BANQUET TO SIR G. REID.

West Coast Times, 17 March 1910, Page 3

BANQUET TO SIR G. REID.

IMPERIAL SPEECHIFYING

(PER PRESS ASSOCIATION. —COPYRIGHT )

LONDON. March 16,

Earl Crewe, speaking at a banquet tendered to Sir George Reid, High Commissioner for the Commonwealth, said the duties of the Ageuts-General were in nowise entrenched upon by Sir G. Reid’s arrival. He thought the comparison of a High Commissioner or an Agent-General to an Amahssador was singularly infelicitous. Ho preferred to regard them as Imperial Statesmen, whose duties were partly to look after that part of the Empire which they represent, but also they should be able to give opinions on the many Imperial problems without party trammels. He thought it was unlikely that the present arrangements, whereby the Secretary of the Colonies looked after the business connected with the oversea dominions and Crown colonies would be permanent. The separation of these duties would be probble within the nor future. The idea of an Imperial Council could be promoted by the taking of the oversea dominions into conference, and whenever the interests of the dominions were concerned with our diplomatic problems, the placing of the utmost confidence in the statesmen of the dominions.

Sir George Reid, replying, recalled the rich stream of emigration that had flowed in the early days to the Australasian goldfields. “We now,” he said, “saw in the rising greatness of Australia, in her rapidly increasing strength, and her growing volume of trade—the magnificent dividends which Australia was rendering under the British colonisation enterprise.” The Australian system of Government

ieiiresented, perhaps, the largest measure of trust in the people and freedom fur the community that to-day was visible on the world’s face. 'I he task of developing the Commonwealth was just as much an Imperial task as the settling of the Home political difficulties, and a task which excited no party difficulties, and one which the Impel ial

and Colonial Governments could unite in, using their utmost inllnence to secure'suitable British emigrants for the Empire’s dominions. Many suggestions were being made for adding to the ties of undoubted affection now exiting. In considering them statesmen bad a nm.l anxious task, but they Carned by tbeis consideration an en-

lightened knowledge of the Empire’s welfare, mentioning (amid cheers) Ansralia’s voluntary preference to the lotherland. Sir George remarked bat In* was bound to add there was in instralia a strong desire to go further ilh the object of reaching a reeiproe- : I arrangement (cheers) but that de-

ire never got so far as to saei ifie

heir own growing manufactures