PROPHET OF OPTIMISM

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20088, 18 November 1930, Page 14

PROPHET OF OPTIMISM

GOVERNOR-GENERAL'S ROLE. (SI'KCJAL TO THE I'ilKSb.) TIM Alt 15, November 17. When replying to the remarks ol' the Mayor (Mr VV. Angland) at the conversazione in llio Caroline Bay iiall to-night, his ICxcvlleiicy the (iovurnurGencnii, Lord Blcdisloe, who referred to the present period of depression, said that New Zealand liod more reason tor conlidenee than any other part of the British Empire. "i regard niy cliiet role tor the next six months as a prophet of optimism. Don't let us lean too heavily on our Government, no matter what I'nrty is in power. Don't lei us livu larger than our means, nationally or individually; do everything to &oek points of contact rather than seek difference." He was convinced that when there was industrial do'ire-sion and se\ ere competition those countries which stuck together, to use the well-known phrase, would lead the nations of the world. On the other hand, nations beset by internal factions would go under in the struggle for supremacy. In referring to South Canterbury's agricultural and pastoral interests tlis Excellency said that there was a peculiarly attractive mixed system of tanning. There were certain names of the pioneer families associated with this part of the country which were respected and well known in Englandlie referred to the Rhodes, the Actons, the Tripps, and the Studholmes; and more recently, perhaps, the Orbells and the Ehvorthys. These families and many others in the pioneer days had developed this part of the country, had broken up roughish land, sowed it down in good British grass seed, and cropped large areas of arable land, and later had imported live stock of tht> finest description. At tho recent Show in Christcliurch he had been struck by the high level of live stock of all descriptions, which represented what the Canterbury farmers could do in this part of the world. Frankly, he had been disappointed with the general average ot stock at the recent Royal Show at Hastings. Some were extraordinarily good and some, in his judgment, should not have received- awards at any Itoyai Show in any part of the world. As an old agriculturist he thought it unfortunate that animals, particularly males, should be awarded prizes unless they were first-class animals which deserved the distinction. The greatest source of nrosperitv lay in the maintenance of the right quality of live stock.

Referring to the ban on imported stock from England, Lord Bledisloe said he could claim that he knew as much about foot-and-mouth disease as any man in the British Empire, as he had had extensive dealings with it. It they were afraid to import pedigree stock from England, for goodness sake import them from somewhere else. He would like, he said, to congratulate those in this district of the South Island upon the excellent quality of the cheese they were sending to the Old Country at the present time. There had been much comment on it at the recent London Show. Dominion products on the British market were not judged as being from Canterbury or Otago, but as New Zealand products, and for that reason it was absolutely essential that uniform quality should be sent from all over New Zealand. His Excellency pai? a tribute to the work of the Prime Minister (the Hon. G. W. Forbes) at the Imperial Conference. No Dominion Prime Minister had won more laurels among the British people and statesmen than the Prime Minister of the Dominion of New Zealand. Tt was true that he had not seen eye to eye with certain British statesmen, but with perfect sincerity, great courage, and great public spiritednCss, he had expressed the point of view of New Zealand as a whole, and as an industrial unit of the great British Commonwealth of Nations. Unfortunately nothing definite in the industrial consolidation of the British Empire had emerged from the Imperial Conference, but matters of that sort were bound to move slowly. The Old Country was in u far more serious state of depression than New Zealand. It had depended on foreign countries for its trade; for example, the Argentine, where there was 75 per cent, of British capital in tho industries, and the United States. It was perfectly impossible within a few davs to substitute trade with the Dominions. The time was coming, however when there would be a great industrial confederation of the British Empire, and he was sure that all the representatives of the British Dominions would do their best to bring it about. (Applause.)