PROBLEMS OF EMPIRE.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14919, 18 March 1914, Page 11

PROBLEMS OF EMPIRE.

* £ JUG RATION AND FINANCE

SPEECH BY THE HON. T.

MACKENZIE,

(moM ova owm correspo>t)ext.) LONDON, February 6. Tho High Commissioner for New Zealand was entertained to dinner by the Anglo-Saxon Club, at tho Hotel Cecil, on Wednesday evening, when Lord PJunket presided over a good attond- *" anee. including Lord Sydenham, Sir R. Baden-Powell, Sir Charles Lucas, Sir T. A. Coghlan, Sir John McCalL, Colonel Sir J. S. Young, and Mr J. H. Mackenzie. In proposing the health of their guest. Lord Phmket said it gave him great pleasure in doing so, because he had known Mr Mackenzie fairly intimately for ten years. Nqw Zealand's High Commissioner was a modest and - unassuming gentleman. Perhaps, when they recollected that his name .sounded Scotch, they might think that it was hardly a right definition of a Scotsman, and when they remembered that it was made by an Irishman prono to odd r statements and exaggerations, they might think still moro on tho matter. It was, however, an absolute tact, though a possible reason was bccaiiso the High Commissioner only had tho good fortune of living m his native country as a Scotsman for four yearsHe then came out to New Zealand, where, as a half-New Zealander himself, ho could assure them, everyone becamo absolutely perfect. (Applause.) Modest and unassuming Mr Mackenzie undoubtedly wa~, but he had absolutely no reason to bo so, for in the great Dominion of New Zealand he had had a distinguished career that all might f honour and envy. (Applause.) Mr Mackenzio had been the most successful Parliamentary candidate in the Dominion. He had represented, at dif- • ferent times, five constituencies, and had never been defeated, hi educational, charitable, municipal work and the like he had taken as prominent a part as anyone in that country. He bad filled many Cabinet positions, and at all times had done exceedingly well. If one were to ask Mr Mackenzio whaf, in his heart ho considered tho best claim for his country's regard, he would answer the work for the fanners of New Zealand and tho trado of tho Dominion generally. He (the speaker) would remind them that Mr Mackenzie successfully forecasted the future of frozen meat and wool at a time when grave doubts wero oxpressod about tho farmer's prospects. For a country which depended so much upon agriculture, they could not find a bettor man to send Home to represent Now Zea- *■' land than a man who knew tho wan + s and requirements of the trade and com- „ rherco of the Dominion so well as Mr Mackenzie. Be was also a sportsman, and one of the finest explorers an J climbers'in N^w*;Zealand, and in that connexion h^jjMs' pleased to offer a welcome to another well-known Nev Zealander —Mrl $4alco}m Ross —who had climbed mountain there was to dimb"'"_ri? x f-}ji*ew Zealand (Ap» , plause.) *^jsf*?*> PROMOTING PATRIOTISM. .The toast having been accorded ■musical honours, the Hon. Thomas Mackenzio thanked the members for their markedly cordial wolcome. New Zealand, he said, had been blessed by the high class of men who had represented the Crown m that far-distant country, and no man moro deservedly occupied that high position than did their chairman, who left behind him _'.*.» memory which stood endeared to the hearts of the people, and whose good works would be long remembered. (Applause.) In order to mako New Zealand sue- . cessfuf, not only had they to place their people in the land under such conditions as would afford a comfortable living, but, also, they had to discover markets to which they could send their produce. Consequently, some fifteen years ago he resigned his position in the New Zealand Parliament ~ and came Home, in order that he might study the handling of produce on the London market. By reason of thai practical .experience he had been able to advise their farmers on the lines of action which he thought it best for them to take. He looked back upon his long public career with great satisfaction, and h© felt that something had been done to help on that beautiful country with which he was connected. (Applause.) Ho noticed that the great object of the Club • was to promoto patriotism. That he took to So comparatively easy, inasmuch as tho vast majority of the people who owned the sway of tho King wero patriotic in every fibre. He confessed that at times New Zealanders in their patriotism wero disposed to regard the attacks of the Little' Englanders as trying. They were working out their destiny. In connexino with New Zealand finance and its defence policy it was extremely annoying to find that men who had no rencprn".whatever with New Zealand "■•'•re continually falsifying its financial position and giving utterance to slanderous statements regarding the work that their couritry was carrying out. Happily, one of the Members of Parliament who had recently returned from the Empire-tour stated that ho had not met with a "croaker" during the four months over which his visit to Australasia had extended. It remained for the people on this side to "croak." What was required was to weld that» patriotism into an effctive force. THE EMIGRATION PROBLEM. Another object of the Club was to . discuss questions of national and Imperial importance, and this was especi "ally necessary at the present time. In his opinion emigration came under that head. . . "At tho present time," said Mr Mackenzie, "we aro all working in different ways and with no perfect system ■ of emigration. Emigration niust be independently dealt with, and is, in my opinion, a question for Jin Imperial authority in a council which should include, of course, representatives of the Home Country and of the oversea Dominions. So long as we , have Dominions to people and there I ■ are surplus Britons available, the sys- j tern should concentrate on our own .'..-■' possessions. But what is lacking at ' ' this end is a proper systematisation of j training and emigration. Without ' elaborating the scheme one has in ' o:ir*'s mfind. I might any that alj 1 children who .ire now considered neg- ' lected should be taken in hand by the ' State and instructed in useful occu- 1 nations in order to meet tho require- ; '"flteats of the oversea possessions---r- ' especially should agriculture and do- ' niestic work be taught, so that when ' ■they go abroad, where there is abund- i • ance of land, they may become useful < citizens. * ' < "As to the question of finance, I I read in to-day's "Times" that a ( banker of authority had stated that a I the oversea Dominions should borrow < less and spend less. With all due re- J ference to tlie deliverer of that opinion, ho entirely lacks a proper perspective of Imperial necessity. If Britain's possessions are to be main- t tamed. it is essential that her spare < «*paces- should bo filled with people of i our own race, if possible. To do that f the- country must be opened up by c rail and road, and oth'-r essentials 1 must be provided. So long as we have .1 vast empty spaces, so long will these 1

00-ontries cx-_-rtitrrte a "ipea_nu!Es in our Empire. It ia »b jxeceseaiy to people Australia as it is to maintain effectrro defence at Gibraltar or Malta; and it is therefore necessary to borrow judiciously and to spend wisely to bring this about. There must also soon be devised a new method for dealing with loans required by the oversea peoples."