%MESSAGE FROM THE KING

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21904, 3 October 1936, Page 16

%MESSAGE FROM THE KING

Patron of Commerce Congress ! A BRITISH EMPIRE GATHERING PRESIDENT’S REPLY TO HIS MAJESTY

(FRE&S ASSOCIATION TRLXGitAAi.) WELLINGTON, October 2. The following message from the King, who is patron of the Congress of: the British Empire Chambers of Commerce, was read at the opening of the Congress to-day by the Gov-ernor-General (Lord Galway):— “I send the fourteenth congress of the Chambers of Commerce of the British Empire, which meets In WeUingtort to-day, my beat wishes for a successful congress, and feel sure your discussions will help to promote the trade and commerce of the Empire.” - The president of the congress, Lord Elibank, sent the following reply to his Majesty:— ‘ “The delegates to the fourteenth congress of the Chambers of Commerce of the British Empire, hailing from Great Britain; Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the Irish Free State, India, and the colonies, assembled in New Zealand for the first time in the fifty years’ history of the congress, request me to thank your Majesty lor the gracious message conveyed by his Excellency the GovernorGeneral of New Zealand, “They respectfully tender to your Majesty, V a patron of the congress, their loyal and dutiful greetings; to reiterate their devotion to the Throne; and to express their sincere and confident hope that your Majesty’s reign will be long, peaceful, and prosperous. “They trust that their deliberations will result in the formulation of proposals which will bring about a further and speedy expansion of inter-imperial economic relations, and will thus contribute towards the solidarity of the * British Empire.—Elibank.” Prime Minister’s Good Wishes Lord Elibank, president of the congress, read messages from Empire Prime Ministers—Mr Stanley Baldwin (Great Britain), Mr W. L. Mackenzie King (Canada), Mr J. A. Lyons (Australia), General J. B. Hertsog (South Africa), and Mr (Southern Rhodesia), and the Viceroy of" India (Lord Linlithgow). Mr Baldwin expressed the hope that the congress would be successful in its endeavours to elaborate a further means whereby the flow of inter-imperial trade might be accelerated, and to re-establish prosperity throughout the Empire. Mr Mackenzie King said the Government of Canada was convinced that prosperity could only be achieved on a basis of free international trade. It was natural that this policy should involve as an initial step the expansion of trade between members of the British Commonwealth. In the field of commerce, the efforts of the Government must he supplemented by the enterprise of individuals and of those associations representative of , the. business elements in the community. In the work of research and education, the federation had rendered important service in years gone by. Its opportunities of giving similar service never had been greater than to-day. He sent the best wishes of the Canadian Government. Mr Lyons’s message expressed good wishes, and the v hope of successful, deliberations. as also did that of General Hertzog. The Viceroy of India said it was his earnest hope that the result of the deliberations might tend towa-d an expmiaion of world trade and prosperity, in which India and all the units of the British Empire might obtain a due share. # Mr Huggins, in bis message, said he hoped the ; deliberations would add to the happy relations existing between the Dominions and the other component parts of the British Empire.