DOMININON DAY.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXII, Issue 8934, 27 September 1907, Page 2

DOMININON DAY.

The Prime Ninister's Message. Per Pres 3 Association. Wellington, September 25. The Premier sends the following message to the people of New Zealand :—"To-day your Island home attains the pronder title of Dominion. This guerdons not alone the faithful efforts of tho living, hut still more the strenuous, hard, courageous lives of many of our nohle pioneers and colonists now at rest. New Zealand's place to-day lias been honourably won by tho pluck, the

grit, and the determination of its people. My message is tho lesson of our historv. Preserve tho purity of your raco" from every undesirable mixture, secure equal opportunity to all, permit no riugfence or privilege to any class, elevate your view of manual work so that tho true dignity and ennobling influence of honest labour be felt and shown m a contempt for idleness and extravagance. Trust the future of our Dominion, not to increasing wealth, but rather to an ever higlior manhood and womanhood, to a wide* enlightenment of humanity, disciplined by tho needs of industry, by temperate" living, and by thosei healthy and beneficent tasks and trials "that beset advancement and which should be the price of all promotion in a free country. Let us be justly proud of the place we'take today in tho roll of tho King's dominions, but let us niako this art incentive to something higher still—a trno Dominion in tho head and Heart of our own peopIe.—JOSEPH GEORGE WAHD."

Congratulations from Sister Nations, Per Press Assjciation. Wellington, September 26. Sir Joseph Ward is in receipt of the following cable messages:— Melbourne 2-5. heartily congratulates tiie Dominion of tho South on its new and appropriate designation. To your people whoso blood is our blood, whose hopes and aims arc fdso ours, Australia wishes still further advance in your farcer of progress, social and industrial, which has reilcctcd lustre upon Australia."—? Alfred Deakix. Pretoria 25. — ' Tinase accept heartiest congratulations and best wishes upon new era and increased prosperity to New Zealand. lam convinced that the change will cause a strengthening of tho bond between different colonies. "I am especially pleased with ihe progress made during your government."'—Botha. Premier. Pietermaritzburg 25.—" On behalf of the Government and the people of Natal I heartily congratulate you, your Government ! and your colony on the attainment of its ; majority. May the Dominion long be it I prosperous part of our common Empire."— Moohk, Prime Minister.

St. Johns (Newfoundland) 25.—" I sincerely wish the Dominion of New Zealand he fullest mcasuro o£ prosperity."—Bond.

Wellington Celebration

Wellington, September £!(?. ■Wellington was en fete to-day for the' celebration of Dominion Day. Large crowds assembled at Parliament ings in the morning, and at 11 o'clock the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Ward read the King's proclamation declaring New; Zealand to be a Dominion. His Excellency the Governor was present, and there was a numerous attendanco of military forces A cablogram from King Edward, ex. pressing his ccnjratulations, was also read. - Lord and Lady Plunkot entertained a parliamentary party at luncheon. .Afterwards tl:e-e was la great [popular gathering in Nowtown Park, where about 16,000 persons attended. Speeches were delivered by the Governor and Premier. There was a presentation and consecration of colours, Bishop AVallis reading the prayer ordered to be used on such occasions. About two thousand guests subsequently attended a reception at GovernSir Joseph Ward and Hon. T. W. Hislop Mayor of Wellington). The weather was exceedingly pleasant throughout and the wholo proceedings were markod by enthusiasm.

Elsewhere. Telegrams frota all over tho colony provided more or loss detailed accounts of the celebrations at Blenheim, Ash-' burton, Christ-church, Dannovirko, AncKland, Feilding, Wanganui, Stratford; Westport. Napier, Gisborne, Hastings Greymouth and Oamaru. Commonwealth Congratulations. Press Association-Copyright. Received September 27, 1.6 aJnU „ Melbourne, September 26; , Mr Deakin, in the Assembly, suggested that a congratulatory message ro the. Dominion from the Commonwealth might be a gracoful acknowledgement of the fact that their ties with New Zealand wore necessarily closer than thoso which now bind them to the other outlying portions of tho Empire. Thoy were not' only of one stock but the wholo trend of legislation and the whole character of the two countries was identical and they were marching side by side. Australians had not only the warmest regard for but also tho deepest interest in the future of the progressive. Dominion. Mr Reid, in seconding tho motion, thought Mr Deakin had done the right thing in soizing tho opportunity of expressing to the people and Government of New Zealand tho very strong admira-f tion and affection they felt for that gn>at State:

Sydney, September 27. The Herald, referring to Dominion Day, says that in one respect the new departure must be recopnised as significant. Does it put the finishing touch to tho possibility of New Zealand some day throwing in her lot with Australia and uniting with us in one Australasian Commonwealth? It must 1)8 confessed that the prospoet of that has been decreasing steadily with the flight of years and it-is extremely improbable that thing can happen to make the new Dominion give up its just acquired glory. In any case New Zealand appreciates too* highly the privilege aud profit of taxing the products of this Commonweal Hi and selling it fodder in bad . seasons, to como in now and share the Federal burden. The Daily Telegraph says if term s count we should say that "Colony' ' rings higher than any possible substitute, and cannot be paralleled as a recaller of the forefathers of Greater Britain and tho great deeds they did. Names, however, are mere conveniences and "Dominion" is only important as marking the occasion of New Zealand's recognised attainment to the position of an Empire State. In a double sense the passing of such a stage is a thing to be memorialised, for to tho Empire it typifies the onward march of the Greater Britisher, aud to the colonist (and to the Dominionist) it illustrates the Imperial concession of honors won. New Zealand has come of age, a fact upon which all her younger Australian sisters will sin-, cerely felicitate her. In that transition she represents the fine flower of another generation's planting, dono so bravely in the teeth of dangers as to constitute one of the Britisher's greater triumphs of expansion, and done not by dispossession but by methods of acquisition which in square dealing with native occupiers may challenge comparison in the history of the world.