VERBAL SECESSION

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 95, 22 April 1926, Page 8

VERBAL SECESSION

THE WORD "AUSTRALASIA"

PRIME MINISTER FAVOURS DISUSE.

(By Telegraph.)

(Special to "The Evening Post.") AUCKLAND, This Day. The Prime Minister is entirely in sympathy with the desire of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce to have the term "Australasia" abolished. At it meeting of the Council of the Chamber a letter was read from Mr. Coates, in •which he expressed his appreciation of the action of the Chamber in bringing about the alteration of the title of the Australasian 'Trade Section of the London Chamber of Commerce to "Australian ana New Zealand Trade Section." "I am entirely in accord with the views expressed by your organisation, and will welcome any suggestions for the elimination of the term," the letter stated. "The Government has previously approached the Union Steam Ship Company in order to bring about a change in the designation for the Canadian and Australasian Royal Mail Lino, but so far without success. It is pointed out by the management that it is generally known as the C. and A. Line, or the Vancouver Line, and that alteration to the more cumbersome title would not tend' to bring about the desired result. The High Commissioner is fully alive to tho desirability of eliminating the term, and during recent years has been responsible for decreasing its use in British newspapers, and also for the alteration of the title of the publication "The British Australasian" to "The British Australian and New Zealander." Moreover the Wembley Exhibition and the increasing activities of the publicity office will be bound to have an effect, and will in time dispel the belief that New Zealand is part of the Australian'continent. All publicity pamphlets now being issued contain a map of the Pacific showing the trade routes to the Dominion, and drawing attention to the fact that New Zealand is some considerable distance from Australia."