A VALEDICTORY GATHERING.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 8943, 31 May 1907, Page 1

A VALEDICTORY GATHERING.

♦ • MR RACE'S FAREWELL. TRADE BETWEEN CANADA AND NEW ZEALAND. At the conclusion of the Chamber of Commerce quarterly meeting yesterday, the members of the Chamber and of the Lyttelton Harbour Board ©aid farewell to several Exhibition visitors at an informal gathering. Mr E. G. Staveley, president of the Chamber, presided, and was supported by Mr G. Laureneon, M.H.R., chairman of the Harbour Board. The guests were Messrs T. H. Race and A. W. Burns (Canadian Commissioners) and A. A. Longden (British Art representative). After the loyal toast, the President read seraral apologies for absence. / Mr G. Laurenson, M.H.R. proposing the- toast of "The Guests," eaid that the people of New Zealand hind been the bettor for knowing the gentlemen who had come to represent Great Britain and the sister colonies at the Exhibition. Such gatherings did a great deal to promote the feeling of unity amd good fellowship between the different portions of the Empire. If any court in the Exhibition had mad© an impression on the public mind, it had been the Canadian Court, and he had not the least doubt that a direct result of the display that Canada had made would be an increase in thi> amount of trade between. New Zealand and Canada. The volume of trade at present was not satisfactory; During 1905 the total New Zealand exports to Canada and imports from Canada, had been £147,000, while in 1897 the total had been. iC61,000. The corresponding figures in connection with Australia were £4.110.000 and £2,600.000. and with the United States £2,100,000 and £1,000,000. The trade with Ca.ii.ada should most certainly be increased. Canadian trait was ready juet at the time when New Zealand, wanted fruit, and there were other lines in which a mutual trade could be developed. He felt sure that the trade would increase and thai Mr Race would have contributed in no small d-e.giree to that result. In conclusion, Mr Laureniscn wished the guests a safe return to tibeir homes and long life and prosperity. They had been in the colony many months, ho said, and dxning that time they had pa-oved themselves good fellows all and ■fe*d- b«£iife- trith-cut reproach the grand old name of gentlemen. The toast was honoured with enthusiasm. In the course, of his reply, Mr Eaco said that the people of New Zealand had made things so exceedingly pleasant for their guests that he and the other visitors did not know low tl»ey were going to express their appreciation, in fitting terxns. Patriotism was a sentiment, and that sentiment was the flavouring essence of the Britieih Empire. Trad© and commerce were the living spirit of the Empire. If be had done anything to .enrich that flavouring, then he could return to his own colony, and if his associate (Mi- Burns) had done anything to add to the living spirit of Empire, then he. too, would go back well content. "We are both returning confident that we hay© done some good, because we are taking you . at your ward," said Mr Race. He referred to the Imperial Conference and complimented New Zealand on the attitude taken up by Sir Joseph Ward. "There are two sides to this question, .of preferential trade," he added. " Tho fact stands baldly before us that the obligation is mutual and is very nearly equal now. The Mother Land to-day owes nearly us much to the colonies r>s the colonies owe to the Mother Land. Of course, we cannot exiet Avithout the Mother Land, but can the Mother Land exist without us? You here dk> not feel the forces that w.o feel in Canada. What could a workshop of 42,000,000 people do to' hold its own against a nation with the same language, the same aspirations, the same ambition, composed of 86.000,000 people and possessing • a country witJi limitless natural resources and wealth? Great Britain could not possibly save herself from being dominated by that tremendous, over-powering nation, the United States of America, if -it were not for her colonies. We all know that Great Britain has to depend entirely upon her trade. The United States can replenish her resources right from her own soil ; Great Britain must replenish hers from the high seas, from hex trade with the nations of the wwld. Without t3iat trade she cannot continue to exist as a world power. Great Britain, is doing business witih many nations simply because they respect her, and they respect her because they fear her. Strip Great Britain of heir colonies and you will see that those jealous nations will turn upon her at once. Now she is doing a trade that is to her own advantage; then she would do only tho trade that was to their advantage. The strength of Great Britain is in her colonies, and her very existence depends upon the attitude taken by these colonies. She could no more hold 1 her own against the United States than she could fly to the, moon were it not for hey commeirce on tlio seas, and r-ihe is doing that commerce because of her colonial possessions throughout the world. Be true to yourselves and. you will be true to the Mother Land." Mr Race said that the trade figures quoted by Mr Lauireiuson were misleading in that Canadian goods had been shipped to New Z-eoJand via New York and credited to bhe United States. "Wo have been down here at an. opportune monies* , " h» *a id . "Tl ios e mi? era b ' o hulks VnaXi have I>p<mi sailing between here an«l San. Fraaioisco have failed, and when i£e esterblish, as we are surely going to do, a better and quicker service between New Zealand and Vancouver,, the American exports to New Zealand will ,coni-o throaigib Canada. Canada and New Zealand aro going to be closer to one another vory shortly. We never thought in, Canada that you we>re such an important part of the Empire as you really are. Your wool and mutton and butter cannot be surpassed in the world. We say the same of our wheat. Yon can supply to tho Mother Land what wo can never supply, and I think you will be able to supply some of your good things to us." Mr Race. exptrossed appreciation of the manne.r in, which he and his colleagues had been treated by the Press of the colony, and in conclusion urged New

Zealand to " k&ep both, hands on the old Union Jack." (Applause.) Mr Lon.gd.en also returned thanks. Ho mentioned iliat the total sales _in the British Art Section in connection with tile Exhibition had reached £17,000, an eminently eatkfactoTy figure. Commerce aind art -went hand in hamd, and if tihe commerce flourished, so would art. The only assistance art needed in New Zealand was the removal of the heavy duty on works of art. As long as that duty remained at a- figure that was almost prohibitive, works of art could not find their way into the homes of the people. The visitors from G-neat Britain would do their best to show their appreciation of the hospitality extended them in New Zealand by "booming" the colony at Home and urging people to visit it. The health of the president of the Chamber was proposed by Mr Race and honoured, and tbd gathering dispersed. _____^____