DESTINIES LINKED

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 8 September 1938, Page 10

DESTINIES LINKED

AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND FEDERAL MINISTER'S VIEWS rTTnited Press Association! WELLINGTON, 7th September. 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 Page. Deputy-Prime Minister of Australia, replying to speeches at a civic reception yesterday. As Minister of Commerce, he said, it had given him a good deal of pleasure in assisting to make the Australian exhibit worthy of the Centennial Exhibition. Several States were vying with each other to make the display one well worth while. He had been very interested. Sir Earle continued, in the extraordinary improvement and development which had been made in New Zealand during the 13 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 had then 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, Sir Earle said, was very glad to co-operate 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 a service between Australia and the Dominion, and interest was being stimulated by co-operation between the travel-promotion organisations in 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 and yet, strange to say, we are the most British of all the Dominions. We have the greatest percentage of British blood. We are destined to be the bulwark of civilisation, for the principles of which Britain has always stood, and we can be the bulwarks only if we pull together and lend our joint weight to the building up of the Empire to that strength which is the only guarantee of peace in the world.”