EMPIRE PARLIAMENTARY ASSOCIATION

Evening Star, Issue 15432, 4 March 1914, Page 6

EMPIRE PARLIAMENTARY ASSOCIATION

MR DENHAM AND MR MYERS ENTERTAINED. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyrigli« LONDON, March 3. (Received March 4, at 9.35 a.m.) The Colonial Secretary (Mr Harcourt) presided at the Empire parliamentarians' luncheon to Mr Devtham (Premier of Queensland) and Mr Myers (M.P., New Zealand) at the House of Commons. The Duke of Argvil, Lord Bryce, Lord Plunket, Sir T. B. Robinson (AgentGeneral for West Australia), and many M.P.s and their wives were present. Lord Emmott. in proposing the health of the guests, paid a tribute to Australia and New Zealand for their reception of the British parliamentarians. The social legislation of those Dominions was deeply interesting. It was inspired by the desire to benefit the millions rather than the millionaires. Mr Denham advocated that State Parliaments should be incorj>orated in a Parliamentary Association on the same terms as the Commonwealth. Britishers often- forgot that the Australian States had sovereign rights. Mr Myers detailed the reproductive character of the New Zealand Debt, the popularity of the defenoo system, and explained the tendencies of the DomintonV

The Duke of Argyll said that the Mother Land should take hints from the experience of tho oversea States. The Dominions, in many aspects of democracy, weTe older than they were, and had given them a lead in making patriotic sacrifices on behalf of defence.