The Daily News. SATURDAY, JUNE 22, 1918. THE EVOLUTION OF A NEW EMPIRE.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 June 1918, Page 4

The Daily News. SATURDAY, JUNE 22, 1918. THE EVOLUTION OF A NEW EMPIRE.

In the course of what can be described as an able speech by Mr. Massey at a luncheon given by the Empire Producers' Association, the Premier of New Zealand made some statesmanlike remarks concerning the evolution of the new Empire that, Phoenix-like, should arise from the ashes of the war and prove a blessing to humanity. The problem is one that has come to be recognised as being one of the most important which awaits j solution as soon as the war is

be done meanwhile to pave the way for the new conditions that are inevitable. There is so much to be jettisoned and so many new principles to be absorbed that the sooner intelligent attention is given to the subject the more will the people of the Empire be educated up to reception of the new ideas and conditions which must be the framework of the Empire of the future. As Mr. Massey rightly stated, our responsibility is to build up an Empire, not on the German model, nor on the model of past empires which rose, flourished, and decayed, but rather after the pattern of America, which developed and used her own resources to the utmost until she became a front-rank nation. We must profit by the lessons of the war and adopt the dominant factor—unity. It is by unity of aim, strategy, and man-power that we expect to win the war, and it ean only be by unity of interests and policy that a new Empire can replace the old. Just as in the ; war sacrifices were needed and I made, so in the rearing of a reconstituted Empire other sacri- | fices will be required on the part j of the various units in fiscal, poli- ; tical, and every other constituent ; of an Empire than can alone be ' worthy of a self-contained Greater Britain. If we may use a military j simile, the position may be dej scribed thus:—The Motherland ! would be the Generalissimo and the Dominions and dependencies , would be the commanders on the ; various fronts, every unit of the Empire being represented, all co- , operating for the general welfare I of the whole, while safeguarding ] the individual fronts. "With that as a basic principle, the chief detail would be a solution of the economic problems on lines closely approaching those of federation, | and governed by a complete svs--1 tem of Imperial preference, including shipping. The one obstacle to the attainment of this new Empire is politics as we know 1 them at present. They will, like most traditions, be hard to get rid of. What is needed is statesman- ■ rship that will work for the common good and not pahder to any section for the mere purpose of gain or power. That human touch which has been brought home to all men on the battlefields, in the trenches, and in enmp, is capable of being extended and perfected in civil and political life. There must always bp commanders and men in the world's affairs, as well as on the battlefields, and the closer they co-operate the more certain will be achievement of the best results. The time has arrived when a man's status in the community should be settled by his real worth and attainments, ; not by his material wealth or the j lever of influence. Hence the ! fifreat iH\portaiiee of sadsesUslteiv

ations in our educational system, and the fostering of research as well as the scientific development. of our resources. Hitherto New Zealand has been content to scratch the surface of her productivity, hut throughout the Empire, after the war, the applicatibn of science to every industry must go hand in hand with development—must, indeed, he ■ the impelling power. Our young people have got to he trained for the coming economic struggle, and to be pro-; perly equipped and piloted into the channels suitable to their tastes and capabilities, in order to fill the niche that fits into the general scheme of unity in production and manufacture. By the end of the war the old conditions governing the world's markets will have disappeared and a new era of intense competition will have set in. To meet this successfully will require greater skill and technical knowledge, a higher intelligence and a closer co ordination between the theoretical and practical departments of industrial education, as well as an application of the human toueh between employers and employed. Exploitation in all its forms should be crushed out of existence, thus putting an end to industrial strife. The lessons of the past have proved very costly, but the war has brought all sorts and conditions of men in close contact for a common purpose, and the new Empire should signalise the perpetuation of this common bond of unity. To ensure this, it is of paramount importance to secure a Parliament and a Government which will eschew mere politics and concentrate upon the iew conditions necessary for the Welfare of the State and the Empire, not afraid to face the cost, including the provision of ships to carry our merchandise. The workers are largely interested in post-war conditions, and it is to their interest to insist on the necessary educational and industrial facilities being secured for their children so that they may improve their status by means of merit. Our great need in New Zealand is the manufacture of our raw products, and there'is no reason why this need should not be supplied. The Dominion Government, by cooperating with the Home and other Governments in the Empire, could obtain the necessary expert advice, machinery, and financial aid to do its part in the general scheme of Empire development. It may be difficult, but not impossible, to put an end to industrial troubles, and the more the sense of unity gains ground the easier it will be to arrange equitable relations between capital and labor. Troubles there may be, yet in time, under a wise system of coordinated education and statesmanlike legislation, New Zealand may not only do her part, but take a prominent lead in the affairs of the new Empire.