THE JUBILEE.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 932, 10 January 1890, Page 28

THE JUBILEE.

Coming so soon after the Christmas and New Sear holiday keeping, Anniversary Day celebration always

seems a little out of place, and we think it would be much more to the purpose, and add zest to the occasion, if the day were a few weeks later. We have spoken very decisively on Anniversary keeping in former articles, and see no reason to withdraw from the position we took up—that a day ought to he set apart, by statute, to be observed as the Colony’s natal day. We named three dates of particular occurrences to choose from —two in the latter part of January and one early in February. Still we do nob dogmatise upon the point. Any other day would do just as well providing some significance were attached to it, and if the day fell late in the month of February the time would be very suitable indeed. But to make the celebration acceptable the day must be germane to the whole Colony and be one of the utmost possible rejoicing and thanksgiving. Each place would keep the holiday its own way, and Wellington could still hold its annual regatta as the piece de resistance of the occasion. It is not our intention to lose sight of this subject, and we shall continue to strive to bring about the adoption of the views we have enunciated. Meantime there is the special event of this year the Jubilee celebration —to be provided for, and although we cannot but deprecate the disturbance to business that will be occasioned by a two days’ interruption of ordinary avocations, we still hope that the celebration will be pursued with spirit, and be carried out in a manner creditable to the city and district. Our “old identity” friends are bestirring themselves to make the thing a success, and as nothing succeeds like it we hope they will be fortunate in their endeavours. We must commend, and that highly, their object in impressing the occasion upon “ the little pe pie.” The children are to be brought into particular prominence, and thus will be placed upon the foundation that we hope is already laid, one of the first stones of a superstructure of patriotism to be an imposing and abiding edifice, destined to gain in beauty aud projJQjJidn through the

decades. We cannot go wrong in making the native-born youth understand that they are not colonists but New Zealanders, and to excite in them an intense love and admiration of the home of their birth.