DEBT ON THE BRAIN.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24, 28 July 1911, Page 4

DEBT ON THE BRAIN.

DOMINION'S NEW DISEASE. I SIR JOSEPH'S WARD'S ADVICE. _^_ [from our own correspondent.] LONDON, 13th June. This year's New Zealand dinner lacked none- of the essentials which make a successful and brilliant function. There was a distinguished gathering, quite in keeping with the order of things in this Coronation and Imperial year, and the after-dinner speeches left no one in doubt as to the prosperity of the country. : Tlie Premier, in fact, was hopefully op- ' timistic, and cheerfully prescribed medicine for u,ose who complain that New Zealand has a " debt." The High Commissioner (Sir William I Hall-Jones), according to custom, ocj cupied the chair, and supporting him at tho top table Were -Sir Joseph Ward, Mr. Lewis Harconrt, M.P. (Secretary for the Colonies), Lord Ranfurly, Lord Pliuiket, Ml. Andrew Fisher, Sir E. Montague Nelson, Sir C. P. Lucas, Dr. Findj lay, Mi. T. A. Coghl&n (Now (South I Wales), Sir William Russell, Mr. W. Pember Beeves, the Hon. A, A. Kirkpatrick, and Sir Westby Perceval. RIDDLE OF CLOSER. SETTLEMENTS. The Colonial Secretary submitted the toast of " The .Dominion of New Zealand." He promised to be brief, for, like the poor, he was always with them, while Sir Joseph was a bird of passage, whose song they wanted to hear. (Laughter.) During the last seventy years New Zealand had recorded a steady, rapid, and courageous progress, and_ while parties in England were anxious to bring the best of their people back' to the land through the accumulated difficulties of centuries, New Zealand was solving with rapidity, re« source, and success, the riddle of closer settlement. Statistics showed that in New Zealand there was a great promise for young men of small means, but of large- ideas. (Laughter.) Even the absence of an Established Church had not prevented a system of free State compulsory education. These observations, however, fell apparently on Unsympathetic ears, and the teceptionof the Sentiments was chilling. Tho audience became more responsive when Mr. Harcourt declared it was impossible not to speak with pride and gratitude of the work which New Zealand had been doing en her own initiative for the defence of her shores and of the Empire at large. (Hear, hear.) Filial acts of devotion such as this bound peoples and nations together with silken cords which no enemy could break. (Clieefrs). New Zealand had done splendid work in the past, was performing great achievements in the present, and there Was brilliant promise for the future. Mr. lla-rcourt next paid a glowing tribute to Sir Joseph Ward, his. friend of long etanding. and expressed the opinion that the touchstone of the future would not be centralisation but co-operation. NO NEED TO WORRY. There was no mistake about tha warmth of the greeting accorded to tho Prime Minister when he rose to reply. Sir Joseph remarked that lie might be a bird of passage whose song they wanted to hear, but he had been chirping ever since ho had been in London. (Laughter.) At that moment he could not regard himself as being in London. Close to him he saw two ex-Governors, old members of Parliament, and many men who, having made fortunes in New Zealand, had come to England in order to enjoy a little touch of the absentee tax. (Laughter.) The increase of the New Zealand population, which had now reached a million whites, had in the last decade beaten that of Scotland. Their legislation might be advanced, but the country was marvellously prosperous. Their wealth was estimated at 600 millions sterling. (A voice: What is the debt?) Sir Joseph i What is the death, did you say? A Voice: No, the debt? Sir Joseph : Oh, the debt ! We never think of debt. (Loud laughter.) They had assets far beyond the amount of their indebtedness, and all their loans werb provided for by sinking funds. If any man there had "debt on the brain" ha should invest his money in New Zealand. Therq was no safer country in the world for investments. It seemed to him that the larger income a man had the more he> objected to paying taxation, at all. People in New Zealand were aek* ing what became of the surplus moneys. He heard the same question in Canada and America, and again he read it in the English papers. So far as New Zealand was concerned, the' conclusion he had come to was that their surplus moneys were sent to London. THE CONFERENCE. " Sir Joseph declaredthat those who had been attending the Conference from the Oversea Dominions would leave deeply impressed with the fact that nothing could be don© in future to the Old Land that tho younger portions of the Empire would not regard as being done to them. (Cheers.) THE GUESTS. The toast of "The Guests" was entrusted to Sir E. Montagus Nelson, who regretted the absence of Sir Wilfrid Laurier. Lord Ranfurly, who replied in place of the Canadian Premier, eaid the days he spent in New Zealand were the most pleasant of his life. Even, his mistakes were carefully glossed over. The Hon. Andrew Fisher also replied, and said New Zealand and Australia were bound together by the ties of free dom and liberty and a high standard of Comfort., and he believed that the timo was near at hand when they would b© eveu moie closely associated than at the present moment, Sir William Hall-Jones, replying to his toast, said that this was the third New Zealand dinner over which he had presided, and he really hoped the time was not far distant when he should meet some of his friends at that function in their own islands in the South Pacific. Auld Lang Syne and the National. Anthem brought to a conclusion a most enjoyable evening. THE COMPANY. Amongst those present at the dinner were Major Alexander and tho Hon. C. Hill-Trevor, two of Lord Ranfurly's old private secretaries, Lieut. -Colonel R. J. Beech, Mr. L. W, Blunden (Canterbury), Mr. F. T. Boys, (Christchurch), Mr. A. Paselberg (Maeferton), Dr. D. Colquhoun and Mr. W. Dawson (Dunedin), Mr. Moss Davia (Auckland), Ml*. A. M. De Costa (Wellington), Professor C. 0. Farr (Ghristehureh), Mr. J. B. Friedlander, Air, G. E. Fulton, Major F. Nelson George, Dr. Brydeu Glendining, Mr. J. C. N. Grigg (Canterbury), Mr. T, -H. tifamer, Mr. Paul M. Kansen (Auckland), Mr. A. D. Henderson, Mr. J B. Hey wood, 1.5.0.. Mr. G. M. Kcbbdl Mr. A, Kidd, Mr. J. Kirker, Mr. 11. a! Le Ci'en. Mr. R. Logan, Air. A, Michie, Mr. M. Myers (Wellington), Mr. Alfred Nathan (Auckland), Judge Jacknon Palmer, Mr. R. H. Rhodes, M.P., Mr. A. W. Rutherford, Captain 11. J. Seddon. Mr. C. P. Sken«U. K.C. (Wellington), Mr. Allan Ntiang, Mr. D. T. Nluait, Mr. J. F. NtudMnK'. Mr. C. M, T'iucli>i«i?f, Mr. U. N. X. Tttoi>«unj, mi<l