YORKSHIRE SOCIETY

Evening Post, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 95, 19 October 1909, Page 2

YORKSHIRE SOCIETY

— WELCOME TO COMMERCIAL DELEGATES. The Yorkshiremen of Wellington extended to members of the Chambers of Commerce parly* from "the largest county in England" a right welcome last evening. They met at tho Royal Oak Hotel, and Mr. T. M. Wilford presided. Mr. Wilford, although confessing to colonial birth, said both his parents were Yorkshire folk, hence his membership of the society. He referred to Imperial defence, claiming for New Zcalanders the position not of poor relations, but as junior partners in the Empire. New Zealand, he said, was the first country that had passed a statute for preferential trade with the British Empire. When New Zealand, by unanimous vote of its Parliament, was prepared to open up' a preference of trade as between herself and the Mother Country, she asked that the door be nob banged in her face. She asked for an invitation to come in and share with the Mother Country in the development of trade to tho advantage of both tho Mother Country and the younger land. Mr. J. Peato (Loeds) predicted that the Mother Country wonld be reinvigorated by the people of the younger lands, and would yet play a greater part than she had ever yet, played. He was delighted to hear in Wellington that Scotsmen and Yorkshiremen were "running the show." (Laughter.) For years he had been an ardent tariffite, and he believed that sooner or later the resources of the sister nations would be developed in combination with 'the Old Land. It behoved all British people to seriously think of the big trial which sooner or later the Empire would have to face with regard to maintaining British supremacy, and, above all, the integrity of the outlying portions of the Empire. Mr. Whiteley observed that out of the forty-seven delegates and ladies accompanying them no less than twentytwo came from Yorkshire. They felt at home as soon as they set foot in New Zealand. Yorkshire was holding her own as she had never done before. Bradford, his own district, never stood in a better position than she did today. The competition of France and Germany had Brought out the best that was in the Yorkshireman, and if there was any dullness in the woollen industry it was not due to want of technical Knowledge or application. I England was by no means deteriorating; on the contrary, there was a determination to hold her trade and to show that England was equal, if not better than any other nation on the face of the earth. He did not build much upon tariff reform, but would rather encourage the idea that they would not be beaten. Professor Easterfield, Mr. J. Charlesworth, and Mr. Helliwell also spoke. Mr. Dixon (Sheffield), in proposing "The Yorkshire Society of Wellington," remarked that the offers of a Dreadnought from New Zealand sent a thril) throughout the Old Country.