GOING "HOME."

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 201, 26 August 1930, Page 9

GOING "HOME."

MR. FORBES' FIRST VISIT.

WELCOME AT TOWN HALL.

FRIME MINISTER'S GRATITUDE

CONFIDENCE IN NEW ZEALAND,

Citizens of all shades of political opinion filled the Council Chamber at the Town Hall this morning to farewell the Prime Minister and his party. It was a typically cordial Auckland gathering, and the departing guests should carry away specially pleasing memories of their last day in New Zealand a« they sat facing two large tables full of the choicest flowers and pot-plants from the Domain gardens and hothouses —a display that must have looked quite tropical, to the Southerners. The Deputy-Mayor, Mr. A. J. Entrican, presided, in the absence in Australia of the Mayor. Also on the dais was Mrs. I A. D. Campbell, Mayoress. The Prime Minister was accompanied by Mrs. Forbes, and Sir Thomas Sidey, Attorney. General, was accompanied by Lady Sidey. As it was the first time Mr. Forbes had been in Auckland since assuming office Mr. Entrican assured him of the city's best wishes for a very successful career. It was also a pleasure to welcome Sir Thomas Sidey,, Leader in the Legislative Council, on his recovery from his indisposition, and to express great satisfaction at the fact that he had been chosen to accompany the Prime Minister. It was a wise arrangement. Mr. Entrican was also glad the long experience of Mr. P. D. Thomson, permanent head of the Prime Minister's Department, would be | at Mr- Forbes' disposal. Sons of the Soil. Everybody, said Air. Entrican, admired the manner in which the Prime Minister had tackled the difficulties the Dominion was passing through. (Applause.) The people had confidence in the strength of will and tenacity of purpose Mr. Forbes had displayed since he had assumed his present office. H only he could have taken the tax-gatherer with him on his trip abroad the people of New Zealand would have been quite willing to grant him extended leave. (Laughter.) No doubt Mr. Forbes was required in the Dominion at the present time, owing to the condition of affairs, but everyone realised that the Dominion must be represented at the Imperial Conference. Both Mr. Forbes and Sir Thomas Sidey were natives of our soil, and that fact made the people all the more proud of them. The people of New Zealand sent them forth with every confidence that they would worthily uphold the splendid reputation and traditions established by the men who had gone before them. , . Partv politics had no place in the Auckland City Council, especially at the present time, "and he could say that their two guests were going to the Old Coun» try as the representatives of every man and woman in the Dominion; theie was no question of party. They could be assured of the fact that they went overseas on their great mission with the be=t wishes of the whole of the people. (Cheers.) It was hoped the Pacific would be calm for their crossing, that Canada would be reasonable— (laughter)—and that they would still find the hub of on the eastern cide of the At SV A r^U-orfflr, of Public Health and member for Eden, idded good wishes for a successful iouraev. He could safely say that Mr. Vortes would carrv with him the confident o7 every member of Parliament. In able man, he was most and could confidently be the important mission on which he was bound. "Home." Kisincr amid hearty applause Mr. Forbes °said he appreciated very much the friendly greeting of Auckland prior to stepping on board. He was New Zealand-born, and felt that m going to the conference he was taking a bit of New Zealand with him. New Zealanders were not people who made a great , ni „ but their sentiment for their S/t very deep. They had a keen pride in their land, and also in the Old Country. He remembered as a lad the days of the sailing ships, and being struck,' when he saw them come into Port Lyttelton at the end of a long £Ua e ; sometimes extending to three months, at the fact that they had come from that place one's parents called "Home" It fired the imagination. He had never had the opportunity of paying a visit to that land, particular ly since he had been associated with politics. During his career of over 20 years in the House he never seemed to be able to get spare time enough to make the journey. He had been looking forward to visiting the Homeland, and recognised the importance of the occasion. He was sure th® wnole of New

Zealand looked on the matter in the same way as he did himself, and that made his task more important. Facing the Facts. Mr. Forbes said he wished to express his gratitude at the way all parties had regarded the matter of the Dominion's representation at the conference. All parties had treated him very well indeed. He had some very difficult measures to put through the House, some of them unpalatable, and they made him wonder whether, whin they were through, he would have any friends left at all. (Laughter and applause.) However, he was sure the people of New Zealand recognised that the measures that had been taken were inevitable, and that unless people were prepared to_ face ths facts the difficulties would only become greater. Although he had to perform the duty of seeing those measures through the House, he still seemed to have a good many friends left. (Cheers.) Auckland's friendly welcome showed, at least, that he had been forgiven. Imperial Unity. Regarding the Imperial Conference, Mr. Forbes pointed out that it had been growing in importance year by year from the first conference of all, when the Dominion was represented by Mr. Seddon. There were many questions to be raised. Economic difficulties were being experienced all over the Empire, just as they were in New Zealand, and there was to-dav more need than ever for the Dominions to get together and discuss some common line of action, so that by their unity they would be able to face those difficulties better than they could as single units. (Applause.) From that fact alone the confercnee would be of great importance to every part of the Empire. Iu attending the conference he knew that he went first and foremost voicing the very strong feeling of loyalty of New Zealand for the Old Land. (Applause. 1 Personally he could not have any other sentiment towards the Old Country; he had been brought up in that atmosphere all his life. They were our kith and kin in the Old Land, and he realised that New Zealanders would stand by them through, thick and thin. (Applause.) There Existed that strong sentiment that was better than anything put on paper. While New Zealand felt towards the Old Land as she did. there was no need of parchments. (Cheers.) He felt that the New Zealand representative at the conference would be in one of the strongest positions of any, because he would he speaking for people who were all of one mind. No Need for Pessimism. One matter of great importance that would come up at the conference would be that of Empire trade. In New Zealand we had given practical expression of our sentiment for the Old Country bv giving her manufactures very substantial preference: ours was no mere lip service, and in the Old that expression had been greatly appreciated. New Zealand had every right to feel proud of her financial position; at Home her reputation stood higher than that of any of the other Dominions. The. Dominion uiyloubtediy had her. troubles. There had been a substantial fall in the value of her products, but she had experienced lower prices in the past. Costs were to-day higher, but the whole thing was a matter of readjustment. There were great possibilities for the increase of New Zealand products. He felt sure that in a few short years her production would be doubled, and with that prospect *in front of them there was no need for the people to feel pessimistic about the future. (Applause.) j New Zealand would soon get over her difficulties; it was a matter of readjustment, and then she could confidently face the coming years. j Thanking the people once again for I the very cordial gathering of farewell j Mr. Forbes assured them that he went j away feeling that he was leaving behind j him many warm friends, and that would > be a great inspiration. (Cheers.) Dominion Status. Introduced by the Deputy-Mayor with a facetious reference to the half-hour extra sleep in the mornings, of which people had been robbed, Sir Thomas Side}* assured his hearers that in Parliament he really had done one or two things besides being responsible for trying to give the people a little more daylight. He went on to say that the forthcoming Conference . was specially j significant, because there was a question j of paramount importance coming up, and J that was the question of Dominion \ status. It was a matter that had never j concerned us in New Zealand: we had i been content to go on as we had done ! before. Put certain other Dominions j were not bound to the Mother Country j by ties such as those that bound New j Zealand, and that fact must be recog-; nised if the Empire was to continue as an • Empire.

If certain other Dominions had not the same sentiment for the Old Land as New Zealand had, there was something else that might appeal to them, and that was self-interest. If something could be done in the way of Empire trade it might go a long way to help to hold together the different parts of the Empire. (Applause.)

After the singing of the National Anthem a number of friends bid the departing guests a personal farewelL