EMPIRE DAY.

Timaru Herald, Volume XC, Issue 13288, 17 May 1907, Page 7

EMPIRE DAY.

What can I do personally towards the advancement of the Empire Day Movement? »

As the 24th of May approaches such a query may well be asked hy" many a patriotic .British citizen, 'the answer to the queslion may in some degree vary according to latitude and longitude, but in the main the answer will be the • same—viz. ; Try to bring the spirit of the. movement to bear on all British subjects, but especially on the childrn who in a few years' time will be the-citizens of the Empire. What is the Empire Day Movement, and what is its spirit? In the "Catechism" which has been drawn up- for the us boys and girls of the Empire, the movement is explained to be an effort/throughout the. King Emperor's dominions to remind 'all British subjects of the virtues which make a good citizen, such' as a loyalty, patriotism, courage, endurance, respect for and obedience to lawful authority and to encourage- self-sacrifice for the public good to teach all, especially the young, the sac-redness of the tiust committed to them and to inspire them with determination to do their duty.

'The spirit of thei movement may therefore be said to be the subordination of selfish or class interests to those of the State and of the community. All who desire that Britons shall be permeated by such a; spirit should inculate on the minds of their fellow-citizens, ancl especially of the young, the honourable obligation which ieats upon them of preparing themselves, each in his or her own. sphere, for the clue fulfilment of the duties and responsibilities attached to the high privilege of bring subjects of the mightiest Empire the world has ever known.

Tliis spirit h represented by the watchwords of the movement: "Responsibility. Duty. Sympathy, Self-sacrifice,", and its objectives are "expressed in its motto: "One' King, One Flag, One Fleet, One Empire." If this spirit be systematically impressed on the minds of' the children of the 400 hundred millions ,of the subjects of the King, and he thoroughly assimilated bv them, our Empire would; become not only the most powerful political and social organisation which ever existed in the world, but, what is of miich more inrpor l tance, it will develop a force in the control of the affairs, of the world which cannot fail to raise the nioral standard of mankind. If there be. one truth to be learned more than another from the history of mankind,, it is that moral safety can only be found in suffering/ struggle, and self-sacrifice, and that?- the flower strewn paths of comfort, luxury, and ease lead inevitably to moral, material, ancl physical decay. ,To raise up a generation of good citizens we must not be content in our homes and in our schools with mere book-learning, but we must first and foremost devo.e ourselves to the training of the character of the children upon whose shoulders the responsibilities of the Empire will shortly fall.

Cnaracter is all-important. Intellectual knowledge is\of great moment, but it is not as indispensable to the ideal citizen as is the possession of a strong, self-respecting, . Clod-fearing and God-loving character. . " T "; If, reader, you want then to know what you individually, can do to advance the Empire Day movement, let me earnestly urge you to strive to the utmost of your power to do your duty towards God and man. Think; less of self and more of others, especially those who are your fel-low-subjects. Look upon yourself as a responsible, though it may* be veiy humble unit, of this wonderful social and political organisation known as -the British Empire. If cavillers and . cynics ask you why you should limit your sympathies to the arbitrary confines of an Empire whose, frontiers are never stationary, reply bodly that you do' not- -do so. Tell them that your lie-art is wide enough to emprace in your affections all the sons and daughters of men, but there is this difference between the Empire ancl a foreign country, that you have individually no power or rightto influence the direction of-public affairs in foreign States, . whereas as a British citizen, even in those portions of the Empile, where as jet the unit has no directcontrol, the most insignificent possesses by his example and conduct an indirect influence over the Power/; that be.-

Such influence no Briton has a- right to neglect. Charity begins, at home, although it docs not end there, and the care of the British Empire, that is, of the fifth portion of the earth's surface and of the world's inhabitan's, is surely enough tq occupy fully the thoughts and energies of any one man or woman, however greaOly gifted with intellectual ancl physical powers. .When the British Empire has attained its full political, social, and moral stature, it will be time enough to turn cur attention to the shortcomings of foreign States. In the meantime, in building up our Empire on the foundations of freedom, liberty, and of equal justice, let us not omit.to" include a reasonable discipline of the training of youth, remembering that the virile virtues do not grow in the hot-houses of luxuiy, of ea«e, of slackness, and of idleness, but under the strengthening winter skies and blasts of "compelling duty, of hardness, and of struggle against, difficulty. So much for the spirit of the movement.

As regards the. outward celebration of Empire Day, so long as the spirit be ob-sei-ve-d it matters little on what date the annual celebration be kept. Preferably as near the 24th of May asi possible, inasmuch as the anniversary of our late beloved Sovereign's' birthday, during whose glorious reign of sixty-two years the Empire grew to its present mighty dimensions. Last year the day was observed throughout the Empire by about eight millions of British subject:-;. They assembled in large bodies or little groups, hois-t ed and saluted the Union Jack, sang the National Anthem, listened to addresses on the- duties and responsibilities of British citizenship, reuiinded each other of noble actions performed in the interest of coun tiy or of community by departed heroes of* British birth, and we hope, silently vowt.l to themselves that would not be found wanting in the future, ei'her in the performance of the commonplace duties of their daily lives, in the cause of civic diuv. or in the more rare crises of national life' should the Empire ever need their services.

Such an annual, mental, national introspection and consideration of the duties appertaining to citizenship can do naught but good to the State. Every man, woman, would'be the better for such a periodic self-examination, and it is in the power of each not only to join in such a celebration, but- to enter into its deeper and more serious meaning. Here again personal influence can be locally exerted to make the celebration a quickening influence for good in the neighbourhood. Education committees, mayors., and local magnates, of religion, head masters and mistresses of schools can be approached and influenced. If the local bodv does not possess a flagstaff and Union

Jack. . these requisites can be obtained. The literature of the movement can be purchase.!: fiom the office at 83. Lancaster Gate, London.

All the,-e and many other -ways of assisting the Kiious national effort will oucur to anyone who is genuinely desirous of binding tog-ether -the British people-! by the indissoluble bonds of loyalty, of devotion to duty, and of mutual affection >.nd of awakening within thsm a sense, of the greatness of their responsibilities. Who will help? Ma-v the Empire Day movement spread until* there is- no British subject, man, woman, oi- child, who has not come under its bracing, vivifying influence.

Writing of the fining of the New Zealand slaughtermen for striking, the " Pa.,--loralists Review" says :---While the New Zealand courts are prepared to give effect, to the decisions of the Arbitration Court in this wav, there is no certainty that such will be the case in Australia. In New Zealand, even, the ease might have been different had the offending body been a big union, such as the shearers, who were spread over the country, instead of the slaughtermen, who were comparatively small in numbers, and resident in definate localities Now. supposing that in the: forthcoming ca£2 regarding the shearers In the Federal Arbitration Court- the dec'•sion is against the men. and. they refuse '■o abide bv it, what will be the position? How i« the nionev to hj? collected if fines ire imposed? -The only way to. secure justice in this respect is for each bodyto deposit a sum of, say, £SOOO or £lO,000 as a guarantee of its., obedience to the court's ruling. Interest could be allowed upon the money while it is held. Otherwise there is no ce-itainty that the leuision of the- Federal Court may not be flouted: as it-has already-been m New South Wales. ■ ■ ■ '

The Celebrity'of SENDER and SONS Pure Volatile Eucalypti. Extract is universally acknowledged. • Royalty honours it, and the entire Medical Profession has adopted; its use. Imitations sprung up without number nmst of them proving to be injurious: . In reports Dr Owen to the Medical Society of Victoria that a child living at Fitzroy became most seriously indisposed through their use. In another ;aee a lady stated that she suffered cruelly from the effect of one of them. The latest iddition to these imitations—all of them Styled " Extracts "—was a crude oil, -which vas foistered upon the trusting and un-wary-under' the- grossest misuse of Sander and Sons' reputation. . Sander and Sons instituted action for protection, .which was tried at the Supremo Court at Victoria, oefore His Honour Chief Jtfstice Sir J. Madden, K.C.M.G., etc. By the verdict •endered by His Honour these imitations were perpetually .restrained from commitring their nuisances, and had to pay all iosts. Daring the trial of the above acdon, a sworn witness testified that he had to stop the use of this counterfeit m account of the irritation it produced. This demonstrates conclusively that faith :an.only be placed in an article that is scientifically* tested and approved of. A much is solely endorsed and recommended THE GENUINE SANDER AND SONS' PURE VOLATILE EUCALYPTI EXTRACT.