FAREWELL TO PRIME MINISTER

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 153, 25 March 1937, Page 12

FAREWELL TO PRIME MINISTER

Wellington’s Feelings of Goodwill

Toward Mr. Savage

IMPORTANT MISSION TO LONDON Destiny of British Commonwealth of Nations Citizens of Wellington last evening enthusiastically farewellcd the Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage, at a big gathering in the Town Hall on the eve of his departure for London to attend the coronation and the Imperial Conference. As Mr. Savage entered the hall, escorted by the Mayor, Mr. 1. C. A. Hislop, the large and representative audience rose and cheered. The speeches were marked by frequent applause, and at the conclusion of his addrss Mr. Savage was again cheered enthusiastically. On behalf of the citizens of Wellington Mr. Hislop wished the Prime Minister a pleasant voyage, success to the deliberations address Mr. Savage was again cheered enthusiastically. Mr. Savage, in replying, returned thanks for the warm reception accorded him and said that during his absence abroad his heart would be in New Zealand. New Zealand’s destiny, he said, was wrapped up to a large extent with the destiny of the human race in general and that of the British Commonwealth of Nations in particular. He appealed to all sections of industry to keep the wheels moving, because if the machinery of production were allowed to stop democracy was doomed.

Before the arrival of the official party music was played outside the Town Hall by the Port Nicholson Band and the Police Pipe Band, and inside the building selections were given by Mr. C. W. Kerry on the organ. During the evening solos were sung by Miss Ailsa Nicol and Mr. Frank Bryant, Mr. Kerry acting as accompanist. Mr. Savage was accompanied by Mr. and Mrs. H. F. French, the Minister of Education, Hon. P. Fraser; the Minister of Public Works, Hon. It. Semple; the Minister Of Labour, Hon. H. T. Armstrong; the Minister of Industries and Commerce, Hon. D. G. Sullivan; the Minister of Agriculture, Hon. W. Lee Martin; the Postmaster-General Hou. F. Jones; the Minister of Internal Affairs, Hon. W. E. Parry; the At-torney-General, Hon. H. G. R. Mason: the Minister of Mines, Hon. P. C. Webb; the Minister of Lands, Hon. F. Langstone; and the Leader of the Legislative Council, Hon. M. Fagan. After Mr. Savage took his place on the platform a little girl from the audience presented him with a bouquet, which be handed to Mrs. French. In Wishing Mr. Savage a safe voyage and a quick return on behalf of the citizens of Wellington, Mr. His-' lop said he had received a number of apologies for non-attendance, including one from Sir Thomas Wilford, former High Commissioner for New Zealand in London. He had also been asked to announce that at a meeting that night the societies in New Zealand of Yorkshiremen, Kentishmen and -Men of Kent, which were entertaining fellow countrymen who were members of the M.C.C. cricket team, had passed a motion wishing the Prime Minister bon voyage and assuring him of a warm welcome should be visit the counties of Yorkshire and Kent when in the Old Country. Mr. Hislop also apologised for the absence of Mrs. Hislop. Momentous Mission. Mr. Hislop said it was roughly just one year since he had the privilege of welcoming Mr. Savage when he came to Wellington as Prime Minister of this country. They were assembled that night to bid Mr. Savage an revoir, to wish him a safe voyage and a quick return. Mr. Savage was about to undertake one of the most momentous missions that could fall to any representative of this country. During the year much had happened and the Prime Minister had given all he possessed in mind, spirit, determination and loyalty to advance the policy of his Government. .(Applause.) All things changed in a changing world, and they never got everybody moving together at the same time. He expressed the feelings of the people of New Zealand when he paid admiration Io the courage and character of the man who was Prime Minister of New Zealand to-day. The mission on which he was bound was one that seldom fell to the lot of man to undertake. Mr. Savage was going a.s the representative of this country to take his place at the coronation of the King, the force that bound the British Commonwealth of Nations. Historic Occasion. It was an historic occasion when the King went to that shrine of Empire, Westminster Abbey, to appear before the leaders of the established church and in the presence of representatives of all the British race who owe allegiance to the British Throne, that potent force for liberty and freedom, to dedicate himself to the service of God and the people over whom he reigned. It was a great occasion and one that moved the spirit of all British people. They were happy to feel that the people of New Zealand, far from the centre of Europe, a people predominantly British, were to be represented by their Prime Minister. That was not the only purpose of Mr. Savage’s visit, great as it was.

After the coronation he was to attend the Imperial Conference of all the British Dominions and there take part in discussions, perhaps of greater moment than ever before. All knew of the unrest that prevailed in the world to-day, and there was Ihe struggle between I hose things for which the British Government always stood and government through Fascism or Communism or some other form of dictatorship. In that great gathering one of the foremost things in the discussions would be the preservation of the heritage of freedom they were privileged to have. Question of Defence. That led inevitably to the question of the defence of the British Empire, said .Mr. Hislop, and he had no doubt that was one of the leading things in which Mr. Savage would have to take a part. Mr. Savage and his colleagues bad realised the realities of the position, and were determined l<> do all I hey could in the interests of mutual defence and for rhe privilege of being British people. Then there was the great question of population, and undoubtedly there would he discussions on migration. All were determined to preserve the standard of living New Zealand had enjoyed, but it was believed that wiili proper organisation and control it was possible to increase the population by the addition of people from the Old Land and, at the same time, not only to maintain the present standard of living Iml to enhance it.

In conclusion Mr. Hislop wished the Prime Minister a pleasant voyage, success to the deliberations in which he would lake place, am] a speedy return io the country he was about to leave. On behalf of the citizens of "Wellington

he extended to .Mr. Savage their feelings of cordial friendliness. The deputy-mayor, Mr. M, M. F. Luckie, who spoke on behalf of the members of the Wellington City Council, expressed to Mr. Savage the best wishes of the council and its united feelings of goodwill. What Mr. Savage and .the members of his Ministry had done to alleviate the lot of the unemployed and enable those people to regain their self-respect would never' be forgotten. He doubted if any price was too high to pay for what Mr. Savage and his Government had done. Mr. Savage would be the first Labour Prime Minister from New Zealand to attend an Imperial Conference. Mr. Luckie suggested that Mr. Savage might persuade some of the Imperial Ministers of the Crown to visit Now Zealand and the other Dominions and so learn first hand the position in the units comprising the British Commonwealth of Nations. Prime Minister’s Reply. Cheers were given for Mr. Savage when he rose to reply. He thanked the mayor, the deputy-mayor and the men of Kent and of Yorkshire for their messages of goodwill. One of the first men he would meet on his arrival in Great Britain, he said, would be a man of Kent, Mr. W. J. Jordan. He agreed with Mr. Hislop that the privilege of representing New Zealand abroad was a very high honour. AVlien he arrived in England he would walk into the homes of his own relatives, and that was something worth while. “I don’t think we have made the best of our opportunities in the days that have gone,” said Mr. Savage. “We have looked upon people in other countries as more or less foreigners. When a man came here from the Old Land we looked upon him with a certain amount of suspicion. If he came from Australia—well, he was over the fence altogether. (Laughter.) Now, ladies and gentlemen, we have come to the conclusion that we' are part ami parcel of the same people. When 1 arrive in Britain, for instance, I shall meet some of my own blood. That is worth living for, although there were many times in my life when I did not think I would live to see it happen.” Mr. Savage said that the Government had done things during the last 12 months. A lot more remained to be done, and it was going to be done. New Zealand was coming to an age of maturity when it was taking part along with representatives of the Mother Country in shaping the destinies of the British Commonwealth. That was something that people hardly thought possible just a few years back, but the time had come, and it was his privilege to be the first Labour Prime Minister from the Dominion to take part, in the councils of the British Commonwealth of Nations.

Big Problems Ahead

There were big problems ahead, and there was no use trying to minimise them. Defence, trade, and migration were some of the issues to be discussed. He hoped that the Imperial Conference would not only give some attention to defence, but that it would give greater attention than ever before to paving the way toward peace. If, for instance, the British Commonwealth of Nations, united in their demand for peace, were prepared to lead the way to a greater extent than they had ever done before, one could imagine some of the wonderful results that would be possible. He was not suggesting they should throw down their arms or anything of that description; he was suggesting that if they did not give attention to the other side of the argument as well as to measures for defence they would never get peace. They had to realise that humanity the world over had a Tight to live. In the past they had never attempted seriously to lay the foundation for peace. Mr. Savage said he wondered how many of those who would assemble around the conference table would realise that before they could expand trade in the British Commonwealth I hey would have to increase the buying power of the peoples who inhabited the British Commonwealth. There was no other foundation. If could not be done with guns; it. had l<> be done with wages, income, or whatever term one liked Io apply to puucbasing power. The problem facing the nations was one of distribution. The foundation of distribution must be buying power. “I hope, ladies and gentlemen, they won’t get sick of my voice at the conference, but I am going to talk to them on those lines,” said Mr. Savage, amid laughter and applause. “One of my colleagues, Mr. Walter Nash, is in England now, and when we get together we will just do the best we can. I think that is about the most modest way I can put it.”

Sympathy With Average Family

Mr. Savage said be bad no cut-and-dried ideas about anything, but his mind had not been moulded on a bed of roses - , and if when it came to a showdown bis actions seemed to be directed toward helping those who bad struggled with him in days gone by, be supposed that wits only a human result after all. If he had come over a path strewn with roses rather than over a path strewn with thorns, his mind would probably be different from tvhat it was to-day.

He' could understand the struggles of the average family. He knew' what they were up against, and if he make the transformation from where they were now to where they should be to-morrow morning by the wave of a magic wand he would do it.

The next best thing he could do was Io lav down his life for his friends. That.was not a very big sacrifice after all, because when they were all doing it they were square. When they were all helping each other this world would be a better place to live in. They had talked about it for generations past; they had said it from the pulpit, from the public platform, from everywhere, "greater love hath no man than this, that he shall lay down his life for bis friends,” and then some of them got up next morning and started to live at the expense of their friends. It seemed that they had come to the parting of the ways and they had to turn over a new leaf. "I am not saying we have not had some wonderfully line triers for centuries past,” said Mr. Savage. "All I am saying is that we have not got any great results up to now. The great bulk of humanity struggle from the cradle”to the grave, living from hand to mouth, and with no security. They don’t, know what is going Io turn up next week.” Superannuation Plan. Mr. Savage referred to the Government’s national superannuation proposal and said he hoped when lie returned to see the framework of a system that would be reflected in every home. He just mentioned that just to prove that Labour was not in office to destroy security. It was there to supply to the average family the security that it had never had in the past. lie thought that the people of New Zealand and the people of most, countries were capable of rising to great heights if the alleged statesmen would only give them the opportunity to do so. The Prime Minister said he was deeply grateful for the warm welcome accorded him and would be glad to see them all again on his return. lie would confess that during his absence his heart would be in New Zealand. New Zealand’s destiny was wrapped up to a large extent with the destiny of the human race in general, and that of the British Commonwealth of Nations in particular. Mr. Savage resumed his .seat amid loud cheers and applause.

GOOD WISHES SENT English County Societies A resolution of good wishes to the Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage. on his visit to Great Britain was passed by acclamation at a reception by the Yorkshire Society of New Zealand in association with the Men of Kent and Kentish Men to members of the M.C.C. team last night. The president of the Yorkshire Society, Mr. Karl Atkinson, reminded Hie audience that that night the Prime Minister wa.s the guest of Wellington at a civic farewell at the Town Hall. In view of Mr. Savage’s impending departure h e thought it would be well if the members of the societies sent, him a message expressing their good wishes and assurance that if he visited their counties he would receive a hearty welcome.