EMPIRE CONSOLIDATION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18355, 22 March 1923, Page 7

EMPIRE CONSOLIDATION.

NEW ZEALAND PEER'S PLEA

TRUST IN DOMINIONS.

BRITISH CLANS OVERSEAS.

By Teleßr«.ph—Preas Annotation— Copy.icb* (Received 4.5 p.m.) A. and N.Z. LONDON. March 21. Lord Strathspey, in a speech in the House of Lords, asked the Government to take steps to consult the Dominions for the purpose of shaping definite proposals for Empire consolidation. The Empire offered unrivalled opportunities for trade and commerce, but successive Governments had not taken advantage of the opportunities. The reason was that they had not sufficiently trusted the Dominions. The Dominions were simply told that war had broken out, and were expected to contribute blood and taxes. Lord Strathspey advocated reciprocal trading, and suggested that the High Commissioners should occupy seats in the House of Lords, with Dominion titles. If matters were allowed to continue as at present, it was an open question whether in two generations there would be any Empire left. What the clans had been to Scotland, so the Do minions were to England. If Britain mixed herself up with negroes, dagoes, and the riffraff of the world, instead of her own clans, the latter would look elsewhere. The Duke of Devonshire, Secretary of State for the Colonies, said that the present Parliament contained a stronger representation than any previous of those who had been privileged to participate in the affairs of the great Dominions. The Government was considering far-reaching proposals for the improvement of trade, which, ho believed, would lead to great development of the Empire's resources. Ho hoped within a few months to be privileged to welcome the Dominions' representatives to England, where a comprehensive programme Would be placed before them.

Lord Strathspey was born in Oamaru in 1879, the second son of the tenth Earl of Seaficld. Ho was educated at the Waitaki High School and St. John's College, and was employed in the New Zealand Civil Service from 1906 to 1913. He succeeded to the barony of Strathspey in 1915.