SIR GEORGE REID.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 13683, 17 March 1910, Page 7

SIR GEORGE REID.

ROYAL COLONIAL INSTITUTE

BANQUET.

United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Cojiyn's-t.

LONDON, March 15.

At a banquet given oy the Royal Colonial Institute in honour of Sir George Reid, 278 guests were present. The gathering wa*> most brilliant and representative, ami amonest those present were Lord Rosebery, Lord Beanchamp, Lord Strr.thcona, and Lord Ranftirly, Sir Harry Rawson, Mr Sydney Buxton and Sir Fowell Buxton, Sir Recinald Talbot, Admirals Moore and Bedford, Mr Herbert Samuel, A_mir;«l Sir W. Bowden-Smith, General H'itton, the Agents-General of the colonies. Sir Charles Lucas, and Mr Arthur Pearson.

Lord Crewe said the duties of the State Agents-General wore in no wise entrenched upon by Sir George Reid-' arrival. He regarded the High Commissioner and Agents-General as Imperial statesmen, whose duties were partly to look after those parts of the Empire which they represented, but they should also be able to give opinions upon many Imperial problems without party trammels. He thought it unlikely that the present arrangement whereby the Secretary of State for tho Colonies looked after the business connected with both the oversea Dominions and the Crown colonies ' would be permanent. A separation of duties was probable in tho near future. The idea of an Imperial Council could best be promoted by taking the oversea Dominions, into conference, and whenever the interests of the Dominions were concerned with any diplomatic problem by placing the utmost confidence in the statesmen of those Dominions.

! Sir George Reid, in replying, recalled the rich stream of emigration to the Australian coldfields in former times. They now saw in the rising greatness of Australia, her rapidly increasing industrial strength, and growing volume ot trade, the magnificent dividends which Australia was rendering under British colonisation and enterprise. The Australian system of Government represented, perhaps, the largest measure of trust in the people that to-day was visible on the world's face. Tlie task of developing the Commonwealth was just as much an Imperial task as settling Homo political difficulties, and a task which excited no party difficulties. The Imperial and Colonial Governments should unite in using the utmost influence to secure suitable British emigrants for the Empire's dominions. Many suggestions were being made for adding to the ties of undoubted affection that now existed. In considering these questions, statesmen had a most anxious task—that of reconciling the free play of self-interest with an enlightened regard for the Empire's welfare.

Mentioning, amid cheers, Australia's voluntary preference given to the Motherland, Sir George remarked that he was bound to add that there was in Australia a strong desire to go further and reach a reciprocal arrangement .(cheers;, but that desire had never, so far as he could see, got the length of sacrificing their own growing manufactures.