EMPIRE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 120, 23 May 1931, Page 12

EMPIRE DAY

OlMGltf y\NJ) HISTOEY

EARL OF MEATH'S IDEALS

Empire Day is really to-morrow, 2-lth May, but as announced in "The Post" yesterday, a "Gazette" notice ordains that it Khali bo celebrated this year on 3rd June, in conjunction with the King's Birthday. This day will bo observed us a holiday in Government Departments, as well as in banking and commercial circles generally. Empire Day is never observed to any great extent in New Zealand, perhaps being more associated with the anniversary of the birthday of Quecu Victoria than with the ideals of tho founder of the Empire Day movement. Tho most that is done is to fly flags and to have a few special references made in the schools.

Tho founder of the movement was tho late Earl of Meath, who died in October, 1929. His objective- was that on ono special day of the year thoughts should bo particularly directed to '' tho great heritage handed down to us by our fathers." Extraordinary as it may now seem, when, tho Earl succeeded to the title in 1887 there was no official recognition of any national flag. It was not until 1893 that Parliament and Gladstone's Government .were persuaded to allow tho Union Jack to bo flown over Westminster. Even then there was argument and ridicule on the subject of flag-flying. Tho inspiration for Empire Day the Earl got from Canada. Ho read, of a ceremony at Hamilton, Ontario, where the British flag was hoisted and the children sang the National Anthem. From this he developed his scheme for Empire Day, enlisting. tho co-operation of Prime Ministers and Governors in all parts of the Empire. Queen Victoria's birthday was chosen as a suitable date.

Empire Day received official recognition in England in 1916. In tho House of Lords that year the late Viscount Milner asked the Government whether there was any reason why the Union Jack should not be flown from all Government buildings in the United Kingdom on Empire Day, as it was in the Dominions. Expressing the hope that it would' be made a statutory holiday throughout the Empire, ho confined himself to tho proposal that it should be no longer compl&toly ignored by tho British Government. Ho carried his point, and official recognition was extended to the day, but only as far as flying flags. Empire Day is now a special concern of tho Royal Colonial Institute. It is, in the words of its founder, "the outward -sign of an inward awakening of the people who constituted the British Empire to the serious duties which lie at their door."

Earl JeHicoe's remarks about the weakening of tho Empire spirit, as reported in last night's "Post," would seem to indicate the need for some such a day as Empire Day.