The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 1932. TRIBUTE TO PIONEERS.

Hokitika Guardian, 30 September 1932, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 1932. TRIBUTE TO PIONEERS.

At the reunion of early gettlers at Wellington on Monday night a graceful compliment was paid to the old pioneers of this country by the Gov-ernor-General, Lord Blesidoe, who isnid! in the course of a speech that there was no country represented at the Ottawa Conference given more honour or treated with greater respect than New Zealand, as the older countries recognised that in New Zealand there was something prepondedatingly British in its people, ana the country perhaps is a greater degree possessed those outstanding characteristics ol tiie 'Bi'i.ish race of which they were so proud. These characteristics were first, and 1 before all, unflagging integrity, nationality and individuality, and the /possession of 'that courtage and resourcefulness to face whatever difficulties they weie called upon to face. New Zealand had every reason to he proud of its pas.., and bald, he thought, every reason to be confident of the future. She w*us an element of the British Empire, was involve ' in its destiny, and had tlm iudividi! I capacity to realise that desftiny. There wan a tendency to look too much to the State for thoso things which individual's could do for

themselves; but the State was only an (aggregation of individuals, and was what the people made it. He trusted they would, find the same character in the people of to-day which enabled the early settlers to overcome their difficulties, and that 'Governments and the people of the future would he actuated by the ideals of the pioneers of the post. Ore consideration he would ask - of them was to exercise a sense of nationhood. Most people here preferred the > word Empire, but that did not imply a nation, and if New Zealand did not recognise its nationhood it would never be an effective part of the British Empire. \Ve are passing through la time of economic stress. Hard times, times of unemployment. So are, all the other rations of the world, and all parts of the British Empire,. New Zealand is standing up to her difficulties courageously, manfully, and resourcefully, thanks to thb.it pioneer blood, which is enabling us to face .the difficulties in the right spirit. What is to be the aftermath? Will it mean tt lower standard of living? Well, that miay be; but will we be any the worse for it? What say you, eld settlers. He ventured to think that it will be all for' the better. It may bring us back to those British ideals which are part of ourselves and which have been obscured since the war. No nation couild achieve much unaided. That depended on a Higher Power than humlrn beings could supply. Success came to the pioneers of this country, who it was said rame with courage in one hand and a 'Bible in the other, and he believed that to the happy combination of the two was due the successful foundation .of settlement in New Zeeland. ' He gloried m being the representative of his Majesty the King at such a time, and confident that tbe country will emerge brighter, better, and more spirituallyminded for the present trying experiences.