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AUSTRALIAN VISITOR

COMMONWEALTH PRIME MINISTER CORDIAL WELCOME I DOMINION'S NAVAL POLICY 6 The Right Hon. 'Andrew Fisher, Prime Minister of the Commonwealth, had a busy evening on his arrival at Wellington yesterday. First of all he attended a civic reception tendered to 5 him in the Council Chamber, and later , he attended an entertainment arranged J in his honour by the Labour organisations of Wellington. At both functions he delivered addresses, and as it happens Mr. Fisher is not one of those politicians who make speeches and say nothing. Many of the people of Wellington and district will not see the Australian visitor. For their benefit it may be stated t that Mr. Andrew Fisher is tall, erect, ■ lean, and alert in appearance. His hair • and moustache aro white, but his face and figure lack none of the vigour of youth. He speaks with an accent proclaiming his Scottish origin, and ho speaks slowly and with deliberation, in marked contrast to most of the well- ( known political leaders of this Domin- ! ion. It is quite certain- that those who have seen and heard him will say that ; he is unlike any other Labour represeatative they have ever known. Mr. Fisher was accompanied at the civic reception by another member of the Federal Parliament, Mr. James .Boyd, a personal friend, but a political ; opponent, and now a travelling com- ; pamon on this tour of New Zealand. ; Tho Civic Reception. [ Ed at the reception. Most of the mem-j3-o^^6 C o ™ o ' l were; present , and in the room were crowded a representative gathering of citizens of Welington, along with a number of wellknown Labour leaders. Mr. Luke assured the visitors that the-citizens of Wellington wero proud and glad to welcome them, and wished them a pleasant sojourn in pur islands. Afterwards the Mayor called ou other gentlemen present to speak. . The Eight Hon. W. F. Massey (Prime Minister) said that he had already had an opportunity of meeting and welcoming Mr. Fisher and his friends in Auckland Incidentally they had seen the old year out and the new year in together. Mr, Boyd: Don't tell them too much. Mr. Massey. There spoke a guilty conscience. (Laughter.) But I never give my friends away. I can assure you, ladies and gentlemen, that we got to know one another very well, and I can tell you this, that Mr. Fisher and Mr. Boyd and the other members of the party are in every sense of the word good fellows. (Applause.) I sincerely hope that their mission to New Zealand will be successful both from the point of view of health—which some of them are seeking—and from the point of view of bringing about, closer relations between this country and the Commonwealth of Australia'. ' The feeling between the two countries, he continued, was more friendly to-day than it had ever been previously, but there was room for improvement, and he hoped the present visit of the Federal Prime Minister would bring fbout that improvement. "I need hardly refer," said Mr. Massey, "to the protection afforded to us since, the outbreak of war by. the Australian section of the British Navy, and I need hardly assure the right honourable gentleman that what has been done by Australia in the protection of New Zealand is appreciated by every citizen in this country. We have seen where our duty lies, and we hope for better things in the future. Drawn Closer Together. Events of the last few months have drawn the different parts of the Empire closer together than ever before. Probably, the events of the last few months have drawn Australia and New Zealand closer together, and as far as countries are concerned I' am sure it is our duty to stand together to advance our own and each other's interests, and keep the grand eld flag flying over'both countries." Mr. Massoy concluded by wishing Mr. Fisher and his friends a pleasant sojourn * in New Zealand. Sir Joseph Ward likewise offered his good wishes to Mr. Fisher and Mr. Boyd'. But he added: "I don't want Mr. 1 Fisher to go away with the idea that in extending to him a welcome I am committing myself to anything in the shape of the expressions given utterance to by the Prime Minister—because I am not.' . . . Let me add my word of praise of the work done by the young fleet of the Commonwealth of. Australia. The people of this' country recognise that it has-been an invaluable adjunct to the defence of the Empire made by the people of the Motherland, both by sea and land, and also by the. Dominions oversea. . . . We are all proud of the work done by the Commonwealth of Australia. But because we are proud of it, because we sincerely admire the v way in which the men on the ships have worked, and the way in which the Government of Australia have devoted themselves to the protection of the wide in the Pacific, this is not the occasion, in my oDinion, during the visit of the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth, to raise the great issues of what the future may.require. We should each within our own countries do what we believe to be right and best in the general interests of our own countries, and in the general interests of the, Empire." Sir Joseph Ward expressed his desire nlso that the visit of the Federal Prime Minister would lead to closer relations between Australia and New Zealand. Others who spoke the welcome of the citizens to the visitors were the Hon. T. W. Hislop and Mr. D. M'Laren, exMayors of the City. Councillors R. Fletcher, M.P.; G. Frost, and E. Tregear. Mr. Fisher In Reply. Mr. Fisher was loudly applauded on rising to reply. His first word was of thanks for the cordial welcome extended to him. "I should like the people of New Zealand to know," he continued, "that our visit here'is not in any way a raid on New Zealand by the Commonwealth. Indeed, sir, I had planned personally to visit New Zealand about 20 times in the last 25 years, but on every one of the previous occasions I was prevented from coming. It was only a" coincidence of circumstances that enabled me to make this, my first, visit in this, my third, term as Prime Minister of the Commonwealth. . . . Austra- ' lia has a cordial and warm-hearted feeling towards the people of New Zealand, and, sir, you couldn't prevent that feeling if you tried to. (Applause.) Our Fate and Fortunes Linked. "In my opinion our fate and our fortunes aro linked together irrevocably because of our geographical position in the South Paoific. But far be it from mo or any thought I ever had to suggest that New Zealand should impair any of its sovereign rights and privileges in the interests of the Commonwealth of Australia, but if to our common advantage we can'reach common aims and achieve common purposes, without impairing our individual autonomy, and while at the same time strengthening the powers of the sister Dominions of Canada and possibly South Afriun, wo shall bo doing a nervier to :

which we form a part. (ApplaUße.) . . . Reference has been made to some help that may have been rendered to ourselves and to you by His Majesty's Australian Na.vy. Australians, while proud of the position they are in, do not wish to use that as a lever with you. Far be it from them. • • . If out of the circumstances that have arisen and 1 out of circumstances that may arise in the future there should bo a nearer and more cordial relationship between the two Dominions or the four Dominions that I have mentioned, well and good, but we are not here on that mission at all. We are here primarily for a holiday.". He i added that while here he hoped' to be , able to arrange for reciprocity in old ; age pensions and invalid: pensions, about > /which both Governments were in agreei anent. He concluded his speech by ex- ■ pressing admiration for all he had: seen I of our country, and' gratitude for the • reception accorded him by all who had' ■ met him. . ' i Mr. Boyd also acknowledged the i welcome accorded him. Before the ' assemblage dispersed, hearty cheers were given for Mr. Fisher - at the call of the Prime Minister. LABOUR WELCOME AN ADDRESS PRESENTED. Almost immediately afterwards Mr. Fisher and Mr. Boyd went to a Lab--1 our welcome in the big Town Hall, at which about 1000 people were present. An entertasiment programme had been arranged, and it had already progressed some way when the guests' of honour arrived. Speeches ifornied an inconsiderable part of the programme. Mr. J. M'Kenzie, president of the Trades Council, presented the Right Hon. Mr. Fisher with the following address of welcome:— "To the Right Hon. Andrew Fisher. P.C., Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia. "Sir,— On behalf of a committee re-1 presenting the combined Labour organisations in the City of Wellington, we extend to you a cordial and fraternal welcome to New Zealand. "We deem it an honour to receive the visit of a Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia, and especially the visit of one who is the Leader of a Labour Government that has done so mucn to promote and conserve the welfare of its worker?, "We congratulate you and your Gov-1 ernment on having initiated and successfully prosecuted a statesmanlike I policy that has placed Australia in the foremost rank of the self-governing countries that comprise so essential a part of our world-wide Empire. "While we detest the necessity that forces us to take part in the present great war, and we deplore the loss of life and misery that must ensue, we are pleased'to know that our soldiers will tight side by side with our Australian comrades in defence of our democratic institutions. "It is our earnest hope that your visit to our shores may strengthen the fraternal ties which now exist between the workers of Australia and those of New Zealand; and that, stimulated by a spirit of brotherhood, and working in harmony, we may accomplish a solidarr ity of Labour that will bring happiness to the masses and peace to the world. "Trusting that your visit may prove an enjoyable one, and with sincere wishes for your-, future welfare, .We are, sir, on behalf of the committee, yours fraternally, J. M'Kcnzie, chairman; E. Kennedy, L. M. A. Rearden, joint secretaries." About Labour Unity. ■ Mr. Fisher, who had been given a oordial reception on rising, thanked the audience for their kindly address of welcome. "I am glad that you can present a united address," he said. "If what, I read on the .Mainland were to bo taken literally, you. were not in. agreement on any question whatever. It is not so bad as that. It can't be bad at all when you can unite even on an occasion such as this If united organised Labour demands some new reform of utility and benefit to yourselves and 'the community, there is no force in Parliament or out of it that can prevent your haying it. The time has passed,' in my opinion, when we need, any of us, to resort to force. It is intellectually a struggle among those who have votes as to what policy shall prevail, and when we, any of us who are democrats, deride Parliaments, denounce them, or say wo would sweep them all away, we'are, ifl my opinion, proclaiming that we are un. able to compete with our fellow labourer intellectually. Every one of you has one vote and no more. If that is so, and wo have a good case to present to an intelligent democracy, then we should win, but if we are divided in our counsels and our actions it is little wonder if our opponents should succeed. I am not deriding you, I am not complaining, but I must from my political point of view admit that I am sorry that you are. not more united from one end of New Zealand to the other. My suggestion and advice to you is: Put your house in order; get together on a set- of principles you can agree upon and act upon; set out on a pilgrimage or campaign to explain to the people what that platform and policy is until they understand it, a-nd then, but not till then, will you meet with that success or partial success which we have met with in .Australia,, and you will follow the course which I believe, with all respect to other parties, is the best and safest course for a democratio community to pursue." • Referring to the establishment of the Australian Navy, he said that although the scheme had been opposed strenuously, there wn.B hardly a citizen who did not now think that the establishment of the Navy had been a right thing to do.. It was believed when the scheme was first put forward that the aim of the Labour Party in Australia was to break off from the Mother Country. Feeling was intense and. bitter, but the Labour Party went on with the scheme in the face of all opposition because they believed it to be right. Lost of all he said he hoped the Labour organisations would send representatives to the Commonwealth, and he believed that if lu'6 advice in this were followed good would come to the Labour movement in New Zealand. Mr. Boyd also spoke briefly to the audience. The entertainment programme consisted of musical and other items. A light supper was served, and afterwards there , was dancing.

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Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19150109.2.32

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2354, 9 January 1915, Page 8

Word count
Tapeke kupu
2,276

AUSTRALIAN VISITOR Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2354, 9 January 1915, Page 8

AUSTRALIAN VISITOR Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2354, 9 January 1915, Page 8

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