The Red, White and Blue.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXVII, Issue XXIII, 7 December 1901, Page 1069

The Red, White and Blue.

1 am afraid Mr Murray, the headteacher of the Kirikiri school, whom the Auckland Board of Education have dismissed because he refused to salute the school flag, or to instruct the children to do so. will not get very much public sympathy. His attitude will inevitably suggest proBoer leanings, and in these lat-r days pro-Boerisin. which we used to tolerate smilingly, is under the popular curse. As a fact, howe'er. .here is not a word in Mr Murray's vindication of his conduct that gives :.n inkling of disloyalty on his part. Th. 1 ground he takes up is peculiar; 1 never beard of it. before. He protests that he ientirely loyal to the authority, honour, and Empire, which the flag symItolises, but that he objects to do homage to the symbol itself. Apparently he associates the saluting cf t be piece of bunting with something akin to idolatry. ‘■lt- is against my conscience to salute any ting,” was hifinal declaration. From which 1 sn-

ther that it is not loyalty, mo much as poetrv and imagination, that is larking in this preceptor of youth. Hr does nut see. it would serin, that the saluting ceremony is the most harmless piece* of symbolism on the fare of the earth. Even though the ceremony has not come into -vogue in the Gid Country a point he niak« much of—the idea, which was inn rowed by us from the I’nited Stales, is merely a further expression of a sentiment, all true Britons should feel. In heart we all pay homage to the old Hag. wherever and whenever it tlir< aloft to remind us of national glory. What possible -objection can then be to translate into graceful action the tribute of our hearts? Rather let us >ay what a great gain there is if by such translation we can more strongly impress on the mind all that Ihe Hag stands for. and intensify public luxe for it. What an uninteresting world would it be were we 1o get rid of all s;» uiiKdism. as Mr Murray would have ’is do. But the thing could not be done. It is ridiculous to suppose that we could ever sail through life thus under bare poles, and not a rag of emblem aloft. I coinm**nd the study of Sartor Rcsartus to Mr Murray, if he would understand the sheer impossibility of such a thing. There is not a day or hour of our lives wlfvh we do not call symbolism to our aid. We could have no iutercoiir-c without it; we could have no education without, it; wo could have no religion without it. How would we ever get to know the abstract were it not for its emblematic clothing? How could we ever keep tou»-h wit h the world beyond, nay. with that about us, if we were deprived of symbols? Mr Murray is altogether al sea in this matter, and if for nothing else than that hr would be apt to lead those astray who are under him, it is better that he should he relieved of a position where the best work is to be done by means of symbols. O O o o o