A FINE TRIBUTE

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 7, 8 July 1931, Page 18

A FINE TRIBUTE

NEW ZEALAND FIELDS

PRINCE GEORGE'S SPEECH

KEEN TO PAY VISIT

'-.it.was 011 the occasion of the New Zealand Society's "dinner in London in honour of the New Zealand cricket team that Prince George expressed the hope that he would be able to visit New Zealand very soon. "My father, the King, 'and two of my brothers have had opportunities' of visiting' the pepple of your iino country, and will ever re-_ member the genuine pleasure, of-their visits," said Prince George in replying to-the loyal toasts. "It Js .from'them I have learned not only of its beauties and the warm-hearted sympathy of its inhabitants, but also of the loyal welcome they received and -the generous hospitality they experienced. But I must not forget also to pay a tribute to your Maori people, whose unswerving devotion to the Crown, since the date of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, has won the admiration of the peoples of the world. (Qheers.) We see •in that devotion a tribute to fair rule and fair play'"which I. know can always be claimed for British administration. The progressive legislation of New Zealand, copied by many countries, has been a beacon for older lands where tradition and' custonls cause advance, even in social questions, to be of slow growth*' . ' . ■ "Since I have been heEe to-night, your chairman has1 invited,me to visit New Zealand. I. can" only hope that that visit will be veryvsopn. (Loud cheers.) In the recent trials of the earthquake New Zealan'ders showed themselves resolute,.'and-, self-reliant; and I have no doubt that in a very shprt time this sad event will be forgotten in the march of progress which is never long delayed in their great little country.' SPORTING ACTIVITIES. "I must, however, refer to-night to the opportunities offered by New Zealand to sportsmen. The fisherman, the stalker, the lover of winter sports, the racehorse owner, all. find .in New Zealand an almost unrivalled, field for their activities. New Zealand bred a world's tennis champion in Anthony Wilding; it sent to Aintreo Moifaa, the winnor of the Grand National, the greatest steeplechase iri the world, •which horse, it will be remembered, was purchased by my grandfather, the late King Edward. It has sent to this Country the finest football teams the world has ever known, one team having toured Britain without a single defeat. In the scientific world it has produced Lord Rutherford of Nelson; and last, but not least, it has sent a, cricket team to this countiy which had had the unique distinction at Lordfs, recently of dismissing a first-class team of the M.C.C. for 48 runs.. (Cheers.) I wonder was is in store for us in the Test match? Let me give a warning-to our seleetora —rdo not under-estiinate the : good team New Zealand has sent this year, whom we delight to honour to-night. , • PRODUCTIVE CAPACITY. "Now let me say a word as to tho great productive capacity of New Zealand, which will in the future bear a much greater population when huge areas still undeveloped are brought into cultivation. Some of us here wonder how a million and- a-half people can to-day do'trade with us 'in' and 'out' to the extent of £100,000,000 a year. We may wonder, but this is an accomplished fact, and when the ' economic blizzard' has passed, will bo repeated again.- The application of science to production (and we must remember that 94 per cent. of. the exports come from the grass lands of New Zealand) has increased, and will in,, future' .increase, the volume of the Dominion's exports; .while the goodwill her people show us, evidenced, as an example, by the preference, they give our exports, makes New Zealand a country worthy of our admiration and regard. (Cheers.) "KIA ORA TATAtr.(' "No wonder the character and ropu j tatkm of New Zealand, and of New Zealanders stand very high. When the. Mother Country sent its people as pioneers to settle on your lands," less than one hundred years ago, it laid the. foundation of a people who have brought honour to the parent stock. Let me wish them well, let me hope they will soon have the increased prosperity they deserve, and let us always 'remember that they are 'British products.' New Zealanders, Kia Ora Tatau (Good luck to all)." (Cheers.) LORD BRIDGBMAN'S SPEECH. Mentioning that ho, had visited New Zealand forty years ago, Lord Bridgeman said that ho could'remember as vividly to-day as he could a year after his visit tho beauty of the country and the'kindness and hospitality he received from the people. "Another thing which attracts mo towards New Zealanders," ho said,' "is the support I received from them in naval matters at the time that lI had tho 'honour of being First: Lord of the Admiralty. Australia provided two cruisers and New Zealand" gave a large sum for the Singapore Base, and between them they have done their share .in supporting the naval position of the Empire." :"' Lord' Bjridgeman: said he had looked through eight volumes 'of . Captain Cook's Voyages to find inspiration for his speech;'. His search :had not been of vory great help. However, he noted that Captain Cook made three voyages to New Zealand before the British Government would consent to the annexation of the country. Tho New Zealand cricketers had made two voyages to England. He hoped that on their third visit they would annex the coveted ashes, if there were any left by that time. Lord Bridgeman amused his audience by comparing tho beaten M.C.C. team to eleven frozen lambs. With .the gradual increase in temperature tho lambs would be thawed out find would then show a better form, "Tho New Zealanders," he said, "have produced in this country exactly the sort of cricket we want. They have produced cricket which is a delight to the people 'who see them play, and it has encouraged aomo oi! our, own team's, to win matchci! occasionally at-some-risk to themselves." ROYAL FAMILY'S PART. The. New Zealand High; Commissioner, Sir Thomas'- Wilford, thanked Prince George for his attendance. "I think," ho said, "the warmth'of the welcome must bo plain evidence of the fact that we appreciate his comiß-ij. I am satisfied he will go away from this gathering feeling that New Zoalanders have realised what a great part the Royal family is playing in Empiro matters to-day.. Some of the newspapers which have written about the cricket 'team havss called them tourists. They are not: tourists. They are sons of-the-old-stock come home to look at the Old Country and incidentally to try their strength'against those who are the pioneers and wonder cricketers of tho world." Sir Thomas Wilford went on to refer to the wonderful effect the gams of crickot had* had upon the nation. Referring to^a possible visit of Prince Goorgo to New Zealand, tho High Commissioner said: "I can assure him that he will get the same welcome as his brothers- received, and the rsnuie; ■welcome as his illustrious father. "W-hen-I gay 'his illustrious father,' majj I

digress for one moment and say that .his reign is melodious and of just pro-. portions, and our small part of the ■ British Empire, with no lip service, but with genuine feelings of regard and affection, pray that ho may long be spared to receive that greatest of God's blessings—good health." "FEOZEJT CAPITAL.'"' Sir Thomas Wilford then diverted to a subject about which he has spoken on more than one . occasion in recent months. There is no confidence, in this country, he said. He wished he could take tho financiers to New Zealand ,f or three months.- It would harden them up. There were millions of frozen capital in this country. It only wanted confidence to direct it into industry and enterprise. In :New Zealand they believed there were other places besides tho frying pan and.the fire; they had a saying that it was the sour faco that got stung by the " bee, and that thera could not be a shadow unless there .were a bright light shining, somewhere. He hoped all who had attended the dinner would go away at least with the impression that no matter what clouds overshadowed, no matter what i troubles had to be faced, there was I something in the character of British people which gave them tho. power to succeed notwithstanding.