MR MASSEY IN U S.A.

New Zealand Times, Volume L, Issue 11650, 15 October 1923, Page 4

MR MASSEY IN U S.A.

BRITISH-AMERICAN AMITY POSSIBILITIES OF TRADE. (Auckland “Star’s” Correspondent). SAN FRANCISCO, September 21. Concrete evidence of the undoubted increasing international amity existing between the people of America and their compatriots in the Antipodes was abundantly afforded on the arrival of the Hon. W. F. Massey, Prime Minister of New Zealand, in San Francisflo, California. when that distinguished statesman was on his way to attend the Imperial Conference in London. Thanks to the accelerated passage of the Tahiti, which incidentally established a record between the Antipodes and America, Mr Massey was able to stay in tho Californian metropolis ono day and two nights. In this limited time he surprised the hustling Americans with his agility in "doing the sights” of tho big city of San Francisco and collecting some useful data on American methods. On the day following his arrival in San Francisco Mr Massey was the central figure in a most interesting gathering in tho Commercial Olirb ol can Francisco, where some 300 outstanding personalities representing all shades of opinion and industry in Western America assembled. CHARMING SETTING. The setting of the function was of especial note. The Commercial Club has its quarters on the thirteenth floor of the palatial Merchants’ Exchange Building in the heart of the banking d : - • : r-t of San Frnr.'-jro and

on the roof of the commercial skyscraper is located the banqueting chamber of the club, enjoying aa it does a commanding new over the Bay of San Francisco, with mountain ranges in tho faraway distance and enterprising towns # dotted around the bay at frequent intervals. The banqueting hall, which is one of the most ornate in America, wore a festive garb, and when Mr Massey entered the hall he was received with deafening applause The visitor touched on numerous subjects during liis speech. Reftilir.g to the communication between the two countries, he remarked: “If we succeeded yesterday in lowering the time of travelling across tho Pacific why should we not maintain that accelerated passage ail the time? (Hear hear). If we oan continue on a short cued schedule it will mean a tremendous improvement in mutual trading relations, and from a business point of view it will rank as an incalculable advantage. As Prime Minister and Finance Minister I am expected to handle that question, as it will beno fit Now Zealand considerably. I am uct finding fault with travelling speed between the Antipodes and San Francisco, but I believe we are passing through a transition stage in the steamship transportation business. When T boarded the Tahiti at Welling-

- ton only a little more than a day be--5 yond a fortnight. I was thoroughly fag t ced out, run down and dead f heat ('laughter), but thanks to the i excellent voyage I have recovered my - strength and am feeling like a giant f refreshed. I had to drive Parliament - along, and had to get mattenp so adt vanned so as not to preclude my con s templated attendance at tho Imperial 1 Conference in London. “I am the only wartime Prime Minister left in the world nations, as all r the others have disappeared off the ■ stage. That occurs in politics, and i we must expect such events. Unf (ieubtedly I also will disappear off the e political stage, and this almost liapr pened a short time ago in New Zea- - land, but I have taken a new lease of life in Parliament.” SURPRISES AMERICANS. . l Mt Massey excited undisguised surt prise when he related how New Zea- - land had lowered its taxation in a r degree undreamed of in other countries t which had felt the war strain. “No country can be prosperous,” said Mr i Massey, “if that country has taxation 1 which is too heavy for the people. We - commenced to reduce taxation, and in f the current financial year we reduced i the income tax 20 per cent., and knock - • ed out half the land tax, eliminated half ■ the pmusement tax. and nbclishcd nil

tea tax. ‘JI baked my political career on t-hay. sv-imtion of taxation, as I know it lead to prosperity better than any obner agency. New Zealand has the highest per capita for production in the world. This sort of thing cannot be done without hard work. Our dairy farmers work at least twelve hours a day and l seven days a week. The result is that with such national energy New Zealand is getting back to prosperity quicker than if all the politicians in the world got together and tried to solve the problem of postwar rehabilitation and reconstruction.” (Applause.) ATTRACTIONS OF NEW ZEALAND. In asking Americans to visit New Zealand, Premier Massey asked them to call at the Houses .of Parliament, but he facetiously added that he could not always guarantee that tho discussion might be interesting. “TREMENDOUS SPORTS.” “We are tremendous sports in New Zealand,” he continued. “I get my sport out of politics, and if tho other fellow boats me I have to put up with it. Rugby football is the national pastime, and I suggest that if it can be arranged for some representative team to come to San Francisco. I will guarantee that they will give an exhibition IHot vil! i:it-re r i. r!! Anm-: -. fnr

■ New Zealand’s brand of football is p hard to beat.” Having referred to the o prowess of New Zealand teams in Brit- p i nin, Mr Massey launched into a dis- r- ■ oussion on horse racing in - New Zea- c ; land, and commented: “You might as s well try to stop the tide as try to ■ prevent a New Zealander from attending a horse race. I get my sport out l of that also, as I raised 600,000 pounds sterling by taxation in that direction > through the pari-mutuel machines.” 1 In the evening, when entertained at the Pacific-Union Club, Mr Massey- laid especial stress on the wool trade, believing that the present prohibitive , tariff of the U.S. would shortly be t materially reduced so ns to permit of ~ ’ extensive importation of Antipodean r I wools into America. As a Now- Zealand y - agriculturist lie felt much interested a 1 in this phase of trans-Pacific trade. v A NEW ZEALAND-REPRESENTA- d TIVE. ■ c t Interviewed by * cur correspondent c ,* concerning the appointment of a keen c r New Zealand business man as perma- c i nent New Zealand representative in f - Western America, Mr M.ussoy said he ; had long had that in view, but with tho j l present unsatisfactory American tariff - he could not see that any appointment 5 • oould be made, as trade was limited . r- V*:*’i t*- T

removal of the duty on wool trad# ooulcl be developed, and then the proposal to have a resident Government representative in America might be considered with better probability of such a proposition being sanctioned.