Poverty Bay Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING GISBORNE, FRIDAY, OCT. 21, 1927. THE IMMORTAL SIGNAL

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16476, 21 October 1927, Page 6

Poverty Bay Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING GISBORNE, FRIDAY, OCT. 21, 1927. THE IMMORTAL SIGNAL

Every year, on this day, the mastheads of a famous ship that lies in Portsmouth harbor are crowned with laurel, in remembrance of her last great fight at sea. There is no need to say it is the Victory, for every schoolboy knows the story of Trafalgar and of what happened on October 21, 1805. About this old ship—Nelson's flagship —there lingers a romance and fascination that can never die. Nor can the message flown by Nelson at Trafalgar over be forgotten: "England expects every man will do his duty." Duty was the keynote of Nelson's life and death. In the cockpit ho died, whispering "I have done my duty;-1 praise God for it." When Nelson flew his famous signal not one sailor mistook it's meaning. His duty was perfectly clear. The signal was given to remind every man in the fleet that England relied upon him. And .this is a reminder which may well be sent out even to this day to every citizen of the Empire, for though Britain is engaged in no naval or military encounters there is nevertheless a stniggle going on in which issues almost as great, we might say, as Trafalgar arc at stake. The future has to decide -whether our nation shall hold its place in the sun. It is not merely a matter of commercial, industrial or financial pre-eminence. Other nations are each endeavoring in these particular spheres to wrest supremacy from Britain, and we are vitally concerned. But there is something more at stake than that. It is whether British citizenship shall remain a standard to the world of honor, selfsacrifice, devotion and courage. It is these things primarily that make a nation great. The Great War taught us that in the hour of.test these qualities were not lacking, but there is always a danger with young generations coming on that traditions may be forgotten and standards lowered; hence the necessity upon occasions of anniversary such as the present 10 dwell upon the paramount importance of our duty to the Empire, a duty which lies imbedded in every human relationship. Civic responsibility embraces something more than tli3 more paying of taxes and observance of lr.ws; it extends to the home and family, to the business or profession, end indeced to every association one makes. Duty, which Wordsworth called "stern daughter of the voice of God," permeates all our relationships, and if Nelson's call be heeded each and every day by our citizens there need be no fear of any deterioration in the character of our race or of its ability to stand four-square to every wind that blows. "What keeps the world going," says one writer, "is the sense of duty in the breasts of its noblest citizens. Duty upholds till. By this communities are strong. Civilisation is dependent on the average morality of the masses, and this means on Ihf measure in which duty is acknowledged and carried out. There is no substitute for the sense of duty. No policeman, inspector or detective can take its place. The more it prevails among us the fewer policemen and judges will be needed. Society at present is a huge system, in which flio balance of power is maintained by setting a watch upon wrongdoers. The cost; of keeping people in the straight and narrow way surpasses. imagination. If by some magic wo could inspire every man with a sense of duty, we could before long pay the national debt. The world's sorrows are roofed in moral defect. Duty is tho key of the human enigma—'The pole-star of a wandering humanity.' The community that takes no effective measures to develop the sense of duty and keeps it in vigorous operation is wasting its time, and courting disaster. If dishonorable conduct drags down the individual and tho State, the remedy lies in such united action as shall secure the education of youth in the sense of duty. This is the" business not merely of the church, but of every citizen, and of the. State itself. One of the most successful aids Governments could supply would be in setting a noble example of devotion to duty. No man, however, needs to wait for a lead from Government. Duty is unconditional, and no duty is trivial. The blunder thousands make is that of imagining that if they were more fortunately placed, if their post were more congenial and their work less irksome, duty would become easy and delightful. But who said duty was always to lie pleasant, and was never to be performed till it offered the inducement of pleasure? That is to contradict its very nature. Duty is absolute. It pays no heed to conditions and qualifications. The moment we see our duty it; is binding on us. To postpone it, to shirk it, to think it commonplace or trivial, is to create a spirit of contempt for duty, and a probability that we shall fail in the day of testing. The faithful performance of what we call little duties makes the will dutiful, makes duty a habit, and in due time a delight. Thenduty is to tho task lying to hand, tho I daily simple deed in the household, the ; commonplace work in the office, or i factory, or shop, and remember that I faithfulness there will alone fit them | for greater things. To neglect tho i lowly duties is no prepaiation for the ' higher. Duty is its own recompense, jit is said, because its performance is accomplished by a sense of moral satisfaction which nothing else could secure, lint society is so constituted that diligence, industry and honesty do not ultimately fail of their reward. He profits most; who serves best is actually true. The world seems to bo so constituted that duty done must be rewarded by being linked to power, eise must the foundations give way. Right must finally become might. Here we come upon the paradox of duty. Fix your mind on some object to be accomplished rather than upon your own action, and you will act rightly. I Tho world's sore need is a keen sense ■ of duty in tho breast of every man •and woman. Our next duty lies at our ! elbow."