THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 3957, 14 January 1930, Page 4

THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL.

CONCEPTION OF HIS DUTIES. CEMENTING THE TIES OF EMPIRE. AUCKLAND, January 6. Visions of New Zealand as he and Lady Alice Fergusson had striven to help to make it were spoken of by the Governor-General (Sir Charles Fergusson) when responding to the presentation of a citizens’ address in the Town Hall. “ What is the function of a GovernorGeneral and of the wife who inspires him? ” Sir Charles Fergusson asked. “ I take it that, put in broad and general language, his function is, if possible, to strengthen the ties which bind the Dominion to the Mother Country and the Empire. — (Applause.) I suppose that these ties consist, in the first place, of the sense of pride of race, the sense of common interest in a common heritage the history and traditions of our country and the mutual love, understanding, and sympathy which must surely exist among people springing from the same stock. That, primarily, is the tie which binds us. But surely more than that, and in these days of more importance, there is the tie of loyalty, of love, and devotion which unites the Crown and the people. — (Applause. ) “ In considering how we should fulfil what we took to be our duty in trying to strengthen those ties we dreamed drcams and we saw’ visions,” continued his Excellency. “ The first vision was of a country where the children are trained and grow up to realise the characteristics and virtues by which their forefathers built up this country for them, characteristics of grit and endurance, courage and determination and self-sacrifice a country where the children should grow’ up to realise that only by duty and service in love for their fellow-men can true happiness for themselves be found, or prosperity and contentment for a people; a country where children should understand that a firm religious faith is the only true foundation on ■which a life can be lived, or by w’hich a nation can achieve greatness. — (Applause.) “ Another vision was of a country where parents realise that there is nothing in the world that can take the place of early home training and home influence; that it is in the early days

in the home that the child’s character is formed; that it is the influence of the home and recollection of the early days at home which will keep their children straight throughout their lives. Therefore, parents should recognise that the responsibility of the destiny of their children and the destiny of the nation lies upon them and the way in which they realise that responsibility. “ Another vision was of a country where the people of the community, irrespective of class or creed or political faith, should mix freely together t.nd so, by knowledge and understanding of each other, there should be evolved that love and sympathy and helpful co? operation which will drive out all bitterness, rancour, jealousy and s-.is-pieion—those things which pm=on the life of a community. “Again, there was a visim of a country in which, to borrow a phrase recently used at Home, the statesmen and people should be more concerned with quality of their loyalty to the Empire as a whole than with questions; of the equality of their status with the mother country and their sister dominions. “ And lastly, there was a vision of the New Zealand of the future—a country where the people are determined to be true to the traditions of their forefathers, to accept and be proud of the glory of the heritage handed down to them, but at the same time, realise the responsibility such a heritage entails; a people who will spare no sacrifice in carrying out the duty laid upon them of transmitting that wonderful heritage to their children and their children’s children embellished and undefiled; a New Zealand which shall be at peace, with men recognising that only by co-operation and love and sympathy can they be a happy and contented people; a New Zealand which shall pride itself on keep, ing alive the traditions of love, loyalty, and devotion to what has been handed down to them in that wonderful empire typified by his Majesty the King as its head. — (Applause.) “ These were some of the ideals and visions which we had, I think, before us, and towards which our activities were directed,” concluded his Excellency. . “ They may be unpractical, idealistic; but if anything we have said or done has contributed in any wav to the realisation of those ideals then, perhaps, our time here has not been altogether wasted.”