PUBLIC OPINION.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LV, Issue 13921, 25 March 1909, Page 5

PUBLIC OPINION.

£60.000 PROMISED. (Received March _*.">, 10.30 a.ni N SYDNEY, March _o. Dreadnought promises amount t<> €60,000. A meeting convened by the Lord Mayor at tl)o Town Hall to-night for the purpose oi launching a Dreadnought Fund promise.-, to ho a monster demonstration. The Herald says thai if this meeting; and tho one eonvenec! in Melbourne are enthusiastic and unanimous it does not despair of Mr. Fisher, J^edoral Premier, allowing popular feeling being expressed through the constitutional channel. If ho fails to do so he loses the host opportunity Australia ever had of vindicating hvxclaim to have a share in the fGovernment of the Empire and displaying a unity of Empire to the world. Put should he fail, there is no reason why Now South Wales and Victoria should not do as much as New Zealand. CONCERTED ACTION FAVOURED. (Received March 25, 30.30 a.m.) MELBOURNE, March 25. Members of the Ministry are in favour of concerted action by the State- j in regard to the Dreadnought scheni". AUSTRALIAN NATIVES. (Received March i?o, 10.30 a.m.) ! PERTH. March l!/. , i The local branch of the Australia 1 ; Natives' Association resolved that tho presentation of a Dreadnought is out of place at the present time and that if money is available it should be devot^d to the Australian Navy. QUEENSLAND COOL. I (Received March _V>, 10.30 a.m.) BRISBANE? March 25. ' Tho Mayor, replying to a requesi from the Stock Exchange to call a Dreadnought meeting, said he did no. think he was justified in doing so. It i would ))O like inaugurating a panic movement A NEW PLYMOUTH RESOLUTION. _____ __ * At a mooting of the New Plymouth Borough Council last night it was resolved that the Council place on record cs appreciation of the action of tin 1 (iovvrnment in deciding to present the Mother Country with a first-class battl<v{iip. The Mayor, in moving the resolution, asid that when he read of tho offer he felt proud to be a New Zealander. There might have been an impression among some nations that the colonies were a burden on «the Mother Country, but this offer would show them that the contrary was the case and that when occasion arose the overseas Dominions were able to come to the assistance of the Old Land.