A CITY'S FREEDOM

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 5, 7 January 1927, Page 7

A CITY'S FREEDOM

PREMIERS AT HOME HONOURED BY MANCHESTER ■ MR. COATES'S REPLY. (From Our .Own Correspondent.) LONDON, 17th November. Seven Dominion statesmen, representing Australia, Canada, India, the Irish Free State, Canada, Newfoundland, New Zealand, and South Africa, journeyed to , Manchester last Friday to receivo the Freedom of the City. The honour was conferred upon General Hertzog in his absence, for ill-health and tho strain of other engagements had made it impossible for him to make the journey. With this exception tho Dominion statesmen were all present in person and with them was' Mr. L. S. Amery, Secretary for the Dominions'. To each of the recipients the Lord Mayor made a brief and separate speech as he presented the scrolls.

.In addressing Mr. Coatos, the Lord Mayor said that he was the third Premier of New Zealand to receive this honour. In presenting' it the' City of

Manchester was expressing its appreciation of the splendid services Mr. Coates had rendered, particularly at the time of the Great War. The scroll is contained iv an oxidised silver box about lft by Bin in' size. On the lid is the New Zealand coat of arms, and the casket is raised on four supports in the form of a lion's claws.

Mr. Coates' said that for many yoars past there had been a very close connection and kindly feeling between the citizens of Manchester and the citizens of New Zealand, but, close as the link was, they had now made closer that relationship in what they v all knew now as a commonwealth of nations. This honour of. the freedom of the city of Manchester would, he was sure, be welcomed with great pleasure by the people of New Zealand.

- Then tho visitors attended the ban- 1 quet later on in the Town Hall. Proposing the health of the new Freemen, the Lord Mayor, who presided, evoked sympathetic ' applause when he declared that he spoke for the great majority of the citizens of Manchester in "offers ing a very hearty welcome to these distinguished visitors from overseas. LINKS OF EMPIRE. Mr. Mackenzie King, in responding, said that when the British were celebrating tho capture of Canada at Quebec, the Duko of 'Bridgowater, at Man- • Chester, was seeking from Parliament powers to construct a xanal that .in course of time would come to be con- 1 nected with the Atlantic Ocean and with Canada: - To-day^ ships could sail,-and dirl sail, direct from the great port of Manchester to Montreal, a thousand miles inland in the heart of Canada.' That' was one of the links that bound the Dominion to this great manufacturing and' industrial • centre. .' Another, and perhaps the greatest link, was the possession of common political institutions, in which lib"er.ty and ' freedom were embodied. Ai'.'he looked at the work of the Imperial .Conference, he felt that what they were seeking to do was to enlarge-.the great temple of the British Empire»as the ' home of greater and ever-widening freedom.

Mr. Bruce, in his I'response, said the great need of the "Empire to-day was to have a policy and to follow it with the doggedness which Manchester dis-. played eighty years ago, when she forced her will,upon Britain, and so settled its fiscal policy ever since. He was not concerned at the moment with what that policy was. (Laughter.) What he wanted to urge was that the Empire must follow Manchester's example in getting to know what it wanted, and then displaying the same tenacity and courage in getting it as Manchester .did. "

, Mr. Cosgrave said those who had been assisting at the- Conference of the British Commonwealth of Nations in j London, had found the * proceedings marked by the spirit of'harmony and conciliation. "I feel," he added; "that your people and-mine, separated for'| centuries-by a tragic series'of events, I can now give an example to the world ' of what- may be achieved by free asso- i ciation between free nations."' ' VALTJE OF PERSONAL VISITS. _Mr.' Coates expressed his" appreciation of the honour that had been paid to him, 1 and, through him, to the Dominion which, he represented. The action in conferring upon him tho Freedom of the-City, of Manchester would -be welcomed with great pleasure by the people of New Zealand. ' It would bo yet another link between the Dominion and the people of Manchester. "It is impossible to estimate too highly the value of personal visits, such as this, by Dominion representatives to the important trade centres of Great Britain,".Mr. Coates continued. "Tho more the members of our Empire family can come together in personal contact, and discusa-questions of paramount interest to ourselves and our nation the more abiding will become tho ties which already bind us together. It has been well.said that 'Trade is the cement that holds mono piece the structure of our Empire'; and, though there are other elements than commorco that unite us, wo all realise, I am sure, how vital a factor in our future prosperity, our development, and strength will be a flourishing interchange of trade between us

New Zealand was doing her utmost to apply the principle in her own case. It was with gratification and pride that lie made the statement that in proportion _to population the people of the Dominion were by far tho best customers in the world for Empire goods, particularly of tho manufactures of Britain herself. But there was still room TwVTT c in Britai]l'a trade with New Zealand, and anything that would assist this desirable result would have too hearty co-operation of the Government and people of Now Zealand. On ther other hand, it was clear that unless the primary producers of New Zealand tound a satisfactory market for their produce, the. power to purchase British goods was limited. "I ask you all therefore, to do what lies in your power to apply, the principle in your daily purchases of buying Empire goods , m preference to those sent by foreign countries. ' Tho more clearly wo understand thodesirableness of applying this deliberate preference for British goods, providing, of course, that prico and quality are satisfactory, the moro rapid will be our development and prosperity as an' Empire. .HONEST .TRADING METHODS. "This great city is known throughout the world, and the term 'Manchester

goods' is a universal stock term. It represents also the highest quality and value obtainable. It is pleasant to reflect that in this respect Manchester is true of Britsh-mado goods as - a whole, is rue of British-made goods as a whole, and so long as they continue to represent worth, reliability, and honesty in construction, British trade in the long run must hold its own. The goodwill that results from reliablo goods and honest trading methods is of enormous value to this country; and in no part of Great Britain has this good-will been more fairly earned than-in Manchester. The manufacturers and merchants of Manchester have pushed their enterprises into almost every country in the world, and if.it is true that 'trade follows the flag,' Manchester has played its part for the Empire. You, at all events, have a wonderful record for trade enterprise on behalf of Great Britain;

"Manchester, indeed, has a history of which it may well be proud, and I believe it may confidently anticipate a futuro of which it may be prouder still. British people beyond the seas aro fully aware of the advorso circumstances affecting the commercial prosperity of their kinsfolk in Britain. Our sympathy and our admiration have gono out to you in your unswerving loyalty to obligations, and your determination to overcome all obstacles that hinder a return to normal conditions. Indeed, Britons overseas have found in the Mother Country's stability of purpose, under trial, both,.an example and an inspiration. I have been greatly impressed, even in the short time at my disposal, by' the unmistable evidence of the power and solidity of this great city of the United Kingdom. If Manchester can be regarded as an indication of the capacity and character of other great manufacturing cities of Great Britain, there is not the remotest doubt of- the ability of 'the peoplo of this. country to maintain its • position or pre-eminence in the world's trade." 85, Fleet street.