SPEECH FROM THRONE

Taranaki Daily News, 17 December 1926, Page 9

SPEECH FROM THRONE

REVIEW OF THE EMPIRE FRUITS OF CONFERENCE DUKE OF YORK’S TOUR By Telegraph—Press Asas.—Copyright. London, Dee. 15. The King’s speech at the prorogation of Parliament opened by expressing great pleasure in acceding to tlse wishes of his Ministers in the Commonweal tn of Australia that his son and daughter-in-law should visit Australia for the inauguration of the new Federal capital at Canberra. “They will extend their visit to New Zealand at the invitation of my Ministers in that Dominion, and in the course of their journeys will be able to see several colonies,” the speech continued. “The occasion of thus personally renewing the ties of affection uniting my family with the peoples of the different parts of the Empire will, I know, be as welcome to the Duke and Duchess of York to-day as it was to the Queen and myself over 25 years ago. “I rejoiced at the opportunity of the recent meeting of the Imperial Conference to welcome in London so many of my Ministers from the Dominions and representatives of the Empire in India. The report of the proceedings of the Conference bears eloquent testimony to the spirit of goodwill and mutual understanding which marked the deliberations. I am confident its work will prove of lasting value in all parts of my Empire. “The situation in China is being watched by my Government with the closest attention. Our country is animated by strong sympathy with the vast majority of the Chinese who aspire for settled conditions, a new era of prosperity and friendly relations with foreign Powers.” The King alluded to the most protracted and most ruinous industrial conflict in the nation’s history, stating that his hope, expressed in his last speech, that the report of the Royal Commission would pave the way to a peaceful solution, had not been fulfilled. He said: “It remains for us to unite in effacing the bitter memories and to set our eyes steadfastly on the future, inspired by a common impulse towards the genuine fellowship and sustained endeavour on which alone the prosperity and happiness of my people can firmly be based.” f. The speech mentions the continuance of the improvement of housing accommodation, a larger number of new houses having been completed than in any previous year. It alludes to the passage of the Electricity Bill as an important step in the provision of electrical energy throughout the country, and states that assent has been given to a measure to provide for the marking of imported agricultural produce and manufactured goods and indicating their origin, to enable the purchasing community to give preference to goods produced in Britain and other parts of the Empire.