OUR HIGH COMMISSIONER.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3114, 13 February 1909, Page 5

OUR HIGH COMMISSIONER.

(To the Editor.) Sir,—ln view of the great progress that New Zealand bas made during the last decade or so, it is very much to be deplored that the High Commissioner, who represents the people of this Dominion in London, has not received a peerage, thereby entitling him to a seat in the House of Lords at Westminister. Such a step would be a line in the right direction, where the official representative of the New Zealand Government would add dignity to his office and weight to the counsels of that august, and misunderstood, body of British legislators. The High Commissioner for Canada took his seat some years ago as "Baron Strathcona," and there is no logical reason why Mr Hall Jones should not be permitted to do the same. I feel quite safe in saying were the New Zealand Government to bring this matter before His Majesty's Government, it would meet with sympathy. From a strategical and commercial point of view New Zealand, under no circumstances, can afford to hide her light beneath a bushel in the United Kingdom, merely to satisfy a few whose ideas are inimical to British Imperialism, whether in Parliament ;r out. British and foreign capital, and emigration, ought to be liberally encouraged, moreso than what it has been and is hers.—l am, etc.. C.H.T. Rangitumau, February 11th, 1909.

(To the Editor). Sir,—With reference to last night's meeting of the Trust Lands Trust, and the discussion concerning the request to grant £SOO to the Borough, in addition to the sura of £SOO so generously given by Dr W. H. Husking for a bath, I desire to make it fully clear at the outset what my views as to the scope of the Trust are. In my opinion, the main purpose of the Trust is Education. At present practically the whole fund of the Trust is liable to be diverted to the funds of the Borough Council to relieve the rat.?s and to provide anything that is supposed to benefit the public generally from baths to lamp posts. In my opinion only a certain proportion of the fund should be left free for such purposes, while the main portion should be conserved strictly and by law for educational purposes. In no other way can justice be assured to the youth of the town. My offer last night, and to which I hold, is that if three electors of standing, whether retiring Trustees or not, are prepared'to stand upon a definite policy upon which we agree, with a view to putting the affairs of the Trust upon a satisfactory footing, 1 am prepared to resign and fight the election alongside of them. I am satisfied that until we get a clear opinion of the voters, we will never have thi's fund conserved as it ought to be conserved.—l am, etc., H. C. ROBINSON.