UNITY URGED.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20414, 8 December 1931, Page 8

UNITY URGED.

♦— helping the dominion THROUGH. SPEECH BY LORD BLEDISLOE. (M»SS ASSOCIATION TSLSGRAM.) FEII/DING, December 7. Their Excellencies Lord and Lady Bledisloe paid an official visit to FeildinK -to-day, and received a civjc welcome from the borough and residents of the Oroua, Pohangina, Kiwitea, and Manawatu counties. The Mayor, Mr Taylor, in offering them a welcome, said their Excellencies, by their sympathy, kindliness, and desire to help all classes, had endeared themselves to the people of the Dominion, and had been a tower of strength in these times of stress. The Hon. J. G. Cobbe said Lord Bledisloe was one of the foremost farmers in Great Britain, and a leading financier. His help and advice had been exceedingly valuable to tliq Government. Lord Bledisloe, m lus speech, said he was specially interested in children, and it pleased him that they recognised that their education was built oji a Christian foundation. The country needed to keep its Joundation sound to overcome the difficult problem facing it. Speaking on the need for defence, he said he was glad that this country was maintaining a navy. Regarding 'the army, nothing pleased him better than thg way in which employers of young men were_ supporting the volunteer system in this country. On the economic position, he said New Zealand needed to stop all extravagance individually, municipally, and nationally. This Dominion -was wonderfully endowed by Nature and by Providence, but the people had been too extravagant in good times and must now tighten their belts. He strongly urged people to buy from their best customer, the Old Land. They could not afford to buy from foreigners, as that upset exchange. He believed that Greai Britain would adopt a tariff which would help industries in Great Britain, and also stimulate Imperial trade. An Appeal "We have just had a General Election in this country," said bis Excellency. "I think it has bean fairly fought. We have now to bend oar minds to the utmost solidarity and harmony in working out the way for a return of prosperity. We must not have internal dissensions. I to you and through you to all right minded people to study points of contact rather than points of difference for the purpose of securing internal peace and harmony and economic wel" Their Excellencies asked for a holiday for the schools. They then visited the Agricultural High School, and also a number of farms in the district. An official luncheon was tendered them by the local bodies. Their Excellencies later left for Dannevirke.