NEW ZEALAND IN LONDON

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 34, 8 August 1925, Page 6

NEW ZEALAND IN LONDON

Expenditure upon the High Commissioner's Office in London is, like that of all other Departments, subject to Parliamentary control and criticism; but, because the work of the office is not well understood, the criticism is sometimes misleading and not helpful. The cost of New Zealand representation is certainly not light, but against this must be set the great extent and variety of the business done. There could be no greater mistake than to imagine that the High Commissioner is chiefly occupied in representing New Zealand at official functions and that his office, is merely a place where New Zcalanclers may have their Jetlcrs addressed and obtain tickets for the Towor of London or the Houses of Parliament.. The uffico is requke4 to

transact an enormous amount of business—from loans, contracts, and Government purchases to migration, publicity, and a hundred and one other affairs. Before the work done is criticised there should be an attempt to understand it. We believe that there would be a better understanding at both ends if the policy of staffing with New Zealanders were carried further. We do not suggest that clerks, typistes, and others should be sent from this country; but recent knowledge of New Zealand coriditions and requirements ■ should be a primary consideration in making appointments to the more responsible posts. Of course, this may be carried to excess, so as to staff the Department with officers who know all about New Zealand and nothing about England. But without doing this it should be possible to arrange an interchange of staff with Departments in New Zealand so that personal knowledge of the Dominion will be kept up to date, and on the other hand there will be in the Departments at this end officers who are acquainted with British conditions.