HOME AGAIN.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 230, 28 September 1936, Page 3

HOME AGAIN.

AFTER FORTY YEARS.

SIR RICHARD LINTON."

TRADE WITHIN THE EMPIRE.

"I am looking forward to visiting Palmerston North, my home town, after forty rears," stated Sir Richard Linton, a New Zealander who lias had a notable commercial and political career in Australia and England, and who arrived this morning by the Awatea on an Empire commercial mission. Sir Richard left New Zealand in 1890 for Australia to commence a business career which embraced most of the States of the Commonwealth, and lie settled in Melbourne in 1907. In 1927 he entered the Victorian Parliament and was a member of the Ministry in 1929. His appointment as Agent-General in London for' the Victorian Government was made in 1933. He vacated this position after three years, iast June, and his knighthood was one of the King's Birthday honours. Sir Richard then undertook a mission within the British Empire, on behalf of a British group, with the object of promulgating two-way trade with the Mother Country and the Dominions, within the walls of the Ottawa agreement. With this object he is anxious to meet New Zealand commercial men and arrange for opening up new channels of trade to and from the Dominion. Sir Richard was the founder of the Big Brother movement in Australia, which before the depression brought out some 2000 English youths and settled them in Australia. Incidentally, he mentioned to-day that none of these youths who had stuck to the movement had been out of employment. Sir Richard was present at the christening; by Lady Bledisloe of the Awatea, and lie mentioned that Viscount and Lady Bledisloe asked him to give their love to the New Zealand people, in whose doings they still took the greatest interest. On Thursday' Sir Richard will address the Auckland Chamber of Commerce at its luncheon. He will leave next day for Wellington, and then go on to Palmerston, which he left 40 years, ago next month. He returns to Australia next month, and then goes back to England. Lady Linton, who was formerly Miss E. Bannister, of Wellington, is accompanying her husband, and they are staying at the Grand Hotel.