AN EMPIRE HOME.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXV, Issue 250, 19 October 1904, Page 5

AN EMPIRE HOME.

PROPOSED COLONIAL CENTRE IN!LONDON. NEW ZEALAND AGENT-GENERAL'S VIEWS. (From Our Special Correspondent.) LONDON", September 9. The scheme' proposed last week for she housing of the Australian Agentsgeneral under one common roof has »ecn by the "St. James , Gazette" into a suggestion for a great Lolomal Centre in London, in a building which should worthily represent the ivhole of Greater Britain in the metropolis of the Empire. "A centre of the kind we have prtf- • posed," says the "St. James' Gazette." 'ought to serve two main objects. In the first place it should he the rallying point of all important interests of Greater Britain in this country. It ought to be the recognised headquarters of the representatives of British possessions abroad—the financial, commercial, and social centre to which colonials would naturally turn. Scattered and isolated as they are at present, the offices of the Agents-General are inconvenient for business purposes, and afford no opportunity for an interchange of social courtesies. Gathered together under one roof, the Ambassadors of the Empire would be able to cooperate in a hundred ways ti their mutual advantage. They "would be m a position to consult each other on diblo- " ma tic questions, on matters affecting the whole of the colonies, and economy in administration would result from * consolidation •of financial and conuriefcial arrangements wherever possible." The same, journal states that this suggestion is being brought to the "notice of the colonial Government by representative colonists in this country. •'CvVe have reason to believe, 1, it is added, "that the sugggestion is viewed.-.with favour at the Colonial Office, and if-'the Governments of the colonies decide to carry it out every encouragement, will be given to it by the authorities in this country." When the New Zealand Agent-Gen-eral returned to London this week I took an early opportunity of interviewing him with regard to this Tan-CoiJon-ial scheme. Mr Reeves, whose long ex- . perience of colonial affairs in London entitles his views to considerable authority, sounded a note of cantion. "If," he said, "the new buildings were to be a great colonial commercial mart, or castle, with all the colonies represented and with exhibitions and' showrooms for their products, and so on; the scheme would be worth coiisidering," undoubtedly. But it would Dβ a gigantic undertaking. The cost of acquiring such a place and carryings it on would be very considerable, and the question is whether the colonies would care about incurring the -'X am not prepared to say it Avould riot < be a good thing, but. the. public must grasp the fact that it would meau'ai good deal of money for each colony. "On the other hand," continued Mr .Reeves, "if it is to contain merely the -Australian offices, and hot' Canada and. South Africa, the question, is whether New Zealand would want to join in with the Australian States and share tlie.rbuilding. Sly answer, to that is, probably not. It may' soil, and I think would sujt,_the, six States of-Australia to have their offices centred under •one; roof, -and probabiy-ithey would gradually be able "to save a goad deal by reorganising the staffs" and centralising the work.. But virtually the same reasons which kept New' Zealand out of .the Australian Federation would .keep her out of a building, of that sort, even if. Australia, wanted her to share it. So - long as we remain put of the Federation we had much better iet our-..estab-lishment ba as* distinct aa» Wβ can. It is the best advertisement we can -hn.ve.tf "Do. you think the* present site of the New Zealand office vis unsuitable?" I asked. '"'Some' people thinkit should be in the City instead or "Victoriastreet." ' ' ' : - ■'■ -• - ; ; "No," was the Agent-General's reply. "The rent of similar and satisfactory offices in the City would be radrt s thaa three times the" rent we are paying tjow in Victoria-street, and I do; not believe the New Zealand taxpayers would" get" that back. lam not at all blind to the advantages of display in London, and if "we were able to .acquire big at-tractive-looking offices in the. City it would be of some vaJue to..us as an advertisement. But we would have to pay heavily for it; and I would again say what my-Government' is aware has loji«» been my -view,, that -we can do. better°bv spending the money, in pushing New Zealand in the provinces of the United Kingdom. My view is that if money is going to be spent in attractattention to New 'Zealand, then .he real place to spend it is in the provmces." . '■' ' '.'' •-.-.'''"' ""* ,'