"Those Various Names of Greatness"

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 490, 20 October 1928, Page 17

"Those Various Names of Greatness"

Prominent New Zealanders Who Have Merited and Received Reward for Public Services.

Written lor THE SUN by

E. H. S. MILLER.

T is announced that His Majesty the King has been graciously pleased to confer the following honours... This simple message, cabled twice

a year from LonUon, and followed by the names of various public men, announces to New Zealand that certain of her citizens have merited and received honours from the reigning Sovereign. The Honours List, as it has come to be known, is issued on the first day of the year and on June 3, the King’s Birthday. Its coveted titles are bestowed upon men, and women too, in every corner of the Empire—people who may differ in creed or colour, but who are united by the bond of distinguished military or civil service under the Union Jack. In the more socialistic hours of our democratic day the principles and practices of conferring these honours upon the favoured few have been assailed—sometimes bitterly, sometimes ironically. The critics and scoffers of yesterday took delight in quoting the names of men such as William Pitt and Gladstone whose services were indeed great', * thbhgh they ‘ retained the common “Mr.” to the end of their days. Essentially British Yet the system (if such a commonplace be permitted) is one that has become irrevocably bound with the Empire and all the Empire means in history, romance, and traditions. Moreover it is, perhaps, the best and most satisfying means of acknowledging and rewarding services of great community value, actuated by a spirit of citizenship, and accompanied by a degree of self-sacrifice. The worthy members of more democratic nations may earn and receive valuable social and pecuniary rewards from the leaders of their lands hut, at best, they become celebrities only; and to use a Chamfort maxim, “Celebrity is the advantage of being known to people who don’t know you.” Titles, or Titles of Honour, as they should be known, mean infinitely more They are “those various names of

greatness or eminency which are the most distinguishing titles of civil dignity,” and the ranks they signify carry with them social and moral obligations.

And contrary to popular belief, Titles of Honour are in tune with democracy, for they may be and are conferred upon people of every station in life. True enough, custom decrees that the recipient must have gathered a goodly share of things, but he must also possess or have acquired certain necessary qualities.

From Ancient Sources •

The quoted and generally accepted definition of Titles of Honour covers all ranks —official or honorary, civil or military, temporal or ecclasiastical—but, in the usual sense, they are simply designations of rank or dignity. The fount of all such honours is to be found, naturally, in t'. e titles of sovereigns. The Court of Constantinople where East and West met was the forcing-bed of the more extravagant titles, and emissaries vied with each other in prefixing names with "Most Gracious,” "Most Venerable and Honourable,” and the like. Gradually, however, the distinctions were put on a sounder and the purging of Time has left the survivors freer from grandiloquent burdens of this kind. Although, in all ages, the new nobility has been looked down upon by the old, ancient titles have managed to adapt themselves, in the end, very creditably to their new users. A Duke, whose title is derived from “ducere” — to lead —long ago ceased to perform actively in that capacity. Similarly, marquesses no longer “guard the marches.” In point of fact, the 20th century title of baron suggests more the international power of the purse rather than the feudal strength of the sword, but the pros and cons of that question are allied to the more debatable problem of hereditary titles which is quite another question. Titles other than stereotyped courtesies such as “honourable” and “reverend” have in their origin a deeper and comparatively little-known significance. Some recall the social stage in which it was the custom for age to command and youth to obey. For example, "Sir” is derived from “senior,” —older. Others are derived from the idea of command or rule. The title “earl”

is one of the few that have their origin in the idea of gentle birth. “ Lord, ” that most characteristic and familiar of English titular designations hails from the time when the lord was par excellence - the “loaf-warden.” “Lord” has no foreign European equivalent. The European title “count” ' has its origin in the personal relation of the holder with the sovereign, and “baron” means rimply “man,” as under the feudal

system, they were the King’s “men”— the tenants-in-chief of the Crown. In England, barons form the body of the peerage, “peer” not being a title of honour, but the description of a status and function bestowed by their creation upon all barons, viscounts, earls, marquesses, and dukes. These titles suggest landed estate, but of late there has been a tendency to drop this suggestion and use family names. There is one New Zealand-born baron in the House of Lords to-day, although he holds a Scots title and is

head of the Clan Grant. He is Lord Strathspey who was born in Oamaru. The late Mr. Massey, it is said, refused an earldom shortly after the

signing of the Peace Treaty in Paris. As feudalism developed, chiefs became hereditary and most titles are now hereditary although,, originally,

S this was not the \ ease. Incidentally, f an inherited title ) in England is \ more valued than £ one bestowed, as ? it holds the aris--1 tocratic virtue asi cribed by Lord r Palmerston to the ) Most Noble Order of the Garter r “There is no 1 damned merit \ about it.” j however, where 3 the hereditary title is exceptiont al, that “damned ' merit” forms the solid rock on t which a laudable and carefully-sel-ective investiture system stands. Without it, the bestowal of titles upon the citizens of our essentially-democratic Dominion would be a mockery. Simplicity marks the formula that is followed in selecting New Zealand men for distinction. The Government of the day makes certain confidential recommendations to the GovernorGeneral who, after perusing them and satisfying himself as to their suitability, forwards them to the Secretary of State for the Dominions. In London they are again carefully scrutinised.

and if there is no known reason why the suggested awards should not be made, the list is returned to the Gov-ernor-General of New Zealand who is authorised to communicate with the recipients. It cannot be said that a title is 'offered” to anyone, nor is the title thrust upon him. He is informed, in so many words, that it is proposed to confer a certain honour. Thus, strictly speaking, no man is ever able to boast that he has refused a title. Finally the names are placed before his Majesty the King and, after his consent has been obtained, the honours are formally conferred, and the recipients may assume their titles. In New Zealand the actual investiture is carried out by the Governor-General acting in his capacity as the King’s personal representative, and the comparatively brief ceremony is arranged for some suitable date, usually on the occasion of the King’s birthday dinner at Government House, Wellington, and early in the New Year.

The Dominion List Among the honours held not to be orders or decorations is that of Privy Councillor, carrying with it the title of “Right Honourable,” and conferred on Sir Joseph Ward in 1907, the late Mr. W. F. Massey in 1913, and Mr. J. G. Coates and Sir Francis Bell in 1926. Mew Zealand's solitary created baronet is Sir Joseph Ward, who progressed steadily from a seat on the Bluff Borough Council and assumed his highest title in 1911. A baronetcy is the lowest degree of honour that is hereditary, and the holder remains a commoner, as baronets have never been ranked as peers. The order was created in 1611 by James 1., and Sir Joseph Ward is one of nearly 1,600 privileged, Britons. Other baronets in New Zealand are Sir George Clifford and Sir Charles Campbell of Christchurch, and Sir Grahame Lockhart of Auckland. The British Empire has nine orders of knighthood, Knights Bachelor forming one class and the others being divided into the various orders. Sir Frederic Lang of Onehunga, who was knighted in 1919, is one of our older Knights Bachelor; Sir Joseph Kinsey of Christchurch, knighted in 1919, is another. Dunedin is represented by Sir John Sinclair, and Rangitikei has Sir James Wilson, late president of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union. Auckland may boast of its full share of New Zealand’s knights. The city’s

list of leading residents includes the names of Sir Frederic Lang, for many years Speaker of the Houst of Representatives, and Sir Edwin Mitchelson, late member for Eden and Minister of Railways, who was created in 1921. Two years later Sir George Elliot assumed his title and in 1924 Sir James Gunson received the reward of" a long and distinguished public career. There are Sir Walter Stringer, Sir James Coates, and Sir George Fowlds, youngest knight of all, while Auckland may claim, also, Sir James Parr, New Zealand High Commissioner in London. Wellington, as the capital city, has a long and distinguished list of titled men, among whom are Sir Francis Bell, of political fame, Sir Robert Stout, Sir William Hall-Jones, Sir Alfred Robin, Sir George Hunter, Sir John Luke, Sir Donald McGavin, Sir Maui Pomare, Sir Harold Beauchamp, formerly chairman of directors of the Bank of New Zealand, Sir John Findlay, Sir Truby King, and Sir John Hosking. In 1926 Sir James Allen was created a knight and in the same year Mrs. W. F. Massey, widow of the late Prime Minister, had conferred upon her the honour of Dame Grand Cross of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. In 1927 Sir Charles Skerrett was knighted. Throughout New Zealand, quite a formidable array of titled residents are to be found, while several men whose honours are associated with New Zealand now live overseas. There are Sir Thomas McKenzie, created in 1916, and Sir James Mills, whose home is in London.

Dunedin has Sir John Roberts, created in 1920, Sir Lindo Ferguson, created in 1923 and Sir Charles Statham, created in 1926. Other well-known public and professional figures are Sir George Hunter, of Hawke’s Bay, Sir Walter Carncross, of Eltham, (Speaker of the Legislative Council), Sir George Richardson (ex-Adminis-trator of Samoa), Sir Alexander Roberts. Sir Henry Wigram, of Christchurch, Sir Charles Holdsworth, Sir Robert McLean, of Hawke’s Bay, Sir Apirana Ngata, Sir George Fenwick, and Sir Louis Barnett. Nor must we forget Sir Andrew Russell, who commanded the New Zealand Division in France. Thus, in the farthest corner of the Empire, the traditional British Titles of Honour have been bestowed.