IRISH PREMIER’S VISIT

Taranaki Daily News, 7 December 1929, Page 11

IRISH PREMIER’S VISIT

CIVIC RECEPTION TENDERED

ULSTER’S LINKS WITH DOMINION.

ADDRESS BY LORD CRAIGAVON.

Cordiality and warm-heartedness were the dominating characteristics of the civic welcome accorded the Rt. Hon. Viscount' Craigavon and Viscountess Craigavon in New Plymouth last night. Premier of Northern Ireland, and therefore chief citizen of the country from which came the late Rt. Hon. W. F. Massey, one of New Zealand’s most honoured leaders, hero of stern political struggles that had intense loyalty to the Crown and constitution as their quickening spirit, the successful leader of the first Government in a newly-created State, it was no wonder that interest in the visit of Lord Craigavon and his- wife to Taranaki was keen. As the chief guest last night remarked, there arc many misapprehensions about his country and its inhabitants.

“Dour” is a description commonly applied to both, but anyone who heard her Prime Minister's s brief reference to Northern Ireland, her aims and the principles for which she stands, and who had the opportunity of making acquaintance with his genial personality, would find it necessary to revise his judgment. He might gain some impression also of the inestimable value of personal discussions between Minis-ters-of the . Crown in the various countries, which form the Commonwealth of British nations.

Primarily, however, the welcome given in the rooms of the Victoria League last night was personal. The Mayor of New Plymouth (Mr. H. V. S. Griffiths) presided and was supported by the deputy-mayor (Mr. S. G. Smith, M.P.), members and officials of the borough council and their wives, representatives . of other local organisations and institutions, and a large number of citizens. The Mayoress and Mr. D. Ardell, representing the New Zealand Government, accompanied the distinguished visitors.

GRATIFIED WITH VISIT.'

It was needless, said Mr. Griffiths, for him to say they felt extremely pleased and honoured by the visit to Taranaki and New Plymouth of Viscount and Viscountess Craigavon. When it was known that their distinguished guests

were sparing a few days of their brief stay in New Zealand for a visit, to Taranaki there was great satisfaction, and he desired to express, on behalf of the people of New Plymouth, their delight at seeing them. He had received apologies from Mr. Justice MacGregor,

Messrs. T. P. Hughson (chairman of the Opunake Harbour Board), A. Corkill (chairman of the Inglewood County Council), F. Ramsbottam (Mayor of Patea), H. G. Dickie, M.P., R. W. Tate, S.M., H. G. Sampson (president of the Agiicultural Society), E. A. Pacey

(Mayor of Hawera), H. Mead (chairman of the Manaia Town Board), J. Hine (chairman of. the Waitara Harbour Board), Captain and Mrs. Hartnell (R.S.A.), Mr. R. Cock (an ex-Mayor), and Mrs. Cock, Canon Strong, and Mr. F. Amoore (chairman of the New Plymouth Tourist and Expansion League). The gathering that evening was evidence of the desire to offer their guests a welcome. The province of Taranaki was the most closely " settled province in the Dominion and had proved its right to the title of the “garden of Ngw Zealand.” Any visit to New Zealand would be incomplete if it did not include a visit’ to the garden province. He hoped weather conditions would be such that their distinguished visitors

would have an opportunity of seeing some of the beauties of which they would have heard. Ho trusted that though Lord and Lady Craigavon were many miles from their own home they would feel they were really at home during their stay in New Plymouth and were among friends whose one desire was to make their stay as happy and enjoyable as was possible. He hoped their visit to the Dominion would result in increased bodily strength, and that when they returned to Ireland they would think their visit to one of the outposts of the Empire had been worth while. He trusted their visit would

serve to strengthen the links that bound New Zealand to the Homeland, and that they would take with them lasting and pleasant memories of the Dominion. ONE THING IN COMMON.

Mr. S. G. Smith, M.P. ; supported the Mayor’s remarks. Though the weather had not been pleasant, Lord Craigavon knew something of the dairying industry and would know the value of the rainfall to the province. Taranaki was proud of its productivity and of the quality of its exports. He had heard that New Zealand buttef' was known in Ulster, where it was alleged to be gold sometimes as “best Irish.” (Laughter.) In his public career, continued Mr. Smith, he had been identified with three Prime Ministers, and two out of the three had been Irishmen. One of them, the late Mr. Massey, had come from Lord Craigavon’s own country, and his death was mourned by all true and loyal citizens whatever their political opinions might be. He was pleased to have the opportunity of joining in a hearty welcome to their guests, whose visit, he trusted, would be one of pleasure and profit. At least they would find one thing in common between their country and New Zealand—the intense loyalty of 99 per cent, of the inhabitants of the Dominion to the Throne and Empire, and their intention to preserve all that wag best in the greatest Empire that ever existed.

Viscount Craigavon, who was greeted with loud applause, eaid he desired on behalf of his wife and himself to tender thanks to the Mayor and the member for the district for voicing such complimentary sentiments and according them a civic welcome. The welcome had been, he thought, more generous than any other among the many they had received in the Dominion. Whether it was deserved or not really did not matter, but the heartiness of their welcome at New Plymouth he and his wife would always remember.

but good said of New Zealand. Was it any wonder, therefore, that when he and his wife had decided to go abroad that they came to the Dominion? Their stay in this country might be short, but it was full of interest and information. Thanks to the cordiality of their welcome by the Prime Minister, whose health, he wag glad to hear, was improving, and thanks to his kindness and that of his Government, no two persons could have had a visit made more comfortable and enjoyable than theirs was being made. He had a great regajd for civic organisations. He had met mayors in all parts of the Dominions and found they were men who carried weight in the community and did a large amount of voluntary work. In his own country it was admitted that the office of Mayor was the stronghold of civic life. It was an old British institution, probably older than Parliament, and linked the people with the administration of their local affaire, and through that became a link also with the Crown. He had found in New Zealand that in addition to Mayors they had town clerks, and each borough he had .visited had usually the best town clerk in the country. The Press of New Zealand was admirable, continued Viscount Craigavon. He had been astounded at. the accuracy ;

and scope of the news it afforded, and | therefore his hearers were probably as | well informed in regard to Ulster as 1 those who lived there. If New Zea- ’ land held pride of place for loyalty in i these regions, his countrymen claimed they held it at the other pole. .People from his country had been ( long associated with the Dominion, and ; in Northern Ireland they - considered I. the people of New Zealand were their I “right hand brothers,” for he was con- j

vinced there was close analogy in the two peoples. When he left Ulster the best of good wishes were sent through him to the people of New Zealand, and when he went home he would take with him the warmest good wishes for his country from New Zealand.

FALSE IMPRESSIONS;

There was a good deal of false impression in regard to the people of his own land. They were supposed to spend all their time treading on each other’s coat-tails and creating rows and difficulties. Anyone visiting Ireland would soon lose that opinion. He would find they were all peaceful and amicable and that the old bitter feelings were gone. The truth was they were bending their energies towards progress in

manufactures and industry and less and less towards political strife. At the same time when an election came along —well, they knew how to elect! Their main concern, however, was to improve their trade and manufactures so as to be able to beat the competition from foreign countries. In this regard he was most anxious to ascertain whether the particular kind of flax used in their linen industry could

be grown in New Zealand. They could not grow themselves anything like the quantity required by their manufacturers. If New Zealand could help in this direction Ulster people would have much more pleasure in sending cheques for hundreds of thousands of pounds a year to New Zealand growers than in sending them to those of Central Europe, where social conditions were such as enabled, in his opinion, unfair competition with British producers. Whether flax cultivation was possible in New Zealand or not he was not aware, but he intended to find out.

It was his hope that some day the British Empire would be entirely selfsupporting in every way. He had heard much of New Zealand butter and how when mixed with Irish butter it was greatly improved. (Laughter). So when wool or any other product reached them from overseas they always tried to improve it.

IMPORTANCE OF QUALITY.

In this regard he -would like to urge upon New Zealand the importance of maintaining the good quality of its primary exports. No matter how hard times might be, or how great the temptation to act otherwise, they should always maintain their products at the highest possible level. He held a position which gave him opportunities of judging the keenness of the competition of rivals, and he urged the Dominion,

which had a secure hold in the British markets, never to allow deterioration in its products; to keep up quality always, and thus prevent other countries from breaking in on the trade that meant so much to New Zealand.

One binding link between his country and the Dominion was their common loyalty to His Majesty the King and the British constitution. He did not believe the accumulation of wealth made people happy. If a man had health,, was doing his best to make others happier, and was loyal to the Crown and Constitution, which was the main essence of British citizenship, he held the secret of real happiness. In Ulster they had fought and won the battle for the retention of that citizenship. It had been most, touching to his wife and himself to meet with such universal kindness and hospitality. Their home was 11,000 or 12,000 miles away and it might be given to some of his hearers to visit the Homeland. If they did he hoped they would not hesitate to call upon him, when he and Lady Craigavon would do their best to return some of the kindness and hospitality they had received in the “garden of New Zealand.”

At the conclusion of Lord Craigavon’s address an informal reception was held to give those present an opportunity of making personal acquaintance with the visitors.

During the evening musical items were supplied by Renton’s “Jack o’ Lantern” orchestra.

The programme arranged for the visitors during the remainder of their stay is as follows: —

9.30 a.m.—Tour by motor around town.

10.30 a.m.—Pukekura Park.—Morning tea.

11.30 a.m. —Leave for Hostel, North Egmont.

Evening free for informal gathering of Ulster people. On Sunday they leave by motor for Wanganui.