THE DOMINION OF CANADA.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15301, 15 November 1911, Page 14

THE DOMINION OF CANADA.

Sir BANDFORD FLEMING; the Octogenarian Empire-builder— ' The Editor lias preferred a request that-I>shouldssetid him a few words for publication in your' Jubilee Number, aixl he. I'M not . suecested any •subject wliatevcr;' L.iicc«pt.'thatjaa: a-,fitrthor i compliment, us it Iravw mo at liberty, in the first place,- to ollode to theap.nt evinced bv New Zealand at the Imperial Conference, held ; im LonM; immediately before the Coronation. ■ Miave had an opportunity of (reading the proceedings of tho Conference aa given in' the Blue-Book issued by ( tho • authorities in l/imlon, and. I could ~not, but feel i.ttyit New Zealand took a leading part in. all or nearly, all the discuss™..... |he young Dominion under tho Southern Cross made a noble display through her representatives. 1 read with intense interest and satisfaction the 'remarks of your Primo Minister cn all subjects discussed. The spirit evinced was excellent, am}' that .^qufyMuntry• «, in a long way ahead of Iho ovehcM DomniuJns, Mid determiM to keep alive the torch of Imperial patriotism and affection. - It may not be without interest to your readera in. far-off Now /ealand if I briefly allude tp what is in progress within, sight of, the spot where lam now fitting. For tho moment lam in Mya.bcotia, cscapmg for a few wooks the heat of Ottawa. The mail.via. V^ouyer-learn tomorrow, and I must write you to-dny. My temporary home.-a m the loveliest suburbs of Halifax, the capital of Nova Scotia; it » on tho North-West Arm, a sheltered inlet of tho Atlantic, in the waters of which will soon be rcllected a historical monument with which New inland is ■associated. The Canadian Club; of Halifax, has undertakeh! noble work. It may fittingly bo described as the ■ ereclioti of a memorial of nratitudc to the Motherland, in token of tho Muntlew blessings which the oversea Dominions have each and _ all inherited.: The nistonc tower now nearing completion will be the pride df .Canada, and, indeed, of all the autonomous. British 1 State* in the four .garters of the felobe. It will manifest lo coming ages tho birth of ParlianienUry Government in ' the oversea Dominions, apd <lenolo the constitutional t beginning of the Empiro whicli is in process of. ovolution. , The Greeks, the Romans, tho Egyptians, and other-ancient people hive left behind them ruins of mognificent monumental buildings which command our admiration, but nowhere pn tho earth's surface can wo ' discover traces of anv structures* ancient or.modern, which..have been • raised by the association of bo many Governments ' rcpreant-ing tho • " daughter States of the tame motherland of by tho aid and efforts of so many individuals and associations'so widely separated by lonpitude and latitude. The founders of the Halifax Memorial Tower are indeed Ha widely separated on tho globe's surface o& that Empiro of modern times which tliev desire to honour. I shall cnclosc for tho information of tho. Editor a pamphlet, issued three years ago, 'alluding to' the initiation of thfc'phjiect: The matter was earnestly and enthiisiasticaJly taken up by the Canadian Club, of tins city. The foundation stone of the tower wm laid by the Lieutenantgovernor of Nova Scotia, on October 2 following, that dato being the 150 th anniversary of the establishment qf representative government in what is now the* Dominion of Canada. Tho club'soon afterwords issued and widely circulated an appeal which has borne frriit, and tho day of dedication* is approaching. ' Tho interior of tho tower is now being decorated with many sculptured slabs, of which more than thirty havo already been received from Government*, universities, and scientific ■ ■ associations. , , ... When tho Halifax Memorial Tower is completed its dedication will bo regarded as an important ovent in history. On that occasion there will be many appropriate accessories.' Tho old Union Jack will float over ell, and' immediately underneath it, from the four upper openings— • north, south, east, ami west.—will appear four distant flags representing tho Dominion of Canada, tho Union of South Africa, tho Dominion of Now Zealand, and tho Commonwealth of Australia.