The Press. WEDNESDAY, JULY 14, 1909. THE EYES OF THE COLONIAL OFFICE.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 13474, 14 July 1909, Page 6

The Press. WEDNESDAY, JULY 14, 1909. THE EYES OF THE COLONIAL OFFICE.

The visit of Sir Charles Prestwood Lucas and Mr A. A. Pearson to the overseas dominions for the purpose, as Sir Charles explained to our representative, of enabling the Colonial Office to come into "closer and more human " touch" with the outlying parjts of the Empire, marks a new and very jm(portant stage in the history of a great department of State. We quoted recently Sir William BaUlie Hamilton's frank and interesting Account or the leisurely and casual way in which the business of the Colonial Office was carried on within the memory of officials still living, and the "great awakening" which has been witnessed in recent years. It began with the coming of Sir Robert Herbert to Downing street in 1871, but as Sir William Hamilton truly cays, it is to Mr Stan'* hope first r and to Mr Chamberlain stilt more recently, that the present importance and high position of the Colonial Office are due. "It is," he cays, "no reflection on others to ob- " serve that what may be called the "great 'boom' of'the Colonial Office "was unquestionably during the ad- " ministration of Mr Chamberlain." But with all the increased energy and increased efficiency displayed in the

office during Mr Chamberlain's tration, it was felt that there» : was stilt something wanting. It was ,the lack of that "clearer and more human im"pression" to borrow the aprfc phrase of Sir Charles Luca&—that more intimate knowledge <jf the younger portions of the Empire which" can only be gained by personal contact with their governments and people. At first it was suggested that the Secretary of State should himself visit the colonies over whose government he is the ultimate Court of Appeal. Sir Arthur Helps, in hie essay on "The Education of * Statesman,* , lays great .stress on the importance of a statesman knowing what are the real feelings of the people he guides and governs—a knowledge which, as he says, "can only be at- " tamed by much and intimate oon- " verse vith the people." But eren in the <yise of the British Isles, it is impossible for a Minister, with the innumerable demands upon his time, to make these observations for himself. . He must content himself -with obtaining the information through other trustworthy persons, and this is still more necessary when he -would acquire more

accurate knowledge of the contlitions prevailing in the outlying parts of the Empire. | As archdeacons arc said to be "the j »eye 3of the bishop, - ' so our English visitors -whom we are glad to welcome to New Zealand may be said to be theoyes of the Colonial Office. As Sir Charles Lucas reminds us, ihe idea of such a mission originated in a suggestion made by Mr Deakin, the Commonwealth Premier, at the last Colonial Conference held in London in 1907. Mr Deakin* who paid a well-deserved tribute to the high standard, of the Public Service, of Great Britain, pointed out how difficult it was for the Colonial Office to perform its duties tinder the tht*n existing conditions. 4 ' The very ablest men of Great 4i Britain," he said, "if they were " public • servants in this Department, "collected into this building, shut up " in it, and left dependent upon what " they read or hear to understand the " conditions of the hundred-and-ono " forms of Government and varieties " 4 of conditions under which the Crown "colonies and self-governing colonies "gro-vr up, -would be quite unable to " cope with them." Mr Deakin, in a motion which he proposed, asked the Secretary of State to frame a scheme "which will create opportunities for '• members of the permanent staff of " the Colonial OfL.e to acquire more '•intimate knowledge of the circum- " stances and conditions of the colo- " nies with whose business they have to " deal, whether by appointments, temporary exchanges, or periodical visits "of officers, or similar means." The visit of the present delegates is the direct outcome of this request, and we feel sure it will do good. Tho appointment of a British Trade Commissioner to report on matters of interest to manufacturers and others is also a step in the right direction, especially if the Commissioner goes Home at fairly frequent intervals so as to keep in touch with both ends of the stream of commerce. We ourselves have ventured to suggest that it would be an excellent thing if the staff of . each GovernorGeneral and Governor of the overseas Dominions included some promising young permanent official of the Colonial Office, who should be encouraged to write reports on matters of Imperial j interest, to bo forwarded to the Secre-! tary of State through the Governor, ' and should- on Iris return to England re-join the staff of the Department, his mind broadened by travel and fortified with the experience had gained. A suggestion by Mr Deakin that Civil Servants from overseas—"men of ex"perience in the outer Dominions," should be selected to fill some vacancies in the Colonial Office, is, we fear, impracticable, except to a very limited extent. But we would again urge, aswe have urged on previous occasions, i that it would be of great advantage if competitive examinations for admission io .the English, Indian,- Colonial Civil Services were held/ in the chietf centres of the colonies, as well as in England. New Zealanders who have gone Home have passed the Indian Civil Service with brilliant success, and have done good work after their apjlointment. It is at least possible that an. infusion of blood from the younger, freer countries of the t Empire may prove beneficial to the Publio Service. It is certain that the opportunity of competing on equal terms for admission into the service would bring homo to us the unity of the Empire in a concrete and very jtt-actical way. ,