The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo. TUESDAY, MARCH 23, 1937. THE CORONATION GATHERING.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 69, 23 March 1937, Page 6

The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo.

TUESDAY, MARCH 23, 1937. THE CORONATION GATHERING.

For the cause that lacks aasintanee. For the wrong that needs resistance, For the future in the distance, And the good thsa wen do.

The Prime Minister leaves New Zealand this week to represent the Dominion at the Coronation of the King, and afterwards at the Imperial Conference. With him will go the good wishes of all New Zealanders, who are aware of the importance of both occasions in the history of the British Commonwealth, and who would not be contented to be represented at them by anyone less than the head of the Government. Mr. Savage, who, incidentally, will be making his first visit to the Homeland, will be accompanied in London by two members of his Cabinet, as well aa by the High Commissioner, but as one of the King's Prime Ministers the responsibility and the honour will be chiefly his. In London in May, as it has been remarked, there will be gathered " the kings, princes and governors of every country, in courtesy homage to the greatest Crown on earth." There is no man but would be proud to form one of such an assemblage.

The Coronation will provide, as well as a splendid pageant which only Londoners and their visitors will be privileged to witness, a symbolical demonstration of the might and the unity of the British Commonwealth and Empire. Almost alone among the countries of the earth, Britain in the post-war years has maintained the stability of her political and social institutions while increasing »the economic welfare of the mass of her people. She has been plunged into crises, monarchical, political and economic, but she has survived them all. Last December, following years in which separatist tendencies in the Commonwealth seemed to hate developed in a disturbing degree, British-countries gave a ■striking l —indeed,' astonishing—demonstration to the world, not only/ of their united resolve to maintain the Monarchy unimpaired, but of the „flexibility of their constitutional relationships. All these memories, and many besides, will come to the minds of those privileged to witness the Coronation, and of the tens of millions of others who will be present in spirit.

After the Coronation will come a mighty political occasion. There are urgently awaiting discussion international and Imperial questions of the greatest importance. The foreign policy to be followed in the light of the ominous developments in Europe and elsewhere, the part which the Dominions are to play in the formulation of that policy, and their willingness to follow the Mother Country to meet its possible consequences, the whole question of Imperial defence- —these are questions which demand an Empire council as soon as it can be held. In addition there is a' host of economic problems, in some of which New Zealand is closely concerned, and in discussing which Mr. Savage and his colleagues'-will need expert advice. For this reason' the Prime Minister's decision to add to the New; Zealand delegation the Secretary to the Treasury is a sound and weleome one. The presence in London of the Prime Minister, the Minister of Finance and the Secretary to the Treasury' should impress on the British Gtovernnient the fact that New Zealand regards the Conference as of the highest importance.

j . FARM WAGES PLAN.

The farm ivages subsidy plan, announced by" the Minister of Labour, appears to have been prepared with some care. The wages to be. paid the employee are the same as those prescribed in the Agricultural Worker Act, but the Government will pay a weekly subsidy, varying, with the age of the worker, from 10/ to 15/. This may be sufficient to persuade many a farmer that the engagement of an untrained youth is " worth while." If he finds that the youth engaged is unsuitable ;*e may dispense with him in the first week; if not, he must undertake to retain him for at least four months and to steach him the- rudiments of farming. No more than the rudiments can be learned, in that time, but a youth who is equipped with ' a certificate that <ho has become a competent milker, and is in other ways satisfactory, will at the least have better prospects of employment than he had before. Thus the plan appears good as far as it goes. .It is hardly likely, to result in the training of young farmers, but it may increase the supply of farm hands.

MEMORIAL TO KING GEORGE V.

It would be difficult to discover a more fitting memorial to King George V.. than the permanent' children's health camps with which his life and reign will be associated in New Zealand, and the Prime Minister, in announcing the fund, has made a moving appeal to the people of the Dominion for support for a purpose so high-minded and adequate. The rapid growth oc the health camp movement under the voluntary contribution system proved beyond doubt its great value to the rising generation, unci jmy plan to ensure the permanency of the system, outside the orbit of a Department of State, will be warmly welcomed by those who have increasingly realised the need for such camps. 'King George reigned through a long and troubled period, and in the time of the gravest | peril his steadfast devotion to duty, his great ! gift of sympathy and his unsparing efforts for his people won him the affectionate regard of the whole Empire. The opening of the fund ! gives the people of this outpost of Empire an iopportunity of expressing their gratitude, to a'Kihg who served them well. The memorial" has the approval of the present occupant of the Throne, the appeal from the Prime : Minister ha? heeii placed above and beyond party, and it is to be hoped that the response will be worthy of the man whose work it commemorates and of the great humanitarian service it is designed to perpetuate.