroness.

“The point you lads have to remember” continued his Excellency, “is that tlie greatness of this country will depend upon what you are going to do for it. You arc getting every chance, the best chance that anybody with a good religious hacking to it. (Applause). You will fiikl that your education is not much good without some religion behind it. “I am certain,”' proceeded Lord Stonehaven, “that the reason that the Kiiig’s representative hero receives such a reception as I-receive *vheroeve r I go is that tlie Australians know that tlie King realises the part ho is expected to play, and lie docs play, in the life of tlie Empire. "When yon grow up you will realise that the advantage of having a King at the head of the country is that violent rapid fluctuations one way or the other are prevented. AVc have a monarchy which rests.on the truest form of democracy. That is where you hoys come in. Though the King is head of the Empire, every part of the Empire is governed by its inhabitants, and whether it is well or badly governed depends upon the inhabitants. The prosperity of Australia, does not depend on the King or the .King’s representative, but ufion the democracy of Australia, acting in conjunction with tlie democracy of Great Britain and the other parts of the Empire. Before long you lads will have to take your part in the democracy of the country. Do not think that you will all have to he politicians. It is a great mistake to think that democratic institutions are confined to those who, for the time being, give their services to the State in Rai'lininent. I would he the last to decry Parliament or politicians; hut tlie mistake some people make is in thinking that the miming of the country is tlie business of tin* politicians, and that when something goes wrong, to sit down and blame politicians. They must play their “I want to rouse an interest in flic great work that lies before you, and to make you realise that you are much better oil' than hoys horn at the same time as you were in other parts of the world, who have not got the prospect of growing up under British institutions. In our institutions' there is not a single place in the Empire that is closed to any hoy in this room. While you ought to he thankful for your great good fortune in being born Autraliaus, and the chances you have, you ought to realise tin* best way of showing your gratitude for those things is to make up your minds that you are going to turn such gifts as you have to tlie liest account, and to determine to play your part as citizens in the great Empire to which wc all belong.” (Applause).