NEW YEAR HONOURS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 1, 3 January 1922, Page 4

NEW YEAR HONOURS.

The Now Year Honoarp. announced hy ! cable, give rise to the usual speculation ' regarding the method adopter! in making ( the selection. Last New Year, a good deal of amusement 'was caused by the. i ' fact tliat one name mentioned on the ' list was entirely unknown, and inquiries instituted failed for two or three day* to discover 1 he identity of the recipient. For one thing, his Christian name had been incorrectly given, tout when that, mistake was re.medied. the appointment wa.< still a mystery. Ultimately, it was admit te<l that the name had been placed on the list by one of the party whips. The services rendered, it appeared, was the writing of some political pamphlets.] which \ypt<- -iiippofifxl to liavr been of ser- I vice during an election. After an extended search. a newspaper reporter discovered the new knight livinp in retire menr. on the i\iviera. l)iit lie declined to be interviewed. The various appointee.- on tins occasion lire all men holding places in tin , sun. The recipient of the most exclusive decoration of all. Sir lame-; Barrio, who receives tit.- Order of Merit, instituted hy King Kcln-uril in liii).'. *u>ll deserves the honour bestowed upon him. >ome people may wonder why I'arrie, land mil Kipling, was selected for this Order. i>i" which there are only seventeen j members, but the virulence and bad taste shewn in Mr. Kipling's attacks on .Winj inters some years jiir 0 were of a char acU-r that is not likeiv n> l>e soon for gotten by Mr. Lloyd Cenrgc and his Liberal colleagues. The present members of the Order of Merit .ire: Viscount. lir>ve, Sir Edward Elgar, Thomas [lardy. Vis- , count Morley. Sir Edward Seymour. Sir ■ .1. I. Thomson, Admiral Togo, Sir fieorgf i Treveylaii. I'rince Yaniftgata. Sir Archibald Ceikie. Field Marshal Karl rYeneli, . V'wcinini llahlrtiie, lit. Tlon. A. .1. Isal I icmr. lidiniral Viscount, Icllicoc, Marshal j Foch. Field Marshal Karl Uaijr, Admiral Karl Beatty. Kt. Hon. D. Lloyd Ceorif.-, , and Marshal .lofi're. Sir .lanii'< I'anic i aia> well leel honoured !ry his inclusion , in mi notable h company. i The tour Ifeirnnies follow a j pretty well established precedent ~f addin.,r (o the preruge men who have Ml' ■ reeded in fields of eomm'-rciiil enterprise, ' and who possess the necessary means t" ; ina-iiiLaiii the establishment expect ud , from a member ol the liritish aristocracy. Nil dotit.t they are also con fidered men of "the ri.-ht colour" |>oli ,• lieally: lint ivith a Coalition Ministry in i power, both Conservatives ami Liberals I have a claim to share in the distribution. "jTlve custom established by Xin S Kdp j , ward of recognising merit in the theai trical ami art worlds has been honour n ably followed in the Knighthoods conferred on Mr. (ierald l)n Maurier. Mr. r Charles Hnwtrev, and Mr. .1. J. Shannon ' KiA. i The list of colonial honours this year r is consider.! I>K restrictixl. Only fi\r'. e\- ._ elusive of the (i.B.E. ennferred «.n Mrs. \\ . M. Ilugltes, are mentioned as coming

to the Commonwealth of Australia, and ; three, including two Knighthoods and one C..\i.<".. are bestowed on New Zea- ; land citizens. In the held nf commerce I, no better choice could base been made f than Sir .lames t.'oates and Sir John - Ross, bulb men who have had honourable - careers in the mercantile life of the i Dominion. Mr. J. H (,'unson's muni- , cipal services are unique. For the past len years, as chairman of the Harbour . Hoard and Mayor of the City, he has I • devoted the greater part of his lime and I. bis ability to the public service. During j that period many important svorks have I. been carried to completion. The Great. | War imposed .very onerous responsibilities upon him of an Imperial character and these he discharged with characteristic energy and capacity. We congratulate Mr. Crimson upon the honour that has been conferred upon him. None on the published list, to-day has been better earned by a worthy record of public service. There is one name missing svhieh might very properly have heen found there, if New Zealand and Imperial services control in any measure these tokens of royal favour. When we recall the number of members of our National Cabinet ivho have been raised to the rank of X.C .-M.G.. we svonder why the name of the Hon. A. M. Myers is still arjscnt. No Minister during the 'svar did more for his country and the Empire. Are ss'e right in assuming that party colour, and not public service, is the factor governing the recommendations I upon which the distribution of these hon- | ours is based?