CONFIDENCE IN FUTURE

Southland Times, Issue 23227, 16 June 1937, Page 5

CONFIDENCE IN FUTURE

MR SAVAGE AND MR JORDAN NEW ZEALAND SOCIETY’S DINNER AND BALL (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright) (Received June 15, 7.30 p.m.) LONDON, June 15. The outstanding gathering of the New Zealand Society’s career was the Coronation . dinner and ball at the Savoy Hotel. Four hundred were present. The High Commissioner for New Zealand (Mr W. J. Jordan), proposing the health of the guest of honour—the Prime Minister (Mr M. J. Savage)— said that no man worthier had reached his goal. Mr Savage’s impelling desire was to be of service and assistance to his generation. No one was more fitted to lead the Government, because he was animated by sympathy, sincerity and ability. He had given weighty assistance to the Imperial Conference and had fruitfully served not only the Dominion but the Empire. Mr Savage, responding, said that Mr Jordan and he doubtless were once regarded as lunatics, but people were beginning to realize that there was something in what they advocated. New Zealand owed a lot to Britain. Some newspapers said they were not good enough to live up to their responsibility. “I challenge such people, in the years to come, to say we let them down,” said Mr Savage. “We will honour every obligation, and only ask for a fair deal. Ours is a simple philosophy: Every shilling Britain spent in New Zealand was a shilling to buy British manufactures.”

Nothing aroused greater enthusiasm than Mr Savage’s reference to the presence of the New Zealand cricketers, who, he said, had not disgraced New Zealand but had shown how to play a great game.