THE PRIME MINISTER.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 15593, 9 August 1921, Page 8

THE PRIME MINISTER.

BUSY IN LONDON. THE CONEEREXCE AND OTHER UUSISESS. (Social to toe Herald.l LUNUUN, Juno 20. ■ With live opening of theliupeiiul Con. forenett to-day, the work of the • Prime Minister (the Right Hon. W. F. Alassoy) has become more directly eoncaiitiatt'cl upon that particular and most, important phase of his mission here. The time available oii the journey from New Zealand enabled him to devote himself more than would otherwise have boon possible to the various problems likely to bo discussed—there has • never been any fixed tigehdtt issued, and there is not now—and to the leading of nil obtainable views of other overseas and Imperial statesmen thereon, and all the published ideas of those who are not statesmen, but writers of standing. This enabled him to go t.o the Conference well-equipped, but each' dny.•«* the discussion progresses, and the views of the different Dominions are -stated on -the various subjects, will require its ' ujn'ii Miid.y and preparation]' The task is not a. light one, and it has demanded the almost total seclusion of the overseas representatives from all the numerous functions that 'hospitable London has preferred them. The hospitality indeed has been particularly marked this year. .Mr. Masscy is the doyen of the Overseas Prime Ministers, is now well known in London, and as the Dominion is also very popular over here he . has conic in for ii very ltirge share of the honois. Tlii* token of regard has been shown pttrUcularly in the number of requests ln.:i h;iVi! been made to, him to sp'da'k at public fi notions. The Prime Minister, however, has been out- very little., and has only attended the most important of the gatherings.."

The work apart from the conference has been heavy. Mr. Massoy left the Dominion with particular tasks besides attendance at the Imperial Conference to fulfil, and what with the business Concocted with this work, and the interviews inseparable from a Prime Minis tor's life, he has'*befell kept to ; his office in the Hotel Cecil almost:-'continuously from 9. a.m. till 7 p.m., and sometime? later. After dinner he- usually prepares for next day's problems/' There hav< been finance, shipping-, freights, woo profits, immigration, and produce markets to alUiuj to. and though'*there an no developments yet to chronicle in re gard tu any of them, much has'been done. In the wool profits matter, ii the middle of negotiations an article appeared in leading London papers ob viously inspired giving' reasons .why New Zealand should not expect a share ol the earlier profits in view of more'• reCent losses, and Mr. Massoy replied to this with a full statement of the transaction, and of the position now arising. There.was no further, reply in the press, and tile private negotiations are proceed-

At the annual Rhodes" Seholarshij Trust dinner at Oxford. Mr. Masscy 'hat a most popular reception. It was i. notable gathering at which 300- studenti besides visitors were present. He sat oi the immediate right of the Chairinai (Lord Miluer),. and was the chief overseas speaker. Mr. Massey in his speech, which lie had been at some pains to pre pave iii view of the importance of tin gathering, and which he delivered in hi; best form, dealt with the great idea! o Rhodes in the inauguration of his scholar-

ships, the significance of his step in Em pile building, and his hope that fin British Empire, and perhaps the English, speaking peoples would ultimately bj their onion and strength be able to preserve peace and serve humanity. H< also briefly touched upon the business of the Conference. His remarks fount considerable favor in the press all ove: Britain, and some of the papers based lending articled upon tiieni. The fune lion was held on a Saturday evening. and Mr. Massey journeyed to Oxford by motor-car. and returned the same night arrivinu in London at 2 a.m.

An Incident on the road during th 'return journey which showed the vigil |anco of the police in regard to. Soiii iFeiners has already been chronicled by ipiess Association, whose representative jwjts in the car. I Other functions which Mr. Massey Inn attended as the chief.guest have been a luncheon at the Baltic Exchange, tin great centre of British shipping activities, at which he was entertained by Mr. It. J. Turner, a prominent niembe of the Exchange and principal of tin shipping firm of Turner, Davidson am Co., to enable members oi the Exchange to moot him, and the annual dinner o the Associated British Ghambcis of Commerce, an important- function attendet by delegates from the various Chamber: of Commerce of Britain. This dinner'always succeeds the annual Conference Mr. Massey was received with cheers oi rising to respond to the toast of -tinBritish Commonwealth', and his remarks. urging the greater development of inter Imperial trade, illustrated • with figures which showed the extent to which tint development could take place, were w*ell received. He also gave the delegates i brief outline of the -trade'- wiiicii Nov, Zealand does with the Empire in he imports, and exports, and supplied the sum of her war exports to Britain. Then are all mutters noon which 'the average person at Homo is not exceedingly well informed.

j Another important function attended by the Prime Minister was a dirinei given by the .Empire Development Committee of tlie House of Commons., Thy movement for which tlio committee stands has considerable possibilities, and the fund ion atl.rud.ed a-, good deal ot attention. The chief speech of the even, ing was delivered by Mr. Winston Churchill, a speech which pleased Mr. Massey veiy mueh, as he said in publre on a subsequent, occasion, beeausce of its straight.-forward, manly declaration <jf Ihe duty of Britain to the Dominions, of the latter to the Mother and of Uie Empire to humanity. . Mr. Massey had only just begun to speak 'vvheii two divisions of tin: House of Commons, which was sitting, following rapidly upon one anuthtT. and heralded by the usual ringing of the bells, interrupted him and shortened proceeding's. He'. •• however, was enabled to lay stress on tlie possibilities of development of trade within the Empire, especially emphasising Britain's capaeity'to draw more upon the raw material- ami produce of the Dominions and Crown colonies. On the loth inst.. th.j Prime .Minister lunched al Downing tit reel with Mr. Churchill, ami also on another occasion attended the luncheon to Mr. Hughes bv ihe Australian and New Zealand Club, lie was present as a special guest at Hie Royal Colonial Institute early in Hie mouth when Sir Jehu Pindhiy 'iistd a naper upon the Imperial Conference and Empire matters. Mr. Massey. in jespousu to a reipiesl for a speech, spoke' very briefly on lines he had previously taken. An afternoon reception bv Ki'r .Tames and Lad\ Allen at New Zealand House, the Strand, enabled 'Mr. Massey i" nici'i a large number of New* Zea laud artists and' journalists who are at present in London. Miss Fjosina Buck--1111:11 was amongst those present, and Mr. and Mrs. Massey wore also there, and the gathering 'proved extremely pleasant. •Sir Thu m Linton entertained Mr.. Mrs., and .Miss Massuy on Sunday last al his lynie ju.si north of Loudon. "There were distinguished l guests present, and one of the pleasant surprises -was unfolded after dinner, when the parly were taken in two motor-ears, with, two huge sacks of boxes of chocolates. The übject of (he ride w«is slioi'lly diselosed, for on reaching a village- a uiimber«of small PLAYING THE GAME. By not playing the gajnc you cannot, hope to win out. To win, earn, or enioy the fruits of victory, you must playfair. The trophy you receive is not the real prijw; the real reward lies in the •satisfaction you get through worthy .•seluevelueifi. WE Want to gain for th'o firm of Brinies, Ltd., tlife pest wishes i' l ' our Wo try to play tl)c game, In these days of nigh prices the public' do not always realise how hard a tusk it is to carry on a business. ; All business Louses are up against it to-day. Our only satisfaction is, aa the weeks go-by, we are making new customers, which shows that, tjio people realise that I'niiie'*, Liil., :m-o p'syhtg lii* i.';'uiß."

~ ''- "-*;.-- . i".....;i,.»Jv.*-'. chtidrohT'wlio w»re obviuasl.v oh the qui vive, rushed the cur* Tifid liu-h* o»> »-o them thai! the 'hitler were pulled up. Mil' chocolates were then distributed amongst llu'im This is ol.e of Sir! * Stomas Liploh's weekly pleasures, and ;il was ohlv just reciiiUv that the' cliiiutoi! have learlled wlio lie really is; j It was (it one limb expected that the overseas Prime Ministers would all end the opening of the Ulster Parliament. Owing to Mr. Lloyd George's illness, however, and the consequent postponement of the Conference for a few days, 'the visit had-to be foregone, j Mr/ MnSey has written a preface for a book by a New Zeala'nder. Mr. Mous- _ ley, oil the subject of Imperial Educa- ; tion, and deaEng more particularly with I thy Imperial Conference. Mo has boon ( fetflteslwl to eofitiibul.» similarly by : other writers and authors—another <]enarbmetjt of work of a Prime Minister in London.