WELL REGARDED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 208, 3 September 1938, Page 15

WELL REGARDED.

N.Z.'S PROGRESS.

HON. T. D'ALTON'S VIEW. TASMANIAN MINISTER. "There is a. compliment I must pay to New Zealand and to your Government," declared the Hon. T. D 'Alton, Minister of Transport for Tasmania, at the civic reception to Sir Fa lie Page and himself yesterday. "New Zealand w better advertised throughout the world than any other member of the British Empire. We have our Commonwealth office and six .State offices in London, but you are beating us handsomely. "New Zealand is definitely on the map, and eo she should be," he said. "Your Government is being closely watched throughout the world, and 1 can tell you that the general estimation of it has greatly changed. It is not only advertising New Zealand but it is developing and expanding this wonderful country of vours ae well.

"Various things that have been done have been criticised, your monetary policy, for instance, but what struck me was that wherever I went and tendered Australian money I always found that you get more for the New Zealand £■■" Speaking pithily and colourfully Mr. D'Alton drew many laughs from the audience at the Council Chamber, particularly when he referred to the fact that he had entered politics seven years ago with the idea that he would change the face of the world. He had found that quite a number of questions arose when effort was made to alter things that had existed for years. "When you are a Minister you realise that," he said. "It was not until one went through Europe, saw sentries on the frontiers behind barbed wire, and saw other things also, that one realised how fortunate these two countries were. The isolation that one felt aggrieved about at times in these circumstances became a blessing. "I am opposed to war," he said again, "but it is no uce holding out an olive branch to a tiger—and that is the position to-day." 1 The weeks that were passing now were the most vital since lftl4. and it was necessary to break down the barriers that existed between civilised countries before there could be hope of peace.