A VISITOR'S IMPRESSIONS

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXII, Issue LXII, 8 June 1912, Page 8

A VISITOR'S IMPRESSIONS

WHAT THE DOMINION REQUIRES

MR JAMES BRYCE'S VIEWS

By TELEGBAPH- PRESS ASSOCIATION

ROTORUA, June 7. The Right Hon. James Bryce, British Ambassador to Washington, was the guest at a Chamber of Commerce dinner last night. Replying to a toast he said that he had been struck with the rapid growth of our exports, but had also been struck with the great need for closer settlement. Strenuous efforts should be made to settle the country. That would be good for everybody— good for the working men, good for the landlord, good for the export houses, and good for commerce. The reputation of our staple products in England was ■so established that the Old Country would take as much as we could send. Mr Bryce referred to the possibilities of trade with Canada, which would take a great number of things we could export. The strength of the Empire was not to be measured in the figures of commerce, but in active trade, which implied closer intercourse between component nations. Canada had granted the most liberal facilities for settlement, and he predicted that within 25 or 30 years there would' be comparatively very little land available. As regards the Panama Canal, Mi- Bryce said that the opening would effect only a very small saviner in time between England and New Zealand, but it would greatly shorten the distance between the United States and Canada and New Zealand. This would have a very important influence on the trade of this Dominion. He had every reason to believe that the dues on the Panama Canal would be comparatively low, in order to encourage commerce, as much as possible. Touching briefly on the Question of imxr"oration, he said tha+. if the people of Great Britain were but aware of what an attractive country this was immigration would go on in-ei-easino;, nnd it was for us to facilitate that immigration. We had immense advantages and splendid opportunities. We had none of the traditions and none of th« habits that sometimes fettered the Old Country.