LORD LOVAT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20317, 27 January 1928, Page 9

LORD LOVAT

PROPOSED TOUR OF DOMINIONS QUESTION OF ITS NECESSITY. (Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright.) LONDON, January 25. The Daily Express editorially disagrees that Lord Lovat’s proposed tour would result in national and imperial advantage, especially in view of the fact that Mr Amery is just completing his tour. The suggestion that he should go gallivanting to the dominions for months at the public expense strains the requirements of the office too much. The dominions know their business, and, if Lord Lovat does not, he can easily and inexpensively ascertain it from the dominions offices in London. Let ns get on with the actual job instead of running expensive trips to talk about it. In other words, let us send out emigrants, not Lord Lovat.” —A. and N.Z. Cable. REPLY TO CRITICISM. PRINCIPAL PURPOSES OF TOUR. LONDON, January 25. Referring to the criticism of Lord Lovat, the Dominions Office explains that the tour is not duplicating Mr Amery’s, but is complementary to it. The principal purposes relate to migration and forestry The first arises out of his chairmanship of the Overseas Settlement Committee,_ by means of which Lord Lovat is responsible for the expenditure of £3,000,000 annually, necessitating the closest co-operation with the dominions and an intimate knowledge of their conditions and requirements, which Mr Amery studied on broad lines. Lord Lovat proposes giving his attention to details which the committee’s experience has demonstrated are not obtainable second-hand, except unsatisfactorilySecondly, Lord Lovat is acknowledged as the chief authority on forestry in Britain, and the Dominions Office hopes that the tour will enlarge his knowledge of Empire forestry.—A. and N.Z. Cable. A message received in December last stated that Lord,Lovat sails for Canada in July, thence to New Zealand and Australia, and possibly South Africa, returning to England in December. In an interview, he said that his principal purpose as chairman of the Oversea Settlement Committee was to investigate and report both on individual and family settlement in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, and also, as chairman of the Forestry Commission, to investigate the forestry resources of the dominion. His departure from England was arranged for mid-year to enable exhaustive consultations with Mr Amery, who is expected home in March.