SIGNAL HONOUR

Evening Star, Issue 22578, 20 February 1937, Page 21

SIGNAL HONOUR

MR SAVAGE TO ADDRESS INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE [Per United Press Association.] CHRISTCHURCH, Fehuary 19. In addition to attending the Imperial Conference when he goes to England shortly, the Prime Minister (the Right Hon. M. J. Savage) will also have the unusual honour of addressing members of the International Labour Conference on.thd legislation and policy of his Government. , In an interview to-day Mr Savage said that the director of the International Labour Office had written to him mentioning that the legislation of the Government of New Zealand had attracted the interest of other countries, and suggesting that he might like to address the conference in June. Mr Savage said that ho had .accepted the offer, and would give the conference some idea of the legislation of last session, the proposed new measures, and a general outline of the policy of the Government. His visit to the conference would not clash in any way with that of the Minister of Labour (Mr Armstrong), who was being sent to Geneva bv the Government as its official Ministerial delegate. FOUNDATIONS OF PEACE. After acknowledging the welcome at Christchurch Mr Savage referred to his coming visit to Great Britain. “ The voice of New Zealand, if it is heard at all, must be heard in the direction of trying to put the world of to-day and of the future on a peace basis. Wo must, however, make the foundations safe before'the superstructure is worth much, and for that reason it will be necessary first to settle the economic problems which at present confront the nations. “ I will soon be taking part in an Imperial Conference, which will probably be the most important ever held,” Mr Savage added. “ I am optimistic enough to believe that those who will assemble there will be able to rise high enough to devise suitable methods of utilising to the full the huge resources contained in the territories over which their flag flies.” The purpose of the conference would be to develop trade as far as possible within the British Commonwealth of Nations. International trade was a secondary consideration, but it could be taken for granted that, if all members of the British Commonwealth were prosperous, wealthy communities, other nations of the world would be eager to trade with them. SUREST MEANS OF DEFENCE. “ There is ample room on the earth’s surface for the whole of humanity,” Mr Savage continued. “No partic-ii? lar section has any right to a monopoly. We in New Zealand have no strong claim to the territory we hold unless we secure the population necessary to develop it to the fullest extent. That in itself would be our surest method of defence, for it would no longer provide the same temptation to the covetousness of other peoples. Our responsibility as the Government of this country will be to see that newcomers have a place to lay their heads and tho right and the opportunity to earn a living. The problem is one which affects other dominions equally with ourselves, but I make bold to say that the Tmncria! Conference will face it« responsibilities in this resnect.”