LORD HARTINGTON

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 45, 17 November 1936, Page 9

LORD HARTINGTON

Regret at Shortness of New Zealand Visit EMPIRE AIR MAIL SCHEME By Telegraph—Press Association Auckland, November 16. Regret that his visit to New Zealand has had to be of such short duration was expressed by the Marquess of Hartington, Parliamentary Under-Sec-retary of State for Dominion Affairs, who arrived at Auckland to-night at the conclusion of r brief tour of the North Island. "The main part of my official duties.” Lord Hartington said, “is to assist ip providing some form of contact between the Dominions and the British Government at Home. I feel that I shall be able to carry out those duties much better now that I have at least some little knowledge of your beautiful country and its people.” Lord Hartington said he had appreciated greatly the opportunity of meeting the Prime Minister. Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage, and other members of the Government He had not attempted to discuss with them officially any Empire problems of moment, his principal desire being to meet members of the Government personally. Lord Hartington also declined to discuss recent trends of legislation in New Zealand, stating that the Dominion was fully competent >o manage its own domestic affairs. One point of interest which Lord Hartington mentioned was the projected Empire air mail service from London to New Zealand. He said no difficulty was anticipated in having the service in operation by the beginning of 1938.

“We realise fully the importance of such a service,” Lord Hartington added. “My wife and I travelled from Singapore to Australia by air and that gave us ample proof of (lie manner in which air travel can destroy isolation I can quite appreciate that the proposed service from London will mean much to New Zealand.”