VISCOUNT CRAIGAVON’S VISIT TO PALMERSTON

Manawatu Times, Volume LV, Issue 7134, 4 February 1930, Page 8

VISCOUNT CRAIGAVON’S VISIT TO PALMERSTON

Civic Reception

DISTINGUISHED VISITOR SOUNDS IMPERIAL NOTE

“A WONDERFUL COUNTRY,”

“I can only say that I am amazed at the perfection of your great bntter, cheese and casein factories, the varieties of your soil, and your modem implements and with the grit and determination of the present generation, which makes me feel that they are an honour to the pioneers who first broke the land.”

In theso words, Viscount Craigavon, Primo Minister of Northern Ireland, summarised his impressions of New Zealand, when replying yesterday to a civic welcome extended to Lady Craigavon and himself by the Palmerston North municipality. Viscount and Lady Craigavon, accompanied by the New Zealand Government representative, Mr.. G. Ardell, arrived by ear’from the Wairarapa during the afternoon and after lunch, paid a visit to Massey Agricultural College. The official welcome was held at 5 p.m. in the municipal chambers, Where the visitors were received by the Mayor (Mr. A. J. Graham) and members of the Borough Council. The body of* tho council chamber was filled by citizens. In welcoming Viscount _ and Lady Craigavon, his Worship paid a tribute to the part played by his lordship as soldier and statesman. Ho had done his duty as a soldier but as a statesman he had excelled; in many directions, by influence and example, he had played a great part in stabilising an important unit of the Empire. Viscount Craigavon was not visiting New Zealand in an official capacity but on a health trip. It was the speaker’s hope that the sunshine and New Zealand countryside would restore him to health and send his lordship back to his labours, reinvigorated in mind and body. Far as New Zealand was from the Old Country, even here it was realised what a sacrifice Viscount Craigavon had made when he renounced a brilliant career in British polities to take up an even greater work as Premier of Ulster. Mr. Graham then described the progress of Palmerston North, stressing its present prosperity and the wide and fertile district of which it was tho centre. Its progress had been. striking and in this connection bore witness to the sterling worth of the early settlers who had come overseas and played such a large part fin moulding the future of this country.

Unemployment Relief. “ While wo would assist tho Mother Country to relievo unemployment as far as possible,” said Mr. Graham, fear that tho economic conditions in this country at the-present are such that we can do no more in that direction. No doubt in tho course of your visit, you have realised that there are opportunities in this country for the immigrant of the right stamp and stamina; we have room here for workers and no doubt when the time comes, the Mother Country will send us out the men that are needed in this Dominion of ours. “You will recognise, Sir, concluded his Worship, “that in these islands of the southern seas, we are doing our little bit to build a nation and carry on the /traditions of the great British Empire of which we are proud to form a part. I trust that when you return to vour own country, you will make it known tiat this is a land well worth knowing and seeing, even as a visitor.

Ulster’s Industries. Viscount Craigavon in reply, expressed his appreciation of the compliment paid his wife and himself by the citizens of Palmerston North. _ As far as he himself was concerned, tne Mayor s remarks had been far too eulogistic but ho realised that the honour was really being accorded through him, to C °Lady‘Craigavon and himself had immensely enjoyed their visit to New Zealand. They had been ex raordinar ilv well treated and everything P°s'ble had been done to enable them to see the scenic beauties on one band and as far as he personally was concerned to obtain information which he hoped to use later for the benefit of his own p6 ltVs\e7tbe -bple prosperity of the country depended on three thiny -agriculture, shipbuilding and lmenmaking. That being . so, they wouli realise how valuable his visit to New Zealand would prove, m it ha enabled him to observe the progress in agricultural matters that had been made in the Dominion He had been most interested in bis visit to Massey College, which was an in - tution of the greatest importance, no only to Palmerston North, but to New Zealand as a whole. Pioneers’ Example.

In Ulster, they had seven national figures whoso names were remembered and whose lives were an example. In New Zealand, judging from the pictures and photographs ho had seen, they had innumerable pioneers, to whose great, example they could look up. He believed that the people of the Dominion were doing this -and that they were as virile and as anxious to get on as any of tho people at Home. , Shipbuilding, the second of Ulster s great industries, was most important to his country. At present, in Belfast yards, a 60,000 ton vessel was being built. When completed, this ship would be the largest afloat:

N.Z. Grown Flax. As far as linen was concerned, Ulster prided itself that it made the best in the world. He was anxious to come to New Zealand, however, in order that he might explore the possibilities oi obtaining in the Dominion, a flax which would make it possible to produce the linen wholly within the ambit of tho British. Empire. It was a stain on the British nation that hitherto it had not paid suflicient attention to its friends and its loyal sons and brothers abroad. At present, Ulster could produce only 12$ per cent of its own hemp. Thero

would bo much greater satisfaction to a British manufacturer in writing a cheque payable to a loyal New Zealander for raw material, than in writing the samo cheque to go to Soviet Russia, or some other country which took all it could get from Britain but would buy none of its manufactures. Ho felt that he had had a very well balanced visit to the Dominion. On the one hand, he had seen scenic wonders, whose like he had never dreamt existed and on the other hand, he had obtained most valuable information from experts of all descriptions, agriculturalists and pastoralists. Ho would return refreshed in' body and mind and prepared to undertake perhaps another 13 years of work. He’thanked them most cordially for the splendid welcome they had accorded himself , and his wife. . Viscount and Lady Craigavon arc the guests of Mrs. A. E. Russell, of “ Whararata," Fitzherbert avenue, during their stay in Palmerston North. This morning they will leave by car for Wellington, visiting Girls’ Flock House on route.