HOW CAN 1 SERVE?”

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 1 August 1924, Page 8

HOW CAN 1 SERVE?”

STIRRING SPEECH BY MR. J. H. THOMAS. TRIBUTE TO THE DUKE OF CONNAUGHT. One of the pleasant annual functions vvliicli visitors from all. parts of the Empire note early in their diaries is the Einpix-e Day dinner given by the Royal Colonial Institute, and there is never sufficient space for all who would like to attend. This year there were 430 guests at the Hotel Victoria, and Ml from overseas were delighted to have the opportunity of seeing and hearing the Duke of Connaught (president of the Royal Colonial Institute); who was in the chair, the Duke of York, and Mr J. H. Thomas (Colonial Secretary). The tables were beautifully decorated with carnations in several shades of pink and with spikes of crimson ixia and, asparagus fern. During the evening the British lion, in ice, was carried in and placed on the high table, and here it remained until its knees showed signs of inability to support the body'. As last year, not only were the people in the room able to listen to the speeches, but many thousands unseen, for they were broadcasted.

The following message of loyalty was sent to His Majesty the-King:- “Four hundred Fellows of the Royal Colonial Institute offer Your Majesty warmest greetings' and assurances of continued loyalty and affection bn Empire Day anniversary.”

The Duke of Connaught briefly proposed , the toast of the Royal Family and the Duke of York responded. Mr G. M. Boughey (Secretaryto the Royal Colonial Institute) read greetings from branches in Australia and from Gisborne. The Fellows of the Gisborne branch', repeating their expressions of goodwill to. the Mother. Country, “give this further assurance of loyalty and devotion to the King Emperor and the Royal Family, and pray that in a great enlightened brotherhood the Empire will prove itself, as in the glorious past, the guide of every movement for world security, justice, freedom, and understanding.” . “United Empire” was the title of the toast entrusted to the Colonial Secretary; it could. .rightly be called r . the toast of the evening. He desired to take the opportunity .of expressing, on behalf of friends in all parts of the Empire, congratulations. on the fiftieth anniversary of the Dukedom conferred upon their chairman. (Cheers!) He congratilated their chairman upon the magnificent way in "which lie had proved that the only thing that mattered' in this country was not rank' or. wealth, but service given' disinterestedly to the best interests of the Empire, (Cheers). No greater mistake could be made than to associate greatness with either name oj- wealth, and His Royal Highness had expressed in the light of public service what they all appreciated, for, regardless of rank or position, his motto had been not, “What can I get?” but ”How can I serve? I am at your disposal.” (Clieevs. And it was that public service on the part of all the members of the Royal Family that enabled the humblest citizen in the land to pay tribute and to say “We are proud of the Constitution that produces gentlemen not only in name but hi action, and whose record of service is an example to the country. (Cheers.) The toast. was indeed important. The British Emoire constituted one-fourth of the globe and onefifth of mankind, 400 odd million human beings, representing all classes and creeds. Was there not a great moral lesson to be drawn from the fact that these people were so satisfied with the sense of equality and justice that they, were content to allow the small minority to rule and govern? That clearly demonstrated that this country ruled-'not' by force of numbers, but by example. . Referring to the fact that he was the first Labour Minister to occupy the responsible position of Secretary of State for the Colonies, Mr. Thomas said he made no apology for that. However illinformed people might have been a few months ago, and however much it was forecast that all ills would follow putting a Labour Government in office, the position of the country to-day not only demonstrated the unity of the Empire, Imt showed that this was the only country in the world where every section of the people could undertake the responsibilities of Government, and where the Constitution was broad enough to accept it. The Government —including men like himself, born in the humblest circumstances, denied all opportunities and advantages of university education, graduated only in a school of experience of hard work and toil and suffering—when they were called on to undertake the responsible duties of Ministers of State, said to their countrymen, as they said to the world : “If you gambled on our disloyalty you are deceived; if you gambled that we were Jess patriotic than other people, jt only shows how foolish you rvere.” Our answer is that just as in every crisis of our‘Empire’s history it has been fortified and protected, not by class or creed or section, but by all sections uniting, so in tins great trial of Government, which is an experiment to the world, we are all working with a single-minded desire to champion our cause, fight for our principles, and do what we believe to be right, but, above all, determined that wc will hand on the seals of office to our successors, proud of being able to ,say that the Empire is no less great than it was prior to working men'accepting the seals of office. Men and women in the humblest circumstances are inbued with brain power. In - the hour of trial and difficulty all classes rose to the defence of the Empire. Let us get rid of this miserable class "warfare and class talk and say that all classes and creeds will combine in making an Empire worthy of the sacrifices which all classes made in the war.” (Cheers).