OUR MANUFACTURING DESTINY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 907, 29 August 1910, Page 4

OUR MANUFACTURING DESTINY.

MINISTER. OPTIMISTIC. . ijjy Telegraph.-Special Correspondent.) Wanganui, August 27. The Hon. E. M'Kcuziejs speech' at the Caledonian Society's banquet last night was, politically' sneaking, colourless, the Minister remarking that party questions were not suitablo topics for a social gathering. At the same time, he mado jassing reference to national questions, and expressed the hope that we would go on improving our education system. Personally, he would like to see a largo .lumber, if not all, young New Zoalanders selected ovcrv year for a course of free university training. After emphasising tho importance of the sugar beet proposals, he touched on defence, and referring to a previous remark by Lieut.Col. Hughes (who had remarked that he had found some cmnloyers unwilling to give leave and other facilities to theiT hands for defence training), said that lie thought that few cmnloyers would object to preparation for protecting their own lives and property, but, if it \vt,-e needed, they migiit be dea.t, ~ith ma summary manner: The Minister then deaU at some length with the proposals for developing the water power, though his roinarlcs were mainly a recapitulation of what has already been said several times. He was of opinion that tho water power resources of, Mew Zealand, which were enormous In, contrast with Australia's limited supply, would make this .country the future manufacturing centre of Australasia, and that tho schemo now in hand was destined to play as important a part in developing the country as the - railway system. ■