SPIRIT OF PIONEERS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21916, 27 September 1934, Page 8

SPIRIT OF PIONEERS

EARLY NEW ZEALAND LORD BLEDISLOE'S ADDRESS , ,-fYi THE STRENGTH OF UNITY | , The question of uniformity and harmony among the people of New Zealand was touched upon by the Governor* S General in his speech at the Wellington Early Settlers and Historical Association's farewell to Lord and Lady Bledisloe. "You have in this country several % associations like your own," said Lord Bledisloe, "and I am going to express'! the hope that you will not only main-p tain your own association, vigorous!! bo far as its own members are con-jg cerned, and in absolute harmony and uniformity of outlook; but that yon will do all in your power to hold to. gother the various early settlers' asso-1 ciations in different parts of the country with the view to preserving in days to come the ideals which are deemed to animate them all. "I mention this in particular be-'4 cause, as it seemed to raq, there is only, one drawback so far as the early settle, ment of this country was concerned. I|| am not quite sure —I mean to be per-; fectly frank with you —that your country has altogether recovered from anearly handicap. It is that this colony, | which we now proudly call this Do-, minion,' was the result of a piecemeal settlement, with the result that although in areas like Wellington, Auck-f land, Nelson, and subsequently Dunedin and Christchurch, there sprang np loyal, enterprising, and mutually harmonious communities of British people, there was not for many years, and there is not entirely to-day, that coordination of them all which would tend to make emphatically for nationhood, national pride, and national patriotism. Value oI Cohesion "I hold to the firjn belief that if the Empire as a whole is going to be a really strong unshakable structure, it is most important that all the constituent parts of it should be thoroughly sound and cohesive within themselves. Every noble architectural structure depends upon being supported by strong internal coherent columns. "I should like to see your cohesiveness and coherence developed to a larger estent in the days to come than has been found possible in the past, if New Zealand is going to pull her weight in the councils of the Empire; to put the fact that she is proud of being New Zealand in front of little separatist pride which may arise from the fact jof your being North Island, South, i Island, or Wellington, Dunedin, W T anganui, or Palmerston respectively. Patriotism and Loyalty •'After all, unity is strength; and if only bodies like this of the Wellington Early Settlers' Association can | combine with other bodies of a similar ! character, radiating its elements of the i pioneers, patriotism and loyalty, and 'by cohesion among themselves, per- ! petuate the spirit which animated the j early pioneers, will not only New I land be a substantial, reliable, and unj breakable column to support the fabric of the Empire, but it will stand out pre-eminently, as I hope and believe as a pattern and guide as to whatM oversea Dominion should be."