CAN'T GO OUT OF COUNTRY YET

Chronicle (Levin), 7 December 1949, Page 6

CAN'T GO OUT OF COUNTRY YET

WELLINGTON, Dec. 6. Thq conferenee of CommonweaJLh Minis'fers to be held in Ceylon early m the New Year, will not be attended by the Prime Minister-eleet, Mr Holland. It is likely, however, that New Zea land will , be represented at the conferenee by a Minister; "1 am not going to the Ceylon con ference, " said Mr Holland, in reply to an inquiry at a Press conferenee this

evening. 1 1 It does not matter what portfolio I take 1 cannot go. My departure from the eountry is out of the questionat present. " Mr Holland said he understood the conferenee was 'to be followed by cele* brations in India to mark its beeoming a Eepublic. "I cannot be away three weeks jaunting around India," added Mr Holland. ' ' There are no circumstances that will take me out of the eountry today." Asked if he wouid continue to favour. the word "Empire'"' in preferenc'e to " Commonwealth, " Mr Holland said.: "I use the word Empire wkerever 1can. I know nothing wrong with it and I know a great many things right with it." ' • • Mr Holland continued that he did not contemplate a trip to the Umted- Kingdom at an early date to consuit witb the British Government. The conferenee of the Empire Parliamentary Association was to be held in New Zealanu next year and he hoped some British Ministers wouid attend. That r wouid give the opportunity for a discussion. During the iast session of Parliament, Mr Holland suggested it wouid be a fine

gesture if a meeting of Parliament could be held in the old Provinciai Chambers in Christchurch during th* Canteibury Centennial next year. Asli-; ed if he intended to give elfect to that suggestion now he was to be Prime' Minister, Mr Holland said that if at all possibie he would like to do so. Discussing the question of Public Works, Mr Holland said they had to fit into their proper place and the coun*. try had to he ahle to finance them soundly. "We have to look at our tota: commitments for works and allocate the funds availahle on a 'hasis of sound priorities," added Mr Holland. Asked how soon he hoped to estabhsh. the proposed Board of Trade to per-. t'orm the functions of a tarift' board and to act as an advisory authority to the Government, Mr Holland said someone would be given the task of working out the necessary proposals. The Government would then consider them with a view to placing the necessary legislation on the statute book. Replying t.o an inquiry about what his Government 's attitude would be to the Murupapa paper and pulp project, Mr Holland said that must come up for a most intensive study. It wouid be unwise for anyone to coinmit the cdhntry to £25,000,000 of expenditure without the closest scrutiny. As a privatfenterprise Party, it was reasonable to assume that the National Party would prefer private enterprise to do the job but whether It could raise the capital he did not know. Referring to the scheme of cornpulsory military training, Mr Holland said his Minister of Defence and one or two of his colleagues; would have consultations with the military authorities and the whole scheme would be considered.