TRIBUTE TO SIR T. MACKENZIE.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 17021, 18 December 1920, Page 6

TRIBUTE TO SIR T. MACKENZIE.

| entertained at ashburton. i sir Tht»mn ~ Mar!ati- High 1 Commitior.er f«i»- New /'<'a!and. arrive'.! St I y ti'c .*!i* *i'rii'"ii express • from tin >.-uth voyKT.-hty, nni n,i« met iU th«> I iiih'MV the Mayor ; (Mr 1!. Caiiivaiihi. Mesv> .1. Tucker j .ohninnuu «•?' :!'<• .High B"ard ! fun t>! nor-J . Cow. and C- Reid. ; lie paid " visit to tin- Ili-h School. and «ho < •:ris' llostd. "I;; th:• t-niii;r it'-' '.v;i r - i-nuri.'lined at ' p o,mirliiiK-ntar.v banquet i-y tW As'i- ! A. and P. A.-Mi.'iat ;.jil, Mr C. ■ Ueid. Co ".lit;." chainr.ari. presided over • an nttoiidamr of a knit 80, tvliieh was . quite reptv.-'cntative <>i' the farming ■ community. As a ■ omplinvi/iu to tho ■ tho lunetion was a yon-.i-Scotttsh o !; o. a::d the S.'oiti:-h ii ; -y;»! Standard ' held a prominent nlacf in tho deeora- ' tio'is. and a Mirier ''I heather was- pro- | , on every phvt-e. A hue mueieal ' r.nne was contributed by an cri ihestra, the Ashburton Pipe Band, and j several soloists. | Mr -John <irig£ I'Lr.ngbeaehi propov led 'The Army and Navy,' Lieut.-01. I J. Shidhoinio ! Mr !>• <!a!bvaith (Mayer of Ashbur- ! ton) proposed •'The Ap'ienßura! and ! Pa-torai Interests." and said that during the" war those interests were well I watched l.y Sir Thomas Mackenzie, and | ti ie Government, would he w,?!i advised to persuade liiui to go oaek to F.ngland ; ;ind take up those interests again. '(Hear, iiear.t As Mayor, the speaker < returned to Sir Thomas the thanks ol | \be borough for the interest he took in : : our soldier V.oys when the war was on. I (Applause.) livery, soldier who had j occasion to approach lnm in London : spoke well oi him. . . ! Mr G AY. Lvadley, Dominion presi- •! dent i,f* tho- Now Zealand Farmers I Union expressed delight at having with i them a man who had taken such a prominent part and k*en interest in the | country's primary industry, and after i hi- strenuous service they were glad, to see him still bearing the bloom, _ comparatively speaking oi lits Speakinp to the toast he said that at this it behoved ,iiH classes and sections ol' the. community to sink HUH. jealousies and fault-finding, and work hand in hand to restore the country ti . the prosperity enjoyed before, and to | hrin- in'an era, of peacc and progress, j (Applause. 1 ) . . . p \ Mr Hi inter Morns, viee-pre.sideTit or the Ashburton A. and P. Association, also "replied' to the toast. In proposing the toast of Our Guest," the chairman said that tho work iSir Thomas Mackenzie had_ uono for tho producers of th.e country in expanding trade and extending markets for our produce 'had been of an immense benefit. Tho duties of the High Commissi oner during the war had been enormous, and New Zealand people, wished to thank Sir Thomas Mackenzie for tho work lie :had done on behalf or our boys. (Applause.) They wished to make use of his services again, and it ■was hoped that ho would go back to London and look after the ■interests of the Dominion producers. AMicther the Government, would invite him, OI T whether he would go Home under some, other arrangement-, the facfc that he was needed to go back to X/ondon. (Hear, hear.) _ Sir Thomas Mackenzie, in responding, said that personally he. did not recognise that his work called for so much pTaise. The honours conferred on him were unexpected, but there was no honour 'ho esteemed so much as tno gratitude and kindness he had received on returning to New Zealand. There was certainly in the High Commissioner's position a multitude of work "requiring tact, firmness, and knowledge, and he was proud to feel that, having gone through that work, peoplo said he had not failed them. There had been some very divergent opinions between himself and the heads controlling the commandeer departments, and he knew that representations had been, made to the Dominion Government for his removal, and fierce attacks had been made on him for the attitude he took in getting tho price* of commandeer meat reduced, so as to encourage its . consumption. New Zealand meat had been held up in ships and in cold stores, and with the delay in releasing it, it ■ did not become exactly enticing to consumers. Argentine mea.t, oil the other hand, was coming on the market fresh and good, as against Now Zealand's stale products Consequently Argentine meat took first place in public favour, and New Zealand meat dropped back to second place. Ho was glad to know, ■ however, that the position ]iad now improved. They now wanted tdio meat to he handled properly once more, so that it would regain the position enjoyed previously. It was a serious question as to whether they should encourage the American market at the cost of the English market. He thought .it would lie a mistake to do so. Tho British market was tho best market in which to place New Zealand's agricultural and pastoral produco. At present it looked as if tflte Americans would take_ New Zealand lamb and pa..y a good price for it, but they were not inclined to take tho mutton in the same quantities. The proportion of mutton they were prepared to take was generally thought to be something between 5 and 15 per cent. Sir Thomas Mackenzie stated that when lie told tho Food Controller that Now Zealand butter would not bo sent to London for Is 7d, lie said it would be. commandeered. Sir Thomas used certain methods, and eventually it wjw decided that New Zealand should be given tho same price for its button as was given to the Danes and other people. (Applause.) lie thought the weakness of the wool situation was due to the issue price not being lessened when the Armistice was signed. _ Thry controller had made the great mistake of trying to make a profit of £100,000,000 out of Australasian wool. The result was that wool in its manufactured state was beyond the purchasing power of the people, and the consumption was not sufficient to relieve the market to make way for the incoming clips. He believed that the kernel of the solution would not be reached until the German machinery began to work. He did not know what were recent developments in the Old Country, bnfc if German credit was not good enouch to trust, English manufacturers might employ Germans to ma.nu- [ fa-cture on their behalf. Of course this scheme would raise difficulties, because it xnicdit mean that t hose manufacturers who had bo"ght in a high market would be seriously undercut, so it seemed that perhaps a process of averaging -between the highest pricey and the lowest might' be the solution. Sir Thomas said" he thought the future was full of hope, nritfun had jrono through strenuous times and was being reinvigorated. The future policy of the Empire should not bo the old open door policv. Fortunately great privileges had been extended _by Britain to the overseas Dominions. The future welfare of the world depenaed upon Britain and the United States p u lltn ? together and if t-hev did so they eould rule the whole world. Ihere was no nlaoo where he could be of more sen-ice to the Dominion than m London. He was now free to accept service, but how long ho would be so fee was a question. He i would do all ke could for the producers, j ! (Applause.) _ Sir Tno mas concluded bv j i expressing his heartfelt gratitude for | j the splendid tnbute paid him that ; mcrht., ; ! To-day «r Thomas Mackenzie, who is ; .le , cuest ..,°f r[ r •Tohn Grieg at Long- i neaeh. wiH ytsu farmers in 'the Ash- ! Won district and will CO me on to ! Christ-church in t.he afternoon I