THE TIES THAT BIND.

Clutha Leader, Volume XLIII, Issue 8, 28 July 1916, Page 3

THE TIES THAT BIND.

MOTHERLAND AND COLONIES. OVERSEAS STATESMEN HONORED. Rt. Hon. W. M. Hughes (Prime Minister of Australia) and.Rt. Hon. Sir Thomas Mackenzie (New Zealand High Commissioner) wefe on Saturday presented with the honorary freedom of Bristol with appropriate ceremony (states the 'Western Daily Press,' Bristol, of Mayi 22) and marry indications of the city's welcome. Among other distinguished visitors was Rt. Hon. Andrew Fisher, who five years ago, when Prime Minister of tlie Australian Commonwealth, had a similar honor con-

feived upon him. Saturday's proceedings gave an opportunity to the Lord Mayor to discourse in -interesting fashion on the wealth of historic associations possessed by Bristol; it evoked a tfelling speech from Mr Hughes, who regarded the ceremony as symbolising the close bond existing between all ipart.s of the Empire, and who spoke impressively on the cause for which the Empire is fighting, and of the spirit in which the crisis should be faced; while later the New Zealand representative added a plea lor some remodelling of our Parliamentary institutions, so that imperial matters will not be left in the hands of one section only of the people. Sir T. Mackenzie, in returning thanks for the honor conferred upon him, said they had heard from the Lord Mayor a speech describing with eloquence the history of that city and county. They liad also listened to Mr Hughes, who had appealed to them in language which no one could misunderstand. Alluding to the illustrious men who had been freemen of Bristol, the speaker said after one of them the capital of New Zealand had been named, Wellington, while one of their most beautiful provinces was called Nelson and a city ?in that province also bare that title, j It seemed that Bristol was saturated in the history of the past, and that made the honor still greater which was conferred upon them that day. For hundreds of years the city had bred men and women who had tak-;n the highest and noblest part in the history of the Old Country, and these men had also gone forth and discovered new lands, to which the present inhabitants were so proud to belong. Might wisdom guide them now in a degree greater than controlled the overseas possessions In times past, and might they not do anything in these times which wouldcause loss of estimation. The colonies knew now that a fresh view prevailed regarding overseas possessions; the day was'past- when they were regarded as encumbrances. —(Applause.) The people of Australia and New Zealand were descended from the best strains in. this country ; they maintained the best British tradition's, and had sent of their best willingly and joyfully in order that the old flag should wave still over the Empire to which they were attached; but they had not sent their sons to fight and to be mutilated in order that England should turn tile other cheek to the foe. Sir Thomas concluded by saying the old system of muddling through must pass away from this country ; men must devise some, way of co-ordinating all the means at their disposal, and not have all the interests of the Empire controlled by one Parliament elected by only a section, of the people who dominated affairs. AT THE MANSION HOUSE. ; The Lord Mayor gave a dinner at the Mansion House in the evening when the Lord Mayor submitted the toast of "Our Two Latest Freemen." That had been a very great day for the city and County of Bristol, because they had admitted to the honor of the freedom not onlv two eminent nolitieians, but they had put on the roll two men who knew their own minds about this war—(hear, hear) —and were not likely to seek to trade with the Germans again. (Hear, hear.) A TRIBUTE TO BRISTOL. Sir Thomas Mackenzie, who wag cordially received, at the beginning of luis speech referred to the visit to Ntew Zealand in 1909 of Mr Riseley and Mr Palliser Martin, when he was Minister for Commerce, and bad the privilege of accompanying them on their tour. From that moment to the present time there had been a very close link between Bristol and New Zealand, and since his arrival in this country he had received nothing but kindness and generosity from the people' of that city which had that day reached a culminating 'point. Refeerring to the relationship between- the Motherland and the overseas dominions, Sir Thomas said he was at one time afraid that when the third and fourth generations arrived it might weaken off but the war had brought them together in a stronger bond of union. The kindness which had beeii shown to the men of the overseas services who had been wounded in the war would never be forgotten—they could have no idea what it meant in regard to the future—it had helped to make that tie stronger than over. (Hear, hear.) Sir Thomas went on to express his admiration of the enterprise of Bristol, and alluding to his visit to the docks said that so far as the facilities for handling delicate produce were concerned he had seen nothing finer in the whole country. At the time of his last visit he had visited the Port of London, and the difference that obtained was most marked. He 'bad no hesitation in saying that it meant a difference in the deterioration of meat value to the extent of a farthing in the pound, which was equivalent to something like £437,000 per annum. They must seek to widen their trade and the area of consumption by every legitimate

and honorable process, but Bristol was 1 the direct highway to the West, and with the opening of the Panama Canal ' and the consequent saving of time effected in the journey to Australia great ' developments were possible. The de- 1 velopment of those overseas industries ' required population, and the Old Coun- I try w!as capable of furnishing that population. They must see to it that there was no wastage of child life and I that the children of to-day were trained to useful citizenship to fill up our spare peaces in this country and iff the over- ' seas dominions, so as to build up a ' vigorous people who would stand shoul- J der to shoulder in any emergency that J might arise. (Hear, hear.) I ENORMOUS TRADE AAVAKENING. We all recognised the enormous trade awakening that had arisen throughout the Empire. There were ' those who held that we should not prepare for the close of the war, but ho held that this was the time to be up and doing and that we should seize the opportunity to make the most of ourTifnirs. In New I Zealand they had determined that German and Austrian products should not I come into their territory. Thcv had ' tides from those countries, and if that placed a duty of 50 per cent, on arwould not keep them out higher duties I would be imposed. A Wei' much work had been done, probably the best way to give effect to that itlea would be to hold a great exhibition or fair in some central position in the Motherland. It would be worthy of cons deration .as to whether our Allies would prefer to exhibit at that fair, if they approved of the scheme, or to hold similar fairs within their own territories. As we had stood together through this fearful crisis we should be prepared to unite tor their future welfare. Speaking, however, for our own Empire, we should focus our attention on the capacity to supply the bulk of our own needs, and it should be our policy to encourage those industries which we were capable of establishing, but which up to the present had not received assistance, and also to see that no raw materials were monopolised by our foes. If the cost of one day's warfare were intelligently directed towards future peaceful trade wonders might be wrought. The exhibition might commemorate the achievement of victory 'and demonstrate to all the world o uitrade capacity and our concentration of effort to ensure the entire benefit of that victory. It would not be possible here to debate any tariff proposals that were not of an Imperial nature. There tvere those who failed to see how much we were all bound up in tlii.s question. Eai'h part of the Empire must be entrusted with the Customs dutiesi and administration of what was deemed b.st in the interests of its own people; yet it seemed to him that there were questions ot common intprest to all, and no doubt these larger interests could not be properly secured until there was a body entrusted specially with affairs Imperial. The question was, however, too large to enter on now, but lie would observe that the time had ouite a'rivid in the minds of the overseas people for a change in present methods. It would be well for those in authority here to give more heed than had been the case to that which had now become imperative, and which had been so emphatically voiced by its statesmen. (Applause.)