DOMINION PREMIERS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19958, 27 November 1926, Page 13

DOMINION PREMIERS

VISIT TO CLYDEBANK. THE AUSTRALIAN CRUISERS. GLASGOW’S BAN ON ALCOHOL. {Preu Association— by Telegraph—Copyright.) LONDON, November 25. Glasgow provided one of its most dismal days, fog and drizzle prevailing, for the visit of the dominion Prime Ministers. Mr Coates and party travelled early and separately from Edinburgh, ami Mr Bruce and the others followed later. . The Prime Ministers were welcomed at Aberconway by Sir Thomas Bell, chairman of Messrs Brown and Co., whose •works at Clydebank the visitors inspected. There they also saw the cruisers Australia and Canberra. The hull of the Australia is completed. She will be launched in February, and commissioned a year later. The Canberra will he launched in May. The work has been held up owing to the coal strike and lack of material. The cruisers will contain the latest improvements. In the language of an Australian officer on board, they will be the most efficient fighting machines permitted by the Washington Treaty. (Received Nov. 26, at 5.5 p.m.) Mrs Bruce, on board the Australia started the electrically-driven machinery for planing the edges of a gun-turret base, and took away the first shavings of the process. The party later saw the boilers and the complete turbine unit f or the new high-speed cruisers. Three Australian naval engineering officers. Commanders Ross and Mears. and Lieutenantcommander Carr, a brother of “Slip Carr, were presented to Mr and Mrs Bruce. Later Mr and Mrs Bruce and Mr Monroe were entertained by Glasgow commerce representatives at a luncheon at Messrs Brown's works, where there was a large attendance. Mr Bruce, who was unexpectedly called ©n to speak, delivered a most forceful speech for Empire defence by the dominions, who, he said, claimed the lights and privileges of the status defined by the Imperial Relations Committee, ami should shoulder corresponding burdens. Mr Coates’s party in the morning inspected Messrs Arrol’s works at Bridgeton. which recently received an order for £1,500,000 for steel work for the New Zealand railwayworkshops. They also saw the new turbine locomotive which was specially steamed up to give the visitors a ride to Messrs Boardmore, where they saw the engines of the new airships. All the dominion representatives took tea at the University, and in the evening they attended a dinner as the guests ®f the Glasgow Corporation. An all-day topic in Glasgow was the fcorporation’s year-old embargo against alcohol at municipal functions. The embargo was not removed even in honour of the dominion visitors. Light was thrown on the corporation’s drastic decision by a Glasgow citizen’s declaration that there was more drunkenness in Glasgow in one day than in a whole week in any other city, though it was not ent at present owing to the shocking unemployment.—A. and N.Z. Cable. EARLY DAYS OP NEW ZEALAND. TRIBUTE TO SCOTTISH PIONEERS. LONDON, November 26. (Received Nov. 26, at 9 p.m.) Mr Coates, speaking at the Corporation's banquet to the oversea Prime Min isters at Glasgow, paid a high tribute to the pioneering work done by the Scots in the early days of New ally in Otago. The earliest Scottish settlers, he said, had shown wonderful forethought in their provision for education, with the result that Otago University was esteemed throughout the world. Sir Robert Horne said that in the present times of difficulty, disappointment, and distress it was good to remember that they had a mighty collection of sister nations still permeated by the spirit of youth which furnished an inspiration for new encouragement. He mentioned that after attending the metallurgical conference in Canada next August he would go to spend a few weeks in New Zealand and Australia. —A. and N.Z. Cable.