SPEECH BY THE PRIME. MINISTER.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 13375, 17 March 1909, Page 6

SPEECH BY THE PRIME. MINISTER.

THE HIGH COMMISSIOSBft-B ' OFFICE. AN IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT. MESSRS T. H. HAMER AND T It DONNE APPOINTED TO " LONDON. (VeniAL to "the tress.") MAR TON. March 16. Mr John Stevens, ex-M.P. for Jiaj^. watu. was entertained to-night by _]_ constituents at a social function. Th«<*_ was a large and representative g*M&«.

Sir Joseph Ward, who received puj. loi*.go;I cheers, repliixl to the toast of Parliament. He referred to tlie chair, man's remarks con corn hip tl» non. political character of the occasion, and stated that it was not bis inteiutioj. to deliver a policy speech, but tbit during the next lew weeks the tsjfc woukl devolve upon him of delireriac a jxilicy speech in some other part of the Dominion, when h.e would explain the pnlicy of the :idm illustration, and speak on many nia..to.rs of iniportanw to the people of tho Dominion, ferring to Parliament, as a who!?, be said the men returned bad to be trorke>rs in the truest sense of the t*?na if they wanted to effectually carry on the work they had marked out in ifo interests of their country. One ix>T*r liked talking about hiu*..se!f, but sometimes it was necessary to do so, aad there were one or two matters Ire wished to take the opportunity" of referring to. A short ti*_a ago he noticed a suggestion ' published in the Wellington "Ev-mis. Post." over the signature of a clever writer, that there wn.s an early -jkjv nihility of his (Sir Jct-eph) taking H departure- from New Zealand. B, did not know what prompted the sa*. gestion. but lv* did want to say that it was inaccurate, in every potaihte way. (Applause.) He hr.d wither " thought of nor contemplated leaving this happy country of ours. Moreover, if such nn idea had existed in y, mind, ho would have known what ttjl duty was to thp country, tho members of Parliament, nnd to his constituency, namely, to he th-o first to publicly iaform them. (Applause.) Ho wished to say fti.it wherever the sngSKxitian emanated from, it was absolutely incorrect. For some reason tho ides, was circulated in different parts Of tie country that physically he was not sj. strong as he ought to be. and that traj likely to be- his reason for retiring. Physically, ho had nothing wrong wi3l him. About a month or bix weeks ago he was slightly inn down, as tbe result of hard work, and ho considered. it, to be in the best interests of hi*.'. health to take a rest for thiat weeks _nt that wonderfully re-' cuperntivo place Kotorua. Sir Josoph went on to m-iko sovor.il important announcements with refeienco to tiio re-orgnnis-ation of tho High Corn-mi*, ••doner's- office in London. Mr 'Wahor Kennairmy. secretary to the High 0u». missioner, who li«d l>een in, the pubSi . servic© for forty y«irs, was on tljiv point of retiring under the age lim'lt.., Sir Joseph desired to publicly ackaofr? ledge the good work he had- done fjt"; his position. To fill his plnoo t& Government had appointed; Mr PelS-'-: ser, who for many years hod ben '■ Audit officer in London, and who **■ ; a man of large experience. After <*-*> ferring with tho Auditor-General, 3fr'.:' T._ H. Hamer, Under-Secretary -fir ~ Mines, who had. Law a long and-fift- "' curable career in the public semco-fti' .- New- Zealand, h*ad been succeed Mr Pnlliser. Both'^adpobft* ■' ments had. been conferred with tW-nS ' concurrence of tho Controller snd Auditor-General

Development of trade between tfa OM' Country and New- Zealand, both ways, was a matter of great impart- ' aiieo to tho Dominion, and tho raga* lation and control of immigration trt*»also a matter that required tiorottgjl attention. In order to enable an *&> tive officer from New Zealand' -nth'-* local knowledge to carry out tb«e»\ duties, the Government had appoint**! Mr T. E. Donne, the general n-uw-Hsr' of the Tourist .Department, to _Uui» responsible position. Messrs Donne aa. . Hamer would leave for London at aa early date. Sir Jcsrph Ward added that torn appointments meant only an incretw of .€B4 a year in tho cost of th© Hijj"l, Commissioner.*; offioe.