THE BOND OF UNION

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2721, 16 March 1916, Page 6

THE BOND OF UNION

"Our Boys."

AUSTRALIA AND NEW ' ZEALAND

A HAPPY EXCHANGE OF FELICITATIONS The Hon. William Webster, Post-master-General of Australia, who has been on a visit to New Zealand to'investigate the workings of our Post Office, entertained at- dinner iti the Grand Hotel last evening a party of Ministers of the Crown, postal officers, and leading Public Servants, and other gentlemen from whom he has accepted hospitality, or has received assistance in liis inquiries during his stay in New Zealand. A Complimentary Toast. . Mr. Webster proposed the toast "Success to the Pqstal Service in New Zealand." It might appear strange, he said, that the Postmaster-General of the Commonwealth of New Zealand should come to New Zealand to learn something about postal matters which might be of use in the great continent, of Australia, but he had no hesitation iu saying that his stay liere had not only been pleasant, but highly profitable. Many things in our postal service might very well be copied in Australia. He spoke of some of the advantages New Zealand had enjoyed which had been denied to tie Commo-i----tt'ealth. New Zealand, for instance, had been favoured by reasonable continuity of administration, Sir Joseph Ward having' been Postmaster-General for a great number of years, whereas in Australia' lie was the thirteenth Postmaster-General in fifteen years. Another difficulty in the Commonwealth ivas the divided control of the staff, in which the Public. Service Commissioners, the Arbitration Court, and tho Minister were concerned. When he returned lie hoped to revolutionise his Department administratively and legislatively" and in this task he hoped to make tlie, fullest use of the knowledge he had gained in New Zealand. Ho expressed sincere thanks to tlie Post-niaster-Gcnei'al, to Mr. W. R. Morris, tho head of the Department, and his executive officers for their readiness to assist him in every possible way.

Sir Joseph Ward, Postmaster-Gen-eral, thanked Mr. Webster for the kind references made to himself and to Mr. Morris and his officers, and he endorsed to the full all the eulogism of the executive officers of the Post Office. He

remarked that before lie left the National Government, he hoped to attain his majority as .Postmaster-General,-for he was now in his twentieth year in that office. (Applause.) Sir Joseph Ward went on to give particulars of the enormous growth of tho New Zealand Post Office in the past twenty-five years. At the end of 1891, ho said, there were 1231 post offices in New Zealand; now there were over 2400. In 1891 the permanent staff numbered 1230; now the number was 6000. In 1891 the number of letters received and dispatched was 75,600; last year the number had risen-to 351,000,000. Other figures ho gave were equally striking, lie spoke of tho reductions made in cable rates within that time, and claimed for New Zealand some share of the credit for. this reform. 1 After tho war, when we had'won our victories, he hoped that tho post offices of Australia •-and New Zealand would direct their combined energies to secure the ideal of sixpence per word cables' to tho Old Country., Ho was proud of the New Zealand postal service, and he praised the executive officers and,'the'rank and file of tho. Department, for tbeir work, which had won such a good name for tho office.

Mr. Donald Robertson, Public Service Commissioner,'- sometime Secretary of. the Post Office, responding to the toast, said ho did not think the scheme of Commissioner control of the Public Service had yet proved a_ failure in New Zealand. _ The Commissioners had probably outlived to some extent the objections raised to their appointment, and now they were being tolerated. He was sure .that if _ the executive of the Post Office Association were asked for an Dpon opinion on |the subject they would say that Commissioner control was a very good thing. , Mr..'W. R. Morris, Secretary of the Post Office, also -responded. ■ He disclaimed credit for all the good work done by the Post Office, saying that much of his success as head of the Department was due to his executive.

The Right Hon. "\V. F. Massey (Prime 'Minister) gave tho toast, "Our . Comrades at the Front." He spoke of the bond of brotherhood established between Australia and New.Zealand bj; the fact that _ tho men of both Dominions were fighting together. Australia' was the comrade of New Zealand, Now Zealand was the comrade of Australia. About the same time, under almost the same circumstances, Australia and New Zealand offered to send troops to fight for the Empire. The two forces saued together-: The Emden waited for both forces, and did not catch any'of them.' And when the Sydney smashed up the Emden, the peopia of New Zealand were just as pleased as the people of Australia could possibly be. Later, when our troops fought together, they were given'the name of "Anzaos," a name which would last as long as the world, and together they performed feats of valoursnever surpassed in warfare. .Under these conditions a. bond of union had been sealed which, he ventured to predict, would never be .broken. (Applause.)

J3e was very , glad to hear that Mr. Webster had found his visit pleasant and profitable. Of late years ho had noted with great satisfaction, the number of prominent Australian publio men visiting this Dominion. Unfortunately New Zealand public men could not at present return those visits, but ho hoped that opportunity for this would come_ later. There were many particulars in which somo degree of reciprocity could be arranged between the two countries to their mutual benefit. He need refer only to the Customs system as existing. He would hardly call'it an iniquitous system, but it' would bear great improvement. If it were possibla lie would like to see freo trade among all the Dominions of the Empire, and especially between. Australia and- New Zealand. He did i-ot know whether this could ever bo .achieved, but after, the war thore should, at'least" lie some reciprocity. War had its black side, but the present war had done this great good—it had united-the different parts oF the Empire more closely together than ever before. He believed the time would come in, the not far distant future when representatives of Australia and New Zealand' would meet in some form of Imperial Council, and then the two British nations m tho Pacific would bo able to work together not only for their own good, but for the good of the Empire, War, tho Creat Leveller. The Mayor of Wellington (Mr. ,T. P. Luke), replying to the toast, said that he felt a little diffidence in speaking on the subject, becan.eo boys of his own flesh and blood were - among the comrades at tho front. Ho said that tho union of our men of Australia and Now Zealand had made a more lasting bond between the two_ countries tliaTi any federation—any thin on parchment could have secured.

Tlio Hon. J. A. Hanan, responding to the_ toast, commcnded the zeal and enthusiasm of_ Mr. Webster, and said be was sure that the service would bo improved by liis visit to New Zealand, Tf the. war had taught, us anything it had taught us that the British, wherever '-lifly might live, were one people, ready;

to fight together in tho causo of liberty, to lay down thoir lives on tho altar of humanity. All classes were fighting together, and the war had done more lor democracy tlian all tho teachings of •kctrinairos. It was this spirit that was bringing the Empire together, and tho .Empire would as a result grow in greatness lind strength.

Mr. Hanan wont on' to proposo tile toast of "Our Host," and extended to Mr. Webster proper good wishes. ; Mr. Webster, in reply, acknowledged the compliment paid to him, and said that he hoped to ho able to pay ofchei visits to New Zealand for pleasure and not for business.