OLD BOYS.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20097, 28 November 1930, Page 11

OLD BOYS.

INTERESTING LONDON j GATHERING. I PRIME MINISTER ENTERTAINED. U?3,01£ OXfH own rOBRESPOS-DiSiT.) j LONDON, October 23. The Dominion Prime Minister (Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes, M.P.) will probably retain happy recollections of a tea party held at the Hotel Victoria yesterday afternoon, wJien 71 old boys of the Colleges and High Schools of New Zealand met to do him honour. Schools from Auckland to Invercargill were represented, and it must have been a surprise not only to the chief guest but to the Old Boys themselves that so many could be mustered in London without a great deal of effort. Mr Forbes himself was at the Christehurch Boys' High School round about the years ISB4 and 1835, and he was supported yesterday by at least five representatives of his own school. Other schools, like the Auckland Grammar School, Christ's College, and Wellington College, which have Old Boys' clubs in London, were more numerously represented. Credit is due to Dr. A. J. Harrop (Waitaki) for initiating and organising the party. There were many _ interesting reunions, and thfi occasion was unique in that not a single person was invited or present who was not a New Zealander. Sir Thomas Wilford presided. In proposing a toast (in tea.), the High Commissioner said that if there was one thing more than another which had endeared Mr Forbes to New Zealanders since his arrival in London it was his remark to interviewers when they spokis about secession. His reply was: "We do not know that word; in New Zealand." As a matter of fact, said Sir Thomas, New Zealanders did not bother about such questions as status or secession. The Prime Minister was representing our country at the Conference to try to lift some of the smoke of trouble which had settled heavily, not on this Old Country, but upon other parts of the British Empire to-day. •''Prima Canterbury.'' ''Those who come from Canterbury," continued the High Commissioner, "realised that Mr Forbes was not only Prime Minister, but Prime Canterbury. I have known Mr Forbes for a quarter of a century, ever since he was a Whip for one of our greatest ImperialistsMr R. J. Seddon. When a man is returned tor one constituency continuously for 26 years chat is the I test recommendation one could I ofi'er for' any . individual. Mr I Forbes not only

as represeutative of New Zealand at the Imperial Conference, but he has endeared himself already for his love of sport and the part he took in it. He captained a faiuou3 Cur. v.".■unrepresentative team to.which even Auckland had to go under. In those days New Zealand Rugby was probably the best in tho world, and Air Forbes was probably the best half-back in tho world at that time. "He is now playing forward. You will find that in all theso conferences here he will represent primarily the honour of a New Zealander—the honour which he holds for King and flag, and the realisation that we are part of a great Empire and intend tcj remain so. "Mr Forbes is one of the unst fearless of men. He has had a most difficult task in taking the Premiership at a time when everything was not really as well as one could wish it to be. Every part of the world has suffered. New Zealand has not escaped. "The Mana of our country is realised in this country. As chairman of this gathering I would like to say that there is a responsibility on every New Zealander in this country to keep up that Mana and never let it down." Short and Concise. j Sir Thomas concluded by saying that 1 from remarks he had heard the Prime Min'ster has not suffered by putting what he had to say into short and concise form. Mr Forbes, in his reply, said that coming to London for the first time it was a very great pleasure for him to know that the name of Now Zealand stood so high in the estimation of the people of this country. One felt a persona] pride in the fact, and took the compliments almost as compliments to oneself. One of the things, it appeared, that caused our name to stand high was the behaviour of our boys who came across to the Great War. "One hears it said that wherever they went, whatever they did, they were gentleme.n That is a very high tribute indeed.'' The Prime Minister went on to say that he had come to the Conference with the full support of all parties, and he had the word of two men he trusted that during his absence his party would not be turned out of office. He had read a message from New Zealand that the Government had been defeated over something in the Land Taz Bill. People here might get a wrong idea from such a message. As a matter ot fact, the point in question was some little minor adjustment suggested by the Department .which did not matter twopence." Imperial Conference. They had met in the Imperial Conference to try to do their best to increase the prosperity of the British Empire, and they were cont"nt with tlmt of Nations, as it as now being called. In New Zealand it was called the British Empire and they were content with that term. They had come together for the i pnrpos« of . strengthening ths Empire

and improving the trade relations between the various parts of it. "We do not come here to tell the British Government what they ought to do," said Mr Forbes, "or to id] them how to run their own country. It ie for them to make their own decision. We have given a real preference so far as British foods are concerned, but we do not say the Home Government are required to do what they do not believe 'n. If anyone buys an article in New Zealand made in a foreign country, the salesman apologises that it is not British. That is the sort of feeling that is being developed by the Government and the local bodies, and that is the spirit we want to see in this country. If the people of this country would demand Empire goods, then we would have no difficulty. We are not asking them to do something which would not bring them full value for their money. Whatever "we send to Great Britain is stamped by the Government grader, and what we send is the very best. A great deal can be done by educational propaganda to bring about the desire! end. Danish butter is being sold to-day at 14Cs a cwt. New Zealand is sold at 114s. I do not know who or what is responsible for this state of things. One would think under such conditions there would be no question as to which butter to buy." I Mr Forbes went on to speak of financial conditions in New Zealand. ; They had always managed to balance their Budget, and it was a policy from which they were never likely to deviate. I Scientific research was in progress, and I year by year they were finding the way | to increase production. In thanking his hosts for their attendance, the Prime Minister said he looked upon them as exiles from the most beautiful country in the world. Those who had to live in this part of the Empire instead of New Zealand had his utmost sympathy. An Interesting l«ist. Old Boys of various .schools in New Zealand will be interested to have the following list of Old Boys in London who were present yesterday: — Auckland:—Grammar School: Mr C. R McCullough, Mr L. J. Comrie,~Mr G. M. Rylance, Mr D. S. Hyaiuason, Sir James Parr, Mr J. N. Peart, Mr E. W, Rowllings, Mr C. Ross McLean, Mr J. j P. Whitelaw, Mr L. F. Praser, Mr T. B. ; Ching, Mr Shayle Gardner, Dr. Bernard ; Myers, Mr A. S. Rintonl. King's: College:—Major T. jl. Wi'kes. j Wanganui Collegiate:—The Rev. W. P. Besley (Master —now Rector of St. Lawrence Jewry and Minor Canon of St. Paul's Cathedral), Mr D. B. MacGregor, j Dr. F. Willis, Mr V. Crawshaw, Mr R.. ; W. Williams, Mr Godfrey Holdsworth, Mr C. J. Wray. Wellington College:—Sir T. M. Wilford, Dr. L. Mandel, Mr J. D. Scott, Mr Sydney Jacob, Mr M. J. Nathan, the Rev. H. K. Young, Mr C. B. BurdeI:in, Mr lan D. Coster, Mr J. LLoughnau, Mr John Gell, Mr Leo M. Myers, Mr J. Ball, Mr Leonard MeSenzie, Mr W. Jj. Jaiaas, Mr G. a Cos,

Dr. J. H. Beaumont, Major A. B. Rose. • Christ's College:—Mr F. A. Pudney, Mr H. J. Beswick, Dr. W. B. Aingcr, Mr Hal Williams, Vice-Admiral J. E. T. Harper, R.N., Mr C. E. Weston Waeher, Col. R. Tristram Harper, Mr J. S. Atkinson. Christchurch B.H.S.:—Rt. Hon G. W. Forbes. Mr F. W. Lawrence, Dr. G. H. Robertson, Mr Eric A. H. Whitcombe, Mr T. J. Pemberton, Mr F. T-.Sandford. Waitaki:—Mr R. Matheson." Mr R. F. deVries, Dr. A. J. Harrop, Mr B. Alex Duncan, Mr T. G. Evans. Otago B.H.S.: —Dr. W. P. Morrell, Dr. George Craig. Timaru 8.H.8.: —Mr F. Mitchell. Scots College, Wellington:—Mr J. C. Langmuir, Mr H. H. Langmuir. Nelson College:—Lt.-Col. N. W. B. B. Thorns, Mr J. M. Lightfoot. Victoria "University College:—Mr Joseph Litt. Southland B.H.S.:—Mr A. Rowlands. Napier B.H.S.: —Mr J. C. Westerman, Mr F. D. Thomson, C.M.C. New Plymouth B.H.S.:—Mr G. L>. O 'Halloran. Whangarei H.S.:—Mr TJ. M. Jervis. Bay of Islands:—Mr Percy T. Williams. Palmerston North:—Mr H. T. Drew.