THE WARDEN OF THE ISLANDS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1020, 9 January 1911, Page 4

THE WARDEN OF THE ISLANDS.

: } .• WHERE SHOULD HE RESIDE? "Australia would be the natural headquarters for the High Commissioner for the Pacific. _ He would still act oil liis own responsibility, subject to the Colonial Office, but liis propinquity to die Commonwealth Government woufil. ensure due consideration of their well-informed views. Justification for the rival claims of New Zealand, therefore, does not arise." Such is the cabled comment of the London "Morning Post" in referenco to a start went bt the Sydney "Herald" tji.it an important movemeut was afoot with a view to having the ofiiee of the High Commissioner for the Western Pacific removed from Fiji to Sydney, the proposal being that tho. position shall eventually beeome a Commonwealth instead of an Imperial one. Tho above cablegram was brought under the notice of the Prime Minister (Sir Joseph Word) last evening. "}ji r Joseph 'Ward said' the matter had not come beforo him officially, but on the publication of the cablegram he had put on record his opinion oil behalf of New Zealand that the High Commissioner sjiould continue to reside at Fiji, and that New Zealand was not favourable to a transfer. In conclusion, Sir Joseph Ward said, "I should rather doubt the possibility of the suggestion in the press being given effect to,". J