THE IMPERIAL PIONEERS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10040, 10 May 1910, Page 4

THE IMPERIAL PIONEERS.

The pranks of a peculiar association of irresponsibles, calling themselves "the Imperial Pioneers," instead of helping to promote the gaiety of the Empire appears to be giving quite an unaccountable amount of annoyance to British Liberals. At one of their performances it was complained that there were thirtyfive bruisers in the gallery and fiftyrive in the body of the hall to keep order, a circumstance which prompted certain Radicals who were present to break up the meeting in disorder. And now the Daily News protests that while "there is no objection to colonials entering the Tory service, there are all the objections in the world to their pretending to be authorised ambassadors of the Empire when they merely represent their own obscure selves." But why all the fuss about it, anyhow? The fact of their poeing as ambassadors of the Empire only serves to increase the broadness of the joke. And If the Tories take them seriously, the fun of it is really too good to spoil by giving the show away, as the. indignant Daily Newa is doing. In one sense, they actually deserve their Belf-confessed title of Imperial Pioneers. For are they not opening up to the Imperial public quite a new field o£ political amusement? And, all things considered, [it is a pioneering enterprise that required no small amount of courage, even though it be but the fatuous courage of selfconceit.