CITY'S WELCOME

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 58, 6 September 1938, Page 12

CITY'S WELCOME

SISTER COUNTRIES

COMMCfN AIMS & PROBLEMS

The cordial welcome of the citizens of Wellington to Sir Earle Page was expressed by the Mayor, and the welcome of the Government by the Hon.] P. Fraser and other speakers in the council chamber of the Town Hall today. The theme of each speech was the closeness of the bonds between Australia and New Zealand, possessing as they do common aims and common responsibilities. As Mayor, said Mr. Hislop, it was his privilege to welcome outstanding visitors to Wellington, on behalf of citizens, but never was the welcome more cordial than when it was extended to one from the sister Dominion of Australia, for the two countries had so much in common, from the very beginning of development to the present-day neighbourly position in the Pacific, and in personal likes and dislikes, in everyday tastes and habits. Though by distance the two countries might be a thousand miles apart, Australians and New Zealanders were in essence one people. One could not find a finer example of the feeling of deep friendship between the people of Australia and New Zealand than was shown last Anzac Day, when, at the invitation of Australia, a thousand Anzacs had .gone across to Sydney to march with 'Australian Anzacs, renewing the spirit of comradeship "in the days of the Great War. "We hope that when in 1939 and 1940 New Zealand celebrates her centenary a return will be paid, not only by Anzacs, but by thousands of people from Australia," added Mr. Hislop, who went on to express his thanks, as chairman of the Exhibition Company, to the Government of Australia for its co-operation in the Exhibition project. The ' Australian court, he said, was going to be an outstanding feature of the Exhibition. (Applause.) FURTHEST MEMBERS OF BRITISH COMMONWEALTH. Mr. Fraser said that he joined very cordially with the Mayor in welcoming Sir Earle Page in the name of the Prime Minister and on. behalf of the Government of New Zealand, and by the representation of the- Prime Minister the welcome became a national welcome as well. "Though we had never met until a few minutes ago," said Mr. Fraser, "we had talked together by telephone —between Canberra and Whangarei." The close association between Australia and New Zealand was no new thing, he said, for for a time New South Wales was the seat of administration of the new Colony of New Zealand. Always the relationships had been j close, and could not now be too close, for both were members of the British j Commonwealth, bound together as countries with common problems in the Pacific and actuated by the deter- ■ mination to do their part, whatever] position might arise, as members of the British Commonwealth. In addition to receiving visitors from Australia, New Zealand had sent men of outstanding ability and character to Australia; for instance, Sir George Grey, who in his last years had seen realised his dream of the Commonwealth. Sir George Grey was one of the really great men, the worth of whose work would be more and more appreciated in the years to come. Richard Seddon was another of New Zealand's great men, whose last public speech was made in Australia before he left on his last return to New Zealand.

Sir Earle Page, continued Mr. Fraser, was passing through New Zealand on his return to Australia after a series

of conferences fraught with economic and other consequences of the greatest importance- to the people of Australia and New Zealand. The result of those conferences could only be the strengthening of friendships of Anglo-Saxon peoples. Close as were the bonds between Australia and New Zealand today, they were destined to become closer still as the new era of fast air travel opened, said Mr. T. R. Barrer, speaking for the Wellington Harbour Board. In a very friendly way, Mr. Barrer talked of harbour magnificences in Sydney and elsewhere, with potted statistics as to area: Wellington, 30 square miles, practically every part of which is navigable; Sydney, 22 square miles. Australia and New Zealand, for all their deep and genuine friendship, were still rivals in trade. Australia was today making strenuous efforts to overhaul New Zealand in two main respects, butter and lamb, but there should be a market in the congested countries for all that New Zealand and Australia could produce. The welcome of members of the City Council was expressed by Councillor M. F. Luckie, who referred to the interchange of visits by sporting teams, which interchange, he added, amidst laughter, might very well be paralleled by an interchange between the very best potatoes, which New Zealand grew, and the very best oranges in the world, which Australia grew. SURPRISED AT DEVELOPMENT. "We in Australia take a good deal of pride that we started you off on the road 100 years ago; so much so, that in 1940 we will send a good many thousands of people across to see that you are carrying on the job as you should," said Sir Earle. As Minister of Commerce it had given him a good deal of pleasure in assisting to make the Australian exhibit worthy of the Centennial Exhibition; the several States were vicing with each other to make the display one well worth while. He had been very interested in the extraordinary improvement and development which had been made in 'New Zealand during the thirteen years since his last visit, particularly in the great hydro-electric developments at Arapuni and elsewhere, and in the wonderful results achieved in light soil areas, which then had been expanses of waste land. What had been achieved in those volcanic areas was an inspiration and a challenge to Australia to take in hand areas of her own land. Australia was very glad to cooperate with New, Zealand in the provision and improvement of communication and travel facilities. The Empire air-mail scheme would soon be complete between Britain and New Zealand through the establishment of the service between Australia and the Dominion, and interest was being stimulated by co-operation between the travel promotion organisations of both countries. Together Australia and New Zealand should be able to attract many more people from other parts of the world than either could do separately. "But," he continued, "there should also be the fullest interchange of visits of the rank and file of citizens, so that they can appreciate to the full the problems that are before them. Our destinies undoubtedly lie together. We are the two furthest outposts of the British Empire, yet, strange to say, we are the most British of all the Dominions; we have the greatest percentage i of British blood. We are destined to be the bulwark of civilisation for the principles of which Britain has always stood, and we can only be the bulwarks if we pull together and lend our joint weight to the building up of the Empire to that strength which is the i only guarantee of peace in the world."

The-proceedings were closed by the singing of the National Anthem.