DOMINION DAY.

Colonist, Volume LVIII, Issue 14539, 17 October 1917, Page 1 (Supplement)

DOMINION DAY.

FLAG SALUTED* AT SCHOOLS

(From <'The Colonist," Sept. 25th;) 0 National flags,were flown/yesterday the colleges and and : ov. otherpublic: buildings, in honourof Dominion Day. The .pupils of the State schools assembled in the morning to salute tne flag,; and_ were afterwards dismissed to make holiday. BOYS' CENTRAL SCHOOL. At the Boys'.Central School the pupils were addressed by' the headmaster ,< Air i\ G. Gibbs). In - a reference to the celebration, Air Gibbs said that on Dominion Day" they could look back on the year's history , and see what .New Zealand had done of which New Zealanders could be, proud. At the present time there Avas oiieS great duty to be done, and that was to completely crush Germany and her allies. Germany had proved herself treacherous, cruel, barbarous,' and wicked, and it was the great duty of the whole world at the pro-sent time to defeat her, so that she could not bo a menace in the future. During the past year New Zealand's soldiers—many of them from the Boys' Central School—had been lighting *in Alesopotamia, in Macedonia, and on the AVestern front, and had taken part in the Battle of Messines and other great battles, adding to their glories achieved at. Gallipoli and on the Somme. Our boys had again shown .that they were as good and as hrave fighters as aniin the world, and had worthily upheld the honour of New Zealand. The people of New Zealand had dirring'the.year in many ways shown tlieir determination to carry on the war to the end. New Zealand had adopted conscription. When Britain found out how strong Germany was she also found it neces" sary to introduce conscription, and as New Zealanders they might feel proud that New.Zealand was the first of the British dependencies to follow the example of Britain. Then the Government had again appealed to the people for money to carry on the war, and, as on the .first occasion, more was" given ihan Avas asked for. The Government asked for £12,000.000, and the people subscribecl £16,000,000—another pvoof of determination to see the Avar through. Brief reference Avns made to the A'ote in "the House of Representatives last week in favour of six o'clock closing, the reduction of drinking and the expected increased national .efficiency arising therefrom being pointed to as still another indication of the deter mination of the people of New Zealand to carry the Avar to victory. Mr Gibbs proceeded to emphasise that v the effects "i- tho Avar avoulc! last for many years. Tbo.ro Avould be a shortage of" labour and the boys beforo him 'would Have to do their oivn work and also the Avork of other? Prices would be higher and everyone would have to work harder Uioso nations Avould recover most quickly Avhosc people were the Tbest edu oated and best trained. Every boy who was not only helped himself but Ins country too. In conclusion Air Gibbs scoke of the main, purpose ' For which the Tioys had assembled, viz., to salute the Flag. The Flag was the symbol of the great British Empire, of which Noav Zealand av«s a part—a Flag Avhich stood for freedom, iustice and the principles of right for wnieE Aye and our Allies Were now fighting. The Flag Avas saluted, and cheers were given for the King and" for the New Zealand soldiers. During thp proceedings rersfis of "The Red, White, and Blue," "Rule Britannia," and iho >^tional Anthem were sung avilli good effect. GIRLS' CENTRAL SCHOOL. At tho Girls' Central School, Mr F. V. Knapp, the headmaster, presided, and Mrs Buchanan, a member of the School Committee, and Dean Weeks were also present. Dorothy Holbrook handed bouquets to the visitors. Mr Knapp explained that the gatTierlng Avas for the purpose of saluting the I 1 lag and remembering Dominion Day and also their duty. They were part of a very groat band of children, about 180,000, Avho Avere assembling that day for the same purpose from the North Cape to Bluff. New Zealand had sent some 80,000 troops to the front, and tho great Avastage of war was a very serious matter. There had always been the need for boys- and girls to make the most of tlieir opportunities, but the need was ten times greater now. The Government did a great deal to help them. Whatever walk of life they desired to enter, the Government had provided facilities by Avay of scholarships, etc., for their education. This was one reason why they Avere proud of their country. No country in the Avond. not even America, was doino- so much m the way of education as New Zealand. Our educational system was tiie most advanced in the world. In conclv-ding his remarks Mr Knapn said it was for them to do tlieir partas pood citizens and be loyal and" true to their country. And tlie test way! they could serve their country was to I lead good and true lives and'do their1 work as thoroughly and as well as pos-! sible. . Here the Sixth Standard pupils sanu a Apav Zealand .Anthem, the Avords of which were Jy Mr T. Farnie. Roua -Uee played the pianoforte accompaniment. Dean Weeks said ho had vist been looking at the-mao, and wEat a little place New Zealand seemeel away down m a corner. Then he looked atfiustraha tne Straits Settlements, Asia, and on to the Far West. All round them v-re patchy of ft ed . T};ore oH >' -g was still f?.-vig:, New Zealand was v.nW n very litt7o corner, but it was part or the vast Empire over which the ting flow. J.nat morning they had to re■n«mW nnlv that "they were part -1- that Empire, but their share in krepine ib. One word bad r^de the Empire; it was a word he had been taught f-s a ooy m fchool, and on entering the Nay- and th-t word was' Duty—duty wi? n f wo" ar ty/ 2* was. nower to do hat ought to be oone. This sense of duty bad made the Empire what it was On hoard one of the br+tfo cruisers was p mnesenpp,- bo y on]v i*?v ear s of s, Pe His ihxty v-c,, to r P r,i,. nr for S from the officers .—>'! hand thorn on to the ffnn . mn-s. His name was John Travors Cornp-Pi^ and though mortally wound- ■ ,hr- nt M ]lis Vost. Ad*nirPi fsiv DavW Reattv had picked outthis N-v fro"» nil top ship's eommnv for snooipT meirtio" and -asV^d' the TCin^r to eire "in pp-^ijil rwognition. The hoy jarnve. but the Kvig 'C* 1"1" '" ■■ "■'"ther "iirl handed her t,'»ia """'"V.-nofi^sßion in that 'family for ;.rone?-ntioTiß to o.o^o. Now neonle did not do greet, dee'h like that n!T of P siT-Trton. John Cornwell ■ pJayad (+h e T? °t Ol," <OV'- ho™"*-n ho.lw.rf dono Yip <7'itv. had 'Top» v-^'i+ he ought t 0 1 )a vo A'^o m +I,n —on things of "life, <->nd h^ was thus nMe to do the blcr t^-na wfi^n opportunity camp; 'Anr? Nf) Iv itl' Jl'OTh. 7," ."Joinp- tl,r> smjiH +T-,;t,o^ yv(x^ t!'o^ woiild be plile to "a tli« ~<z th-»p-.-,r 117\ +J |S wnaV*-< ff irl of t>*» scFmoT *hn pofviljir" in ". r-'of, v oM rTe^Tiito ..... it-;-„ n^ri +i'tbp.-Emr^vo 'fo" v.-T-'"* )n>o,.K- n-v] inc^Vo f^». oil " . To «r»h'ol--1 am nhn pang th^ Natioml .ArtTiPTn: I ■ rf'u '» t.pf»«"Wts-,0f.--r*ip sidp p^'iools aJsr suitably addressed tlieir pupils. I ■■■ ■.." -.-^-^^ s "■■-■.-.