CANADIAN VISITORS

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16289, 13 August 1918, Page 4

CANADIAN VISITORS

A CIVIC WELCOME,

A representative gathering of citizens assembled in the City Council Chamber yesterday morning, when Mr H. Holland (Mayor of Christchxirch), officially welcomed to Christcliurch Messrs G. Bell, M.P., and James Simpson, Canadian delegates in connexion with the National Prohibition campaign.

Mr Holland said that during the past couple of years there had been practically 110 civic receptions, for the reason that there had been few distinguished visitors from oversea. It therefore gave him great pleasure to welcome two such distinguished Canadian citizens as Messrs Bell and Simpson, both of whom came with the highest possible credentials, from a country which was standing shoulder to shoulder with the rest of tho Empire. Canadians had achieved a reputation of which tho whole Empire should be proud. Christcburch was as yet a city only seventy-eight years old, but the younger 3>ominions were united with the older Dominions in the task of seeing the war to a victorious finish. (Applause.) Mr Bell said that words could not express his appreciation of the many kindnesses he had received in New Zealand. This, however, was the first civic reception which had been accorded the delegates, and they wore both deeply touched by it. Canada and New Zealand stood linked together by a common cause—that ojf seeing the war through. In New Zealand he and Mr Simpson found themselves in very congenial surroundings. His own city of Victoria was called the "city beautiful," but after enjoying a two hours' tour along tho banks of the Avon ho was obliged to confess that Christchurch was no lees beautiful than Victoria. He praised the sane lines along which municipal and general Government had gone in New Zealand. In fact, New Zealand interested him keenly, and ho was very dad to be in the country, even though his mistion was a contentious one.

< Mr Simpson, in expressing his appropriation of the Mayor's welcome, said he had long wanted to visit the country whose progressive legislation had drawn to it the attention of all social reformer?. He came from Toronto, a city, whirh. having a population of 50(',000. had sent 75,000 men to the front. Canada had marvellous physical beauties, and her industrial and agricultural prospects wore of the brightest. In area his country was one-third of the British 'Empire, .and it Lad room for 500,000,000 people. He and Mr Bell hoped the people would match the phjfsica? setting of this magnificent [Dominion. Prom what he had seen of New Zealand, he would be very loth to leave the country. He hoped that New Zealand, as a Dominion of the great British Empire, would establish a model citizenship that would be a practical example to the • lest of the world. He would convey to the people of Canada a full sense of the hospitality that ho <md Mr Bell had received, nnd would also convey to them a realisation of the possibilities of Jvew Zealand.