OVERSEAS LEAGUE

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 74, 24 September 1927, Page 17

OVERSEAS LEAGUE

SIR H. AND LADY COWAN

ENTERTAINED IN WELLINGTON

The' members of the Wellington branch of the Overseas League entertained at an "afternoon" yesterday Sir Henry Cowan, M.P., Lady Cowan, and Miss Cowan. Sir Henry, who is a member of the British House of Commons and a member of the Council ot tho Overseas League in London, is visiting the Dominions daring the Parliamentary recess with the object of supplementing his knowledge of conditions in Canada, New Zealand, and Australia. He is particularly interested in probloms of migration. He is largely concerned in industry in tho Dominions, and during liis tour is making investigations from that point of view.

In introducing the visitors, Mr. S. E. Lambert said that lie understood that this was not Sir Henry Cowan's fust visit to these parts, but this was the first time the Wellington branch had met to welcome a member of the Overseas League from the Homeland. J.'ho League was founded by Mr. Evelyn Wrench, and its creed was simple"Bolioving the British Empire to stand for justice, freedom, order, and good government, we pledge ourselves, as citizens of the British Commonwealth of Nations, to maintain the heritage handed down to us by our fathers." The membership of the Leaguo now numbered over 40,000, and there were branches not only in all parts of the Empire, but also in other countries where numbers of British people happened to bo resident. A letter of apology had been received from the Eight Hon. J. G. Coates, who was nnable to attend the meeting owing to pressure of his Parliamentary duties. The members of the local branch, said Mr. Lambert, were fortunate in being able to welcome a member of the headquarters' council, and one who was inspired with the high ideals of the League. Tho Hon. Sir Thomas Mackenzie, M.L.C., also extended a hoarty welcome to the visitors, and spoke in high terms of the good work done by the League in welcoming and entertaining citizens from the Dominions on tour in Great Britain. . Referring to tho question of migration within the Empire, he suggested that it would probably have been a wise thing if some carefully planned system of settlement had been established in a vast territory like that of Australia—assistance being given to Hie settlers until they got a good start. A comparatively small country like New Zealand could, of course, only absorb a moderate number of migrants at a time. Allusion was also made by tho speaker to tho difficulties of promoting back country settlement owing to tho lure of the higher wages offe£ mg in the towns.

Mr. E. C. Jack said that many people wlio visited the Old Country had spoken in the warmest terms of appreciation of the welcome given to them by members of the Overseas League. Sir Henry Cowan , returned hearty thanks on behalf of himself, Lady Cowan, and Miss Cowan for the welcome which had been extended to them. The migration probjem, lie said, was a most difficult one: It was his desire to study the difficulties experienced in transferring people from the thicklypopulated Homeland to other, parts of the Empire whose development depended upon a large and fairly rapid increase of people of the right class. He thought that a practical policy'in this respect could be devised ana carried out successfully. He alluded to the good work done by Mr. Evelyn Wrench in connection with the founding of the Overseas League and the Englishspeaking Union. The Overseas League had branches not only throughout the Empire but in China-and other parts of Asia, as well as in 'the United States —in fact, wherever there were communities of British people. He brieily described the work of the headquarters of tho league in London, and said he saw no reason why the Wellington branch should not become a model one in every way.

The visitors then spent a social halfhour with the members of the league,