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A committee for each State would be required, and some little expenditure for newspaper 
advertisements, stationery, and postage would be inevitable. 
This would be met by an annual subscription of, say, one shilling. If there be any surplus it could 
be devoted to some suitable National object. 
A preliminary meeting of sympathisers with this movement has been fixed for i o'clock in the 
afternoon of Monday, 30th August, in the hall of the Royal Society (corner of Elizabeth and Hunter 
Streets), at which your presence is cordially invited. 
If you cannot be present, and think well of the idea, perhaps you would, without committing 
yourself to details, see fit to write a note to one of the undersigned. 
HANNAH E. CLUNIES-ROSS. \ 
AGNES L. KETTLEWELL. V Conveners. 
J. H. MAIDEN. 
Botanic Gardens, Sydney, August, 1909. 
2. WHAT IS AN EMPIRE ? 
(Address by Mr. J. H. Maiden.) 
la an address at the Girls' High School, Mr. J. H. Maiden, Government Botanist, said : An 
Empire is a group of nations or States united under a single Sovereign power. Thus we have the British 
Empire, and Australia (and to a less extent, New South Wales) is a junior partner in this great 
confederacy. There is no reason at all why, in the course of events, Australia may not be a partner with 
far greater responsibilities to the Empire as a whole than at present. 
Now the Empire can only endure if it be based on the eternal rock of justice to ourselves within 
the Empire and to other people beyond it. And we can only be just to others if we know more about 
them, and endeavour to find out their good points. For example, it does good for one school to engage in 
the friendly rivalry of, say, a game, with another school. You cannot know the good points of the 
members of that school unless you meet them. 
You will remember reading about the old feuds between France and England, which broke out in 
wars from the time of William the Conqueror. In more recent times such ill-feeling was fanned into a 
very big flame by the Napoleonic wars, and in England, even boys and girls used to hate France and the 
French, because they thought it patriotic to do so. But, nowadays, a far different feeling exists, simply 
because, through travel and other methods of education, the two nations know each other better. Even in 
Australia we must see that we do not drift into provincialism. Mischievous talkers and writers try to set 
unthinking people at variance in regard to the merits of one city or one State and another, but the people 
who say the silliest things are those who know least about the subject. The good citizen tries to see all 
that is best in his neighbours. 
It is always profitable for us to contemplate the experience of nations in the past, and the record 
of this is what we call history. There have been other powerful Empires earlier than the British one. 
Let us take the Koman Empire by way of illustration. Where is it now ? dispersed, non-existent. And 
yet this Empire was at one time the proud " mistress of the world," a bragging title I hope the British 
Empire will never try to assume. Why did the Roman Empire disappear ? Simply because of the 
misconduct of the units composing it. An Empire consists of nations, which again consist of families and 
individuals. Ancient Rome committed the mistake of thinking that the Empire having been won, there 
was nothing more to be done. The citizens got lazy and unoccupied, fell into bad habits, and bad habits 
have the faculty of deteriorating bodily strength. An ath.'ete who desires to keep fit for his work has to 
be in a constant state of watch and abstemiousness. If he is careless about his food and exercise and 
habits generally, he is readily defeated by his competitor who is more careful in such matters. 
Now, I repeat that a nation, an Empire, i* built up of individuals. It is, therefore, our duty to 
the Empire to be good citizens, true to ourselves, and Retting a good example. And remember that we 
cannot be worthy members of tin- Kmpire unless \vo are good Australians. 
In the making of good citizens that subtle intangible thing which we call influence is a gieat thing 
and the influence of girls is enormous. Sec (hat the influence is e.xcrciscd in proper directions. You may 
think and even fay that you arc \voak and of no account, but the most retiring and humblest of you 
exercise the force of influence. It i.s, indeed, part of your existence, and you cannot divest yourself of 
that power even if you wished to do so. 
