The Daily News. THURSDAY, AUGUST 1, 1912. VICE-ROYALTY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 63, 1 August 1912, Page 4

The Daily News. THURSDAY, AUGUST 1, 1912. VICE-ROYALTY.

The intended withdrawal of Lord Islington from tlie Governorship of New Zealand in order that he may do work more 'fitted to his talents in India, is one of 'those events that does not in the least .disturb the internal economy of Now Zealand, and does not affect our relations ;with the Crown. It is considered necessary in the Homeland that the King should be directly represented in each of his dominions. Except perhaps in India 'and Egypt, the vice-regal head is of little Veal service, except as the personification of the Imperial idea. Our Governors iare not' administrative or even suggestive. It does not really matter whether a governor is a distinguished public man 'and politician, like Lord Islington, or a (prig of nobility called to the position because of, his name. He is in the position of a rubber stamp.' To a personage of energy, a man of ideas, a man might mould thought, a. rubber stamp billet must be, to say the least, annoying. "There is a disposition—especially in Aus'tralia—to view with more or less contempt the position, if not the person, and •there have been unseemly squabbles, in the Australian States over the seizure of a Government House for public purposes. In effeet. tlie Governor of a State is kin or. Tt is inconceivable ihat on the vote of a political party, Windsor CaMlc or Osborne House should lie seized and the

Kinjf informed Unit cither would in future 'be H-cil for r, miwcinn or .1 Stale college. 'l'lii. attitude of modem "democrats" to j<ovcrnors makes it extremely dillieult In olitain men of the required" calilin* to fill vii'f-re,tf:i] jiwitifii-. (hi Several ' i 11111S ,\W--!V 11; I ! ] S i :! I r yoVeril'i] -Mp< |,-> |K».Min;/. ]„ ~]) Hie colonic- iii>-lmlil!;r tlin-e of South -\lriea - Slate Governors or (lnvernois-<!«-iieral are in reality merely 1 ho centre of a more or Jess select- society. Goveniors are jicnerally quite as unapproachable as tlieir royal nia-tcr, and tlicy really represent merely a. small portion of (lie people whom they govern. Veople are exceedingly qui, k to take iiio'iiee ai anyi I.ini; not ao-oiilteiv rolor-

less spoken by vice-royalty. The ideal governor should be as expressionless as an egg, diplomatic about the veriest trifles, dumb as an oyster 011 debatable subjects, placid and smiling under every circumstance, invariably pacific and wonderfully self-controlled. There is in the exercise of vice-regal duties 110 need to exercise any qualities of statesmanship, . so that in every case where a inan of striking individuality is called to a governorship, he must tire of it on finding that his job could be equally well done by a rubber stamp. There is a strong probability that the next Governor appointed to Xcw Zealand will be either a navy or ail army man, but as neither a sailor nor a soldier Governor would be permitted to say anything about his spe-> ciality, it really wouldn't make any difference if lie were a London stockbroker. The acceptance of men of distinguished parts of a vice-regal position entails an invariable sacrifice on-their part. It means the severance; at least temporarily, of many ties and many interests, distance from the. place where great events occur—practical exile from the whirl of big things and seething humanity! On the whole, we regard colonial governors as heroes of their kind. Under the present Imperial system it is necessary that each far outpost shall be represented by one of the King's trusted servants, and although there are absolutely no opportunities fpr distinction,'the places are filled almost automatically by men who at least hold their positions with the requisite dignity and say nothing that will offend the susceptibilities of the King's subjects. ' One may be very glad that so active, experienced and brainy a man as Lord Islington is leaving duties in which his great qualities cannot be displaced for a sphere in which, his talents may find expression.