AN EXCELLENT SUGGESTION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7422, 7 June 1902, Page 4

AN EXCELLENT SUGGESTION.

The suggestion that a number of prominent Boers should be invited to visit New Zealand is not new, but it is none the worse for that. As % matter of fact, it was offered first a couple of yeans ago. A correspondent who writes to us to-day points cut that during the year before last he wrote %o Sir Joseph Ward, suggesting that on the conclusion of peace "it would be & wise and graceful act- to invite a Dutch delega. tion, to be selected by the Boers, with the approval of Lord Milner, to viait New Zealand, and judge for themselves as to the suitability of our laws, customs and: modes of agriculture, for adoption in South Africa." In reply, Sir Joseph promised that the suggestion ehould."have the .consideration of Ministers." If the suggestion hae not been discussed by the- Cabinet, it is to be hoped that the Acting-Premier will redeem his promise now. The proposal is one which to our minds deserves deep couadoration. If it is considered; we can hardly believe that it will not meet with the approval of tie Government. For it would certainly be a graceful and wise act to invite some of the Boer leaders to New Zealand. It would be graceful because it would indicate to the Boers that, although the New Zealaoders joined in the struggle against them, they did so to assert a principle, and not because they cherished any personal animosity against the burghers ; and it would be wise ior the reason that it would afford the Boers an object-lesson of the benefits of setf-goverpment under British rule. If the invitation were accepted, it could hardly fail to exercise a. beneficial influence in obliterating the race hatred engendered by the war. The Boers who came here would see that they had become part of an Empire among whose widely scattered units racial animosity has no place. They could not fail to be Struck with the measure o{ freedom' enjoyed by Britain's dependencies, and they would probably return to South Africa relieved tc- feel that in, losing their independence they had in no sense >of the word sacrificed their liberty. In addition, they would gain an insight into the progressive legislation of this colony, study the working of the land laws, and investigate the methods of^arming employed here. As a result of their investigations, unless they deliberately shut their eyes to what they saw, they would have gained a great deal of information which would prove invaluable im the work of settling

I " } South Africa, and in bridging ov«r the gulf which now separates the Briton from the Boer. i