DOMINION OR WHAT?

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 14 September 1907, Page 3

DOMINION OR WHAT?

The Home newspapers have dealt very kindly with us in regard to the cluiijjc in tne d/signation of the eolouy. Th.ey all seeni to think that we deserve the advance in our status, and really we h-.ve some excuse, in view of the praises, ior being proud of ourselves. "It U a pi.-ce of news," says the Spectator, lor example, "which will be everywhere received with satisfaction, for none of the daughter States is nearer to the heart of the Mother Country than the .State which is furthest from her physically." The Spectator's only regret is that New Zealand could not have found another name than Dominion. "Needless to say," it continues, "we have no objection to the name, but the fact that it has become associated with Canada may lead to some confusion. If NewZealand could have found a new appellation we should then have had the -Dominion,' the ■Commonwealth,' th* we presume, will be the nam? adopted by South Africa when unification takes plate—and the . We fully admit that we cannot fill the blank ourselves, but we do not feel sure that it passes the wit of man to do so. The 'Realm of New Zealand' is a possible solution, though one, we admit, open to objection." The correspondents of the weekly journal do not greatly assist it to find as suitable substitute. One of them suggests "Territory" or "State," ignoring the fact tint the former term would certainly carry the sigI nificance that it has in America, and "State" would be regarded here as giving us no special status not possessed by the provinces of the Commonwealth. "Domain" is another word suggested as hiving "the merit of distinctiveness"' and "not wanting in dignity," and "Rejgion" and "Presidency" are two others ' alternatives, both obviously impossible. i For our own part we are inclined to think that in the near future the term "Colony" itself will come to confer quite a desirable and unique distinction on some solitary possessor.