THE VICTORIA LEAGUE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16100, 15 June 1914, Page 3 (Supplement)

THE VICTORIA LEAGUE

' The annual meeting of tho Victoria League was held on May 23 in Stuart Hall, Frederick street. Members attended in largo numbers end tho Mayor (Mr J. B. Shaddock) occupied tho chair. In moving the adoption of the report and balance sheet, the Mayor eaid he had great pleasure in being present, and he welcomed tho opportunity of expressing; his sincere sympathy with tho ideals that the league was striving to keep before them all. Ho thought it could not bo gainsaid that it was during th» reign of their .late beloved Queen Victoria that the British nation began to realise and finally to grasp the deep meaning and special significeneo of the word "Empire." During that time the "Little Englander" was deposed—he trusted for ever—aad in his stead had i;sen the man whoso vision had peered into the uttermost parts of the earth, v?hoso mind had became possessed of tho ideas of a nation, whoso possibilities know_ no bounds, and whose heart had become fired with the love for the Motherland rnd interest in all her oversea possessions. Truly, to-day blood was thicker than water, and there was running through every community, penetrating to every corner of the world, and entering into the hearts of men and women, citizens of tho greatest nation ever known, something that was as real as life itself even, the quickening influenco of that great imperial spirit that bound the dietant parts of the Empire and made them 1 feel something of their glorious heritage.—(Applauae.) Here in this city they were striving to do their part m keeping alive the broad spir'it of patriotism that had as its object the weal cf the nation and the welfare of the world. These were synonymous, for the British flag stood .for justice and uprightness of life and action, for liberty of speech and thought, and for a sincere desire that truth and rieht should always prevail. Ho was glad that a society such'as the league, which had for its object the fostering of that imperial unity with which they all so heartily agreed, had by its title done that which at once perpetuated the memory and honoufed the name of her whom they delighted to remember 'as Victoria the Great.—(Applauee.) Mr P. R- Sargood seconded the motion for the adoption of the annual report and balance sheet. He prefaced his remarks by mentioning the good work being done by the Settlers' Welcome Committte and the School Essays' Committee. The former was a very important committee of the league'in the Old Country, formed for the purpose of helping intending settlers to the . colonics, and had been of great benefit in the way of furnishing information in regard to the overseas dominions. . Tho annual custom of placing a wreath at the foot of Queen Victoria's statue would bo followed this year. He hoped it would be continued for many years to come, and that it might'servo'to bring to mind the good queen, who had reigned for such a long time. Speaking of the league's work, ho liaid ho felt that fow people in Otago realised fully the magnitude of the activities of the Victoria League. Immense possibilities for imperial consolidation lay within its province of influence. In referenco to the poverty-stricken masses of Great Britain, the league could, if it would, bring to bear its influence to get tjio authorities at Home to seriously consider the wisdom of transplanting the surplus population from one part .of the Empire to another. To effect the transference of "the landless man to tho manless land" was a big undertakinir, but it was, to his mind, the greatest need- of Imperial politics to-day. Their forefathers had bequeathed to them and future generations of British stock a hugo Empire. They needed more people to use the lands to advantage, and more manhood to defend them from attack. Imperial migration was synonymous with empire building'. In tho past too much ( British blood had been. absorbed by the United States and other countries, and this tended to weaken the Empire, for had this stream been directed to the unoccupied lands held by Britain, not only would national expansion and strength have been assured, but the growth of competing nations would have been delayed. There was the question— What class of immigration should ho ineouraged? This had many answers, oc- . cording to one's political views, but, imperially speaking, he would say ,give them young manhood and young womanhood, boys and bids, sound physically, memtally, and morally, as far as this was possible. "Youth and hope" must be the watchword of imperial immigration, and in this great work the Victoria League could "assist. Under the control of the English Poor Law Guardians, who spent 15 millions annually, there were some 250,000 young children. Mr Lloyd George had recently stated that 360,000 children were in receipt of relief. The major portion of these children came of respectable parentage and were doomed to a hopeless life wider present conditions. He asked, could not eomo good business arrangement be,arrived at under which the Poor Law Guardians, through the Imperial Government, could be relieved of a large proportion of these children, who migiht be given to tho overseas dominions as future citizens. To divert a portion of the 15 naillions spent annually towards sending out some of these poor families would, he thought, be a wise procedure. The British ratepayers paid approximately £12 *per annum per child for a. period, perhaps, of eight years. Let the British Government say in effect to the ratepayers through the Poor Law Guardians —hand us £50 with each child and we will send it to one of tho dominions. Tho dominion government would' receive tho child plus £50; and the British ratepayer would be saved! £50. The dominions gained a prospective settler, who might cost them £100 to bring to usefulness. This was surely a. very cheap purchase, if, ae it has been computed in the United States, every male adult was worth £400 to the State. Such migration, he contended, would become a bond of strength and nhity to the Empire, enrich the overseas dominions, and prove a bless'ing to the. migrants. He had given considerable thought for many years to this great problem, and lie found that opposing arguments could not stand against the array of facts and arguments for the scheme, and he therefore commended the subject to the earnest thought of every member of the Victoria League.—(Applause.) Tho motion was carried.

Colonel Buuchop moved the election. of the following office-bearers:—President, Mrs Sargood; 'vice-presidents—Mesdames Theomin, E. C. Reynolds,, and Mies Burt; hon. treasurer, Mrs Fergus; secretary. Miss Lomas, 132 Eglintdn road; executive— Mesdames J. M. Ritchie. Cohen, Lonerford, J. W. Smith, .G. R. Ritchie, G. M'Lean, Vivian. Bauohop, Misses Reynolds, Andorson, Clialmer, Stewart, Ross, Macassey, F. M'Lean; counc'l—Mesdames Bowler, Ewen, C. C. Graham, Joachim, Messrs G. M. Thomson, M. P. W. Burnett, P. R. iSargood, W. T. Monkman,. J. B. Callan, D. Reid, and C. G. White. In speaking to the motion, Colonel Bauchop briefly referred to sentiment as a factor in the binding of the overseas dominions to the Homeland. During his travels to different parts of tho Empire he had been much struck by the important place occupied by sentiment in the relations between the colonies and Britain. He was pleased to notice that Imperialist ideas were to be noticed on every side in New Zealand, and that the claims of Imperialism were not lost sight of by those who occupied high places in thoir civic life. It was good to see the Mayor presiding at a meeting of this kind. —(Applause.) The sentimental side should not be overlooked. He contended that it was sentiment wihich had kept the Empire together, and it would carry it forward when many other things failed.