TITLES AND THE DEMOCRACY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CV, Issue 12536, 25 June 1901, Page 4

TITLES AND THE DEMOCRACY.

■ TO, THE EDITOR. Sir, —In your leader on the above subject you say as follows: —“ It seems to us, indeed, that Mr Millar and bis colleagues are guilty of a piece of affectation bordering on impertinence in parading their disapproval before the public. They have no right to assume that the people of Dunedin have any objection to their leaders being selected for 'Royal favours.” Will you allow me to say that I do not think the impertinence on the side of Mr Millar and his friends’ bub that the Royal favour is neither more nor less than a slur upon the public men, of this colony. And what strikes me most forcibly is that a man of Mr Ward’s abilities and position should permit himself to be so degraded as to accept such a shoddy honour. Every true New Zealander will agree with me that Mr Ward is one of the most capable statesmen in the British Empire, a man of indomitable pluck, energy and perseverance, who has risen to the top of the tree bj the natural greatness of his character. Ha has done, and is still doing, valuable work for this colony, and his services should be substantially and permanently recognised, not hy granting the title of “Sir Joseph Ward ” plus a lob of letters, but by giving him some title that would show the appreciation of his fellow men in this colony. The title he has received places one ci New Zealand’s most capable statesmen on the level .of almost the lowest class of Eng' land’s hereditary snobs, and that is why I say that the impertinence lies in, another direction. If the King of England wished to pay a compliment'to the people of New Zealand, I think they would have been able to understand it better if they had been permitted to vote upon the matter and to say whether 'Mr Ward should or should not receive a distinction, and if such had been the case I am of opinion that most people would have been in its favour. But I don’t think they would have allowed him to bo a paltry “ Sir.” It is high time that a new title, exclusively colonial, was created, and that the people of the colony alone should have the power to grant it. My remarks .about Mr -ajyjly; eouallv to,*

Mr M’Keiizie, another of New Zealand’s great statesmen ; but, can. you inform me why the other individuals were also selected for favours? What have they done? I have heard of Mr Walker, but, alas, did not even know that Colonel Gudgeon existed. There are many other nonentities in New Zealand who are quite as deserving as they are, and also equally lacking in- the quality of greatness. Such men should receive titles, and would 'he only too glad to accept them, for, not being great in themselves, they would think that a title made them so.—l am, etc., DEMOCRAT.