HANDS ACROSS THE SEA

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7039, 29 January 1910, Page 6

HANDS ACROSS THE SEA

NEW ZEALAND'S RELATIONS WITH AUSTRALIA. ADVICE BY THE HON. C. G. WADE. The guest of honour at the New Zealand Club luncheon yesterday was tho Hon. C. G. Wade, Premier of NewSouth Wales, who subsequently delivered a short but interesting speech, which was followed with clo.;o attention. In introducing Mr Wade to tho company, Mr P. C. Frcotli, who presided, said that ho was sure all members of the club wore only too pleased to meet so distinguished a visitor and hear what he might have to say.

Mr Wado began by admitting that he had been overwhelmed with kindness ever sinco he had been in. New Zealand. Ho welcomed the opportunity which had been presented to him of seeking information at first hand on many problems which the Dominion was working out, and also of. visiting the country and viewing for himself the scenic wonders which in so many respects wore different from those in Australia. After referring at somo j length to the industrial position in New South Wales (his remarks being reported under a separate heading), Mr Wade spoke of tho relations which should exist between New Zealand and Australia. Ho need hardly remind his hearers, ho said, that the two peoples camo from a common stock an<! ihad interests, sympathies and aspirations of tho sarao kind. "As wo grow and dovolop," he said, "naturally our wealth must become a matter of jealousy to those hungrier over-popu-lated nations that are not over wealthy. There is always tho danger, yearly becoming more and more evidenced, that our wealth and resources may bo tho reason for attracting to our shores strangers -who are not tourists and may become permanent residents. It is the.-ofore incumbent upon us all to cultivate that closer spirit of association

and common purpose by taking every opportunity of mingling ..with each other. . I therefore welcome any increase of facilities for travelling be-tween-New Zealand and Australia, and am sure that if the expense were less there would, ibe many more, travelling to and fro." Mr Wade said that the tourist ' attractions here were well worth the long journey, hut advised tihe authorities to see that ho vexatious increases of charges were imposed. "While at Eotorua he had heard tourists express resentment at being loaded with further charges and tolls. The trip he had. had in New Zealand had) been of the deepest interest to him" in every, senso and (his only feeling now was a desire to come back again soon and complete the exploring ho had loft half done. If asked to. recommend to his friends a place where they could forget all sorrow and see much prosperity, ho would send them over to New Zealand.

Tho British elections, which are now in full swing, will not lie completed before February. To colonials accustomed to see therr elections finished in one day, the British system seems incomprehensible. In Britain, however, there is no one man one vote. Outof a totai pop» 43,000,000, votes are held by only 7,000,000. Plural voting is still the order of the day. The» land-ow-nang classesi have.votes in in which they hold property, and it is simply a. survival of the bad old days that permits the elections to be so arranged that the plural voter can register all the votes at his command. This necessarily -gives the property owners relatively much, greater, power to dewdean us» «t tto polls than that possessed by the householders who pay not Jess than £lO per year in rent. Those who pay less •■ than that, of course, have no vore.