The Northern Advocate Daily “NORTHLAND FIRST” TUESDAY, JANUARY 3, 1939. New Year Honours

Northern Advocate, 3 January 1939, Page 4

The Northern Advocate Daily “NORTHLAND FIRST”

TUESDAY, JANUARY 3, 1939. New Year Honours

Registered tor transmission through the post as a Newspaper

IN the days when the Labour Party tv as in Opposition, some oi its members used, to profess a hearty contempt for the bestowal of honours or decorations on citizens who were deemed worthy of such recognition, but since taking office the party has continued the practice. In general, however, a different type of person is being selected as the recipient of distinctions.

The bestowal of a Knighthood on Mr. Justice Ostler is a compliments to the Judicial Bench. Members of the legal profession who accept office as Judges often do so at considerable sacrifice. Their salaries, although liberal, are not nearly as much as they could earn at. the Bar. Moreover, New Zealand has been fortunate in having on the Supreme Court Bench, Judges -whose standards of learning, dignity, and scrupulous impartiality are in keeping with the highest tradition of British justice.

The other new Knight is Sir Charles Luke, a brother of the late Sir John Luke, that honest and kind-hearted Cornishman who was for many years member of Parliament for Wellington seats. Sir Charles Luke is head of-a successful engineering business in Wellington, but he has served the public of Wellington with great devotion in many capacities, and \vas a member of the hospital board for nearly 50 years. •

A feature of the other awards is the handsome recognition given to ladies connected with the medical and nursing professions, eight of whom are included in the list. These honours are without, question well earned. Although conditions have now been considerably improved, nursing has always been one of the most arduous professions in which a woman could engage, and yet there is no sphere in which she can exercise greater influence in the relief of suffering. Everyone who has had first-hand experience of the work of these devoted women will approve of the prominence given to nurses in the Honours List. "

Another feature of the present Government's award is that, in recognising long and valuable service among members of the Army, Navy and Air Force, it does not hesitate to single out men in the lower ranks. Of the four awards in the military division in the latest list, two go to non-commissioned officers. The excellent work of Group-Captain the Hon. R. A. Cochrane, in reorganising the New Zealand Air Force has also been recognised.

There is one award which must be particularly pleasing to all sections of the public, and that is the award of the C.M.G. to Mr, A. T. Donnelly, of Christchurch. Mr. Donqelly is a wellknown lawyer, (and, incidentally, like Mr, Savage, he is a bachelor), but his Wide humanitarian sympathies have won him the respect of all classes, and in the Christchurch tramway strike some years ago his calm mediating influence averted serious disturbances.. He is also well known, of course, as a. keen follower- of sport, and his Services to New Zealand’ cricket have been of great value tp the game. Altogether, he represents the type of able unaffected New Zealander who flight well serve as a, model to the younger generation. :