THE HIGH COIIiItSSIOXERSIiIP.

Otago Witness, Issue 2848, 14 October 1908, Page 89

THE HIGH COIIiItSSIOXERSIiIP.

HON. MR HALL-JONES APPOINTED. A POPULAR SELECTION. WELLINGTON, October 9. In the House of Representatives this evening Sir J. G. Ward stated that, in connection with the resignation of the Hon. W. P. P.eeves, he desired to make an announcement regarding that gentleman's successor as High Commissioner. At a Cabinet meeting that afternoon it hrd been decided to offc-r the position to the Hon. Mr Hall-Jones. — (Loud applause.) He would be appointed as from December 1 next, and he would say that whilst he (Sir J. G. Ward) and his colleagues regretted very much tire proximity of the severance of their ssfociation with Mr Hall-Jones in the Cabinet that regret wi-6 tempered by the knowledge of th? fact that his long and faithful service as a Cabinet Minister ha<l more than earned for him the position which he was to fill.— (Hear, hear.) He felt satisfied that the country wo old endorse the Cabinet's docisien. — (Hear, herr.) Mr Hall-Jcncs h.'id devotedly fulfilled all the Ctiiti«s aligned to him, and his zeal and faithfulness were a guarantee of the manner in which he would carry out his duties in Ljbndbn. On behalf of Parliament he desired to wish Mi* Hall-Jones every success, and hoped he would ever enjoy good health m tlie position towhich he had been • appointed. — (Applause.) He wished to add that Mr Reeves would continue to fill the petition till the end of November, and he would pay a tribute to the work douo by Mr Reeves for New Zealand in London. —Everybody In-ew something of that woik. but nobody could know it as fi)7iy and ps completely as those who had i>ssii iniimat-elj.- accoeiat^d with him in the public administration. Mr Reeves was a man who was highly respected in London, and whose knowledge of finance hod been very valuable. To his (Sir J. G. Ward's) own knowledge Ml* Reeves had iaved this country several thousand pounds annually in connection with the pecent loan operations. Able and alert, Mr Keeves had been a most valuable officer, and would always be a friend of New Zealand w ith his voice and pen. — {Applause. ) Mr MASSEY 6aid he desired to congratulate Mr Hall-Jones upon his appointment as High Commissioner. They had often eroded svrorJs. but he (Mr Massoy) w?£ quite of the same way of thinking as tho Prime Minister — namely, that Mr Hal Jon«s h-«d fully earned the high distinction coiiitri-ed upon him. — (Hear, hear.) He vas confident that a.High Commiy-s-ioner Mr Hall-Jcncs would serve New Zealand quite as ably and as faithfully as Mr ReeVes h*ad done. — (Applause.) ifr Hall- Jones, on rising to reply, was received with loud and prolonged applause. He said h? desired to take that opportunity to thank the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, and ki^Jbrother members for the manner in which they had received tlis announcement . He was fullr con-sciooe of the arduous task ha was undertaking — a t;.sk which must become etill mere arduous year by year as the resources of the Dominion developed. Although it would be a wrench for him to lea\e his colleagues and the conntiy in which he had worked with them for co long he would go to London feeling that there he would l*e doing u=eful work for them, and that thus they would fetiil be working hand-in-hand for the welfare and prosperity of New Zealand. — (Loud applause.)