COMMERCIAL MEN WANTED

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10542, 19 March 1920, Page 6

COMMERCIAL MEN WANTED

FOR CONSTRUCTIVE ABILITY AND STRAIGHT DEALING.

'I regret that so few commercial ..men are in 'the House of Representatives," stated the Hon. Arthur Myers at i the Commercial Travellers’ Club farewell yesterday. ‘‘Constructive ability rests with the commercial man. It is his business. He has to solve problems and look ahead, and in the light of experience gained, lay down a policy and work up to that policy j and I believe that the 1 commercial men embody the particular ideal of constructive power more than any other section of the community. (Applause.) The Hon. W. D. S. MaoDonold is in tho happy position of being not only a farmer, bub a commercial man, having as a young man had a training in a hank." lie had another complaint, or regret, he added, and that was that enough commercial men did not offer their services in. the political field. Ho believed that as _ a class they were too selfish in looking after the “almighty dollar." (daughter.) Probably, tho majority of them could not spare the time for political work; but ho thought there were men whose ripe experience would he of incalculable value to their country. (Applause.) He jegretted that their chairman (Mr M. A. Oarr) was not a member of the House, no matter to what party he belonged. (Applause.) He had always been impressed during his travels-by the high moral standing of the commercial men of New Zea/land. Ho said that as a New Zealander, and was perhaps somewhat biased ; but ho ventured to say that it was absolutely the fact, because they knew of the enormous transactions that were carried daily by simple word of month, and it was almost an un- ' heard-of thing to find that any commercial man had broken his word. (Hear, hear.) So that they were playing a very important part in the life of tho community. Not only did their influence extend throughout the commercial classes, but also he ventured to say, to other classes to a much larger extent than they imagined. (Applause.) It had had an effect, on our politics. Ho thought that our politics in New Zealand were clean, cleaner than in any other part of- the world. (Applause.) He had felt his responsibility as Minister for , Muni,, tions; and ho was prond to say that Now Zealand was the only country in the world that never had a scandal in regard to thnt department. (Applause.) They had only kept up in that department to the standard that the whole commercial community was setting in regard to the fairness of their dealing?. (Applause.)