DOMINION AFFAIRS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3823, 21 June 1927, Page 75

DOMINION AFFAIRS.

SPEECH BY PRIME MINISTER. PALMERSTON N„ June 16. Visitors to the National Dairy Show to-day included the Prime Minister and the Hon. O. J. Hawkin, who w-ere the guests of the A. and P. Association at a smoke concert this evening. In response to the toast of his health, proposed by Sir Douglas Maclean, Mr Coates spoke on the necessity for greater effort on the Dominion’s part to assist the Mother Country in naval defence. He was sure, he said, that all would recognise that anything done to assist the Motherland with defence was the surest way to maintain the' peace of the world. He rvould not say, however, that New Zealand was not willing to assist in bringing about the peace of the world, but until that peace was brought about the Dominion did not want to be caught napping. Mr Coates referred to Great Britain’s gigantic task of post-war reconstruction, rearranging the economic and industrial system, and paying war debts. It was New Zealand’s duty to do its little bit tb helj) the Old Country. As 89 per cent, of the Dominion’s exports were purchased by Britain, it was the duty of New Zealanders to buy nothing but British goods, and thus put Britain in a better position to buy more of New Zealand’s exports. Referring to the unemployed problem, Mr Coates said that the Government was doing what it thought reasonable, but it was not its intention to take the whole responsibility for the unemployment that existed in the Dominion. The Prime Minister also touched briefly on the transport problem, and indicated the necessity of further taxation of users of the road to lift the burden of the upkeep of highways from the. shoulders of the taxpayers. He also referred to the establishment of an agricultural college in Palmerston North, which, he said, would greatly benefit the primary producer.