Rangitikei Advocate. WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 1907. SECOND EDITION. EDITORIAL NOTES

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXII, Issue 8813, 15 May 1907, Page 2

Rangitikei Advocate. WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 1907. SECOND EDITION. EDITORIAL NOTES

ONE of the most interesting features of the visit of the colonial Premiers to Britain is that they have visited the scenes of the labours of the great men of tlxo past, who spent their lives in the service of the Empire. Sir Joseph Ward, we are told., addressed some schoolboys in the crypt of St. Paul’s, the cathedral where the ashes of so many of Britain’s greatest sous have been laid to restafter the close of their strenuous lives. The Premiers and a brilliant assembly of the foremost men of the Empire were entertained in Westminster Hall, -which for more than eight hundred years has stood amid all the changes which, have passed over England since the days of the Norman Kings. Such.scenes cannot fail to hayo.aQ inggiapg;9£Eeot on those who

look on them with the true spirit, | and may well have stirred the colonial representatives with the resolve that they would prove not unworthy of the great traditions of the past. A message received "on Monday called up before our eyes one of the moat interesting episodes in past history. Sir Wilfrid Laurier and Mr Deakin were admitted as members of Gray’s Inn, and lunched , In the hall where, as tradition runs, Queen Elizabeth welcomed the | pioneers of the Colonial Empire. We can picture the scene; the maiden Queen surrounded by a brilliant band of courtiers and ladies, welcome ing Drake and Raleigh, Gilbert, and Cavendish on their return from the

Spanish Main or Virginia, and listening to their stories of fights with the Spaniards or to accounts of the peaceful settlement of the land Which was later to be known as the United States. We can imagine the returned seamen, bronzed with exposure to the tropical sun and scarred with man 7 a hard conflict, telling their hopes of extending the Empire across the seas, hopes which must have appeared wild dreams that were impossible of realisation. Yet three hundred years later these dreams have become facts, and the representatives of the vast continents of Canada, Africa, and Australia, polished and courtly gentlemen, have replaced the rough and ready mariners who laid the foundations on which the Empire lias been built. The colonies may well feel proud of their founders and past history, and rejoice that to-day their representatives sent to the Motherland have taken their place in the long line of Empire builders. Methods have changed, but so long as we preserve spirit and patriotism which inspired men like Raleigh and Drake we can look forward with full confidence that the future will not he unworthy of the past.

THE present Ministry in not a few instances seem to do the right thing in tlie wrong way. Everyone knew that the franking system was a thoroughly bad one, as it led to great extravagance in the use of postal, and especially of telegraphic, facilities. The diffuse telegrams which it had become the custom in Government offices to employ when letters would perfectly well have served the purpose needed severe repression, and this has partially been secured by the abolition of franking. The same evil existed in the ease of Education Boards, though in a loss serious form, and it was quite right that they should be compelled to study economy, but to deprive them of the franking privilege while making no allowance for postage was a most unjustifiable stop. * The Boards seem to have taken up a childish attitude in the matter by endeavouring to throw on school teachers and committees the cost of postage. In this district school teachers have been directed to apply to the Department for official stamps, and the Department, as was to be expected, refers them back to the Board. At Dunedin on Monday the Minister of Education informed teachers who complained that they had to pay Yor postage on examination schedules and other official communications to the Board that the best method for them was to forward the letters unstamped and lot the Board pay postage. Teachers can hardly do better than follow the advice of the Minister on this point, and we trust that next session he will bave the commouseuse to provide the Boards with sufficient revenue to pay for a reasonable number of letters and telegrams.

THE Gorman Navy League has just held its annual meeting at Cologne, and violent speeches wore made, accusing Britain of envy and jealousy of Germany. To us it would rather seem that tho boot were ou the other foot aud that Germany was envious of Britain’s success. Tho president urged the building of a fleet cf Dreadnoughts in order to meet tho dangers threatening, and the Kaiser, as usual, sent a telegram to tho effect that the work of tho League filled him with joy and pride. Many British citizens re gard tho proceedings of the League with feelings of great dislike, aud comment strongly on its unfriendly attitude. We consider this quite a wrong view to take. We know that Germany is not in the slightest degree in danger of an attack from Britain; we do uot desire her colonies, and even the annexation of Germany is no temptation to us. We must, however, allow Germans to look at tilings from their own point of view. Britain maintains an overwhelming navy, and has arranged an entente with France, and suspicion is aroused hy these facts j that a combination may be formed j against German interests. Tho j patriotic Gorman does uot like to

feel that Ids navy is second to any in the. world, and we have no right to complain at Ids sentiment. We may regret that Germany feels it necessary to increase her fleet, as it entails more expense on Britain to maintain the two power standard, but; wo mv-'.-t take things as they come and be ready to hear the burden of a world wide Empire without hysterical laments about tho wickedness of our neighbours.