FEWER TITLES
AUSTRALIAN DECISION . TEST OF WORTHINESS. ' > "(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) SYDNEY, sth June. Australia promises soon to be a country of. few titles. "Very curiously in New South Wales it fell to a Nationalist Government which .is itself adorned with several titled members to transmit to the Imperial Government a resolution of Parliament intimating that the granting of further titles was opposed to "the sentiment'of the people. Tliat^was the result of a catch vote on a motion by a Labour member, but the Government was compelled to take action in accordance with it, and the result was manifested in" the last honours' list, when the New South Wales names included wereon the Federal Government's nomination, and in respect of clearly Commonwealth as distinct from State services.
Even the Labour Government which has recently. come into'power in South Australia docs not propose to go quite so far as that, but it intends to take pretty drastic action in-this matter. The Government has decided- to introduce a Bill requiring that no person shall henceforth be recommended for a title unless an address be passed by both Houses endorsing such recommendation. In discussing, the matter'the Attorney-General (Mr. Denney) said that many men who received knighthoods were entireely unworthy of any distinction, their sole claim being possession of wealth, which,, in some cases had been acquired by not altogether desirable means. Several worthy men had declined t.n allow, their names to be submitter!. There was a world-wide movement to.regulate, if not to abolish, titles. Tn England the House of Lords had appointed a Royal Commission dealing with the4 matter, and Canada and South Africa had also taken the subject up. "Will the action proposed moan the abolition nf knighthoods in South Australin?" Mr. Dennev was askedj "Weir,- the gentleman who can pass thronoth the crucible of that test," was the reply, 'will deserve any honour that might be available." i
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Bibliographic details
Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 143, 18 June 1924, Page 8
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317FEWER TITLES Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 143, 18 June 1924, Page 8
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