PORT OF HULL

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 20, 24 January 1924, Page 9

PORT OF HULL

VISIT BY MR. MASSEY

TOUR IN YORKSHIRE

The New Zealand Prime Minister, Mr. Massey, visited the Port of Hull this week, and inspected the docks under the guidance of the representatives of the railway company which owns- all the docks of Hull. Mr. Massey was shown the capacity of the docks for dealing with overseas produce, particularly'wool, An endeavour ir being made to develop still further the shipment of wool required in the Bradford and Huddersfield districts direct to Hull. The Premier also went to visit the great wool stores. He then went on to the cold stores which are limited in their capacity at present. They largely deal with Argentine beef and mutton, but the Port Authorities have a scheme in view for making provision for New Zealand and Australian supplies. Mr. Massey was considerably impressed with the excellent facilities for trade in this port. The depth of water is more than sufficient for the requirements of tha large liners and the facilities for handling the' cargo are in every way up to date. . On the night of arrival in Hull Mr. Massey and Senator A.: V. Wilson (Minister of Migration for Australia) were entertained at a dinner in the Guildhall by the Lord Mayor. The visitors' health was proposed by.the' Mayor, who, in doing so, gave a few facts regarding the port. The docks, he said, covered 240 acres, and the port served 12 million people. It was especially adapted ' for wool, grain, and fruit, and there, were Wool-sheds capable of .holding 240,000 bales. Cold storage was provided for 350,000 carcasses of mutton. The Mayor made a strong plea for direct/ trading to the port. In Hull, he said, they were not antagonistic towards the other great ports of the kingdom; there was trade for all, and Hull desired its fair share. He further alluded to Mr. Massey's long and magnificent career as a servant of the Empire. , ' i PAROCHIAL POLITICS. 1 Mr. Massey said.he was not sorry to see the election over. He knew; there would be disappointment, but he had a great deal of confidence in the strong common-sense of the British people. They had been through bigger difficulties than the present ones, and they would get through these. If the lessons of the election were taken to heart, what had happened would not be an unmixed evil: He was a good party man, but he must say that in .all our countries there was far too much party. The world was passing through a stage of transition, and we were beginning to understand the meaning of \Empire, and its possibilities. "We want to think more of the Empire," he said, " than we have hitherto done. /The questions we must put to each other were, ' Is the Empire going to last? Is.it worth keeping V If it is not, for goodness sake let it go. If it is worth keeping, let us-: put' up .a fight for it." The time had come when each part of the Empire must assist the other parts whether they were Freetraders or Protectionists. Trade in England was not what it used to be. We could never get back to it, because other countries were doing their own .manufacturing. Finally, he beg-! ged them to drop parochial politics. If that could be done for .ten years, ,it would -be the' best thing -.that could f possibly happen. Whatever happened; the countries overseas were strong in their determination to stand by the Mother Country jn regard to their trade and commerce. A MOST LOYAL ENGLISHMAN. From Hull Mr. Massey went to York, of which city he is an honorary Freeman. On Mr. Massey's arrival SirForster Todd entertained" him at luncheon. The Lord Mayor proposed the health of Mr. Massey, and was. supported by Mr. J. A. R. Marriott, M.P., who described their guest as one of the most loyal Englishman in the British Empire. EMPIRE SENTIMENT. Mr. Massey, said he knew a good deal of York and of Yorkshire before he visited it for the first time seven years ago, for he was an honorary member of the Yorkshire Society of New Zealand, the members of which used to assure them that the " biggest, bonniest, and best " ; people in Britain came from Yorkshire—(laughter)—and he believed they were right. Many people in Britain did not understand the affection which was felt in the Dominions overseas for the British Isles. It was impossible to explain it, but Britain was "home"; and already all the berths in the steamers from New Zealand were booked -for next summer. Speaking as one with some experience, who had worked in the Empire's interest for a ! great many years, he said it ought to be the easiest thing in the world not only to keep the Empire, sentiment alive, but to "(make it grow in strength and intensity. It was necessary that tRe people at Home, especially the leaders, should know more about the Dominions, the people of which were well educated upon matters of Great Britain. As regards the "United States, Mr. Massey recalled that Mr. Coolidge, .the President, had said to him: " I am half-Scotch and half-Welsh, and I am proud of it." Ho (Mr. Massey) was convinced that Mr. Coolidge would do good work as between the two branches of the Englishspeaking race.