DOMINION DAY

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7914, 25 September 1911, Page 1

DOMINION DAY

FOURTH ANNIVERSARY TO-DAY’S CELEBRATIONS. To-day, the fourth anniversary of Dominion Day, will bo observed as a close holiday. The programme, as fully outlined in Saturday’s issue, may be summarised as follows: — 11 a.m.—School children salute flag. Address by Prime Minister, Terrace School. 1.45. —Suburban cadets arrive by train. 2.15. —Cadets proceed from Garrison Hall to Newtown Park. 2.2o.—Members of Parliament proceed to Park in special cars from Government Buildings. 2.45. —ISOO Cadets and Amokuxa boys ready on parade. 3.15. —Lord and Lady Islington arrive at park; royal salute; inspection of troops. 3.4o.—Troops march past in column. 4.—Troops advance in review order; speeches. 7—B.—Bands play through streets to Town Hall. B.—Reception in Town Hall; musical programme; addresses by His Excellency the Governor and the Prime Minister. The musical programme includes the following items; —Song, ‘ ‘Hearts of Oak,” Mr C. Clarkson; sang, “Home, Little Maori, Home” (Alf. Hill), Mr H. N. Fletcher; song, “The Englishman” (Blockley), Mr J. F. Carr; song, “A Song of Empire” (music by Alf. Hill, words by J. L. Kelly), Mr P. V. Waters. SIGNIFICANCE OP THE DAY. The significance of the alteration of New Zealand’s designation from “colony” to “Dominion” was well emphasised by the Attorney-General in a speech he made in the ’ Legislative Council on Wednesday, September 26th, 1907. “We are,” said Sir John Findlay, “offered the title of ‘Dominion,’ and I would ask you to remember that, territorially, we are as great as inany of, the .'European kingdoms. We are nine times the size of tho Kingdom of Belgium. We are practically the same size as Italy, and in point of number of square miles we are bigger than several other European kingdoms. Territorially, there is not very much difference between the size of Great Britain and Ireland and the size of New Zealand; but it is said, ‘Yes, but your population is small. You may have the area to entitle you to the name, but your population is not sufficient.’' I submit it is not numbers, but the quality of the people—their vigour, independence, and intelligence —that counts rather than a mere calculation of the number of heads. Persia has a population of nine millions. Ceylon has a population of over three millions, and many other countries that might be mentioned have many times our population and yet who will say they hold in the world’s estimation a position nearly equal to ourselves.

A PEOPLE'S GREATNESS. “I submit it, with confidence, that the mere count of heads is no test of the greatness or importance of a people. We are a, hopeful people. Wo have the vigour of youth in our veins. There lies before us a vista in which we see .our destiny, in which wd can see ourselves .achieving still greater things than wo have yet achieved. I only desire to emphasise this: that in taking this title we cannot work out the results on a slate. You cannot, by an appeal to figures, by some calculation of how many pounds, shillings, and pence the change is going to produce, find conclusive justification for the change; but I take leave to think that this matter appeals to us in a far higher way than that. I take leave to flunk that the new title reflects and is intended to reflect our present advanced position and our social reforms by which we hope to work out an even higher type of civilisation in this country than exists in any other land m the world. As we do this, as we rise in civilisation and show the world, as wo have been showing them, how to attack, and in a large measure to solve, the great problems which are throbbing the minds of the Old World statesmen —while we are doing all this wo do deserve' a higher place in the estimation of the men of tho Older Laud than the title of ‘colony’ now gives us. We are not presumptions; we are not arrogant: we are simply taking a title which will more fully fit our independence and suit our future; and I do not believe that any man inspired by the spirit of patriotism and love for his country will resist this change which has been won for us by the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Ward, in tho words of Tennyson, I would— Pray God our greatness may not fail Through craven fears of being great."