VALEDICTORY

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 149, 19 March 1920, Page 8

VALEDICTORY

FAREWELL TO BON; A. H. MYERS

The Hon. A. M. Myers,,M.P., who with Mrs. Mvers and family is leaving for England bv the Megantic to-day on a visit extending over several months, was farewelled jjy a'gathering of commercial travellers at tho Wellington Commercial Travellers' Club, last evening. There was a large attendance, over which, Mr. M. Carr presided. Among those the Hon. W.'D. S. MacDonald. Leader of the Liberal Party, and Mr, R. M'Cullum. M.P. ' Referring to the fact that Mr.' Myers was a Dast president of the Auckland Commercial Travellers' Association, Mr. Carr said that Mr. Myers had done much valuable work on behalf of commercial travellers generally, . Ih' his office in the National Government Mr. Myers had Carried out' his duties with satisfaction to everybody, and had been actuated by no other desire than to do tho. best ho could for; the country. The commercial travellers' associations of the Dominion wanted to do all thoy could to build up the social fabrics of the country, and their members must bo true to themselves and; to tho Motherland. They wished -Mr. Myers to: carry a messngp to the peonlo at Home that, although New Zealand was only a "little stepping-off .findt in the Antipodes," her citizens were lieart and soul with the Motherland. '■{Apnlause.y He was sure that all would ioin in wishing Mr. Myers "bon .vVivaee." ' ' Mr. A. Thompson, of the Auckland Commercial Travellers' Association, paid a tribute' to the work Mr. Myers had done, on behalf of the city' of Auckland. ' . Mr. MacOonald's tribute. "After ten Voars' close association with Mr. Mvers. both in the rank and file and as a Minister of the Crown, I have to sav that I never was associated with a more straightforward and honourable man." remarked the Hon. W; D. S. MacDonald; "I know polities is rather a peculiar occupation. (Laughter.) lou may" do W(t things, and you may do small things, but if you cannot trust your friends and colleagues you can do nothing. ■ So far as- my. friend Mr. Mvers was concerned, when .he gaye-nis word I never was in doubt.' (Applause) There were temptations in these days ot "semi-bondleisiti," but on no occasion in his career had Mr. Myers ever placed his T/ocket before his honour. (Applause.) Few people realised the difficulties Mr. Mvers had- to overcome * during the timo •he was Minister of Finance, Munitions /and Sumilies., and Customs. In™ lß Dolitical arena there'were good and bad, and one met with the sins and sorrows of men and women.' but whenever, anybody camb for advice or sympathy there was no one moro keenly sympathetic m a iust cause than Mr,' Myers, in. whose absence the country, would be the poorer. Ho wished Mr. Myers and his family a happy time, and hoped their departing friend would bri ig back a mcs>ag(V of good will from r the Mother Country. (A £ t M!.R.M'Cal!;m,M.P..had ri dorsed'what the previous speakers had said, the gathering sang i lor lies ~a Jolly Good Fellow." and gave ; .three cheers for Mr. Mvers...

A Self-contained Empire,

\Mv. Mvers thanked the gathering wr the kind compliments which had been mid him. and said lie was making tUe trip Homo in order to place his children at school in England. Ho stated that he would not ho back in time to bo nrescnt at tho next session of mlu,ment. Visits of colonials to the Mother Country had the effect of widening their knowledee. and he believed •it to ha' .absolutely, essential that representatives, not only of ' the political world, but of commerce as well, should pay periodical visits to the Old Land, Many misunderstandings would-be removed were thev to do that. As a result of his first visit \n 1900, ho became an ardent believer in Imperial preference, and he still, maintained that we should trade more and more with our own.lcui. There was no reason why tho British Emnire should not bt> self-contained, but it was only by carrying out the ideas of the late Mr. Joseph Chamberlain and lavimr down a scientific tariff that that much-desired obiect could, be .realised. "We drift from time to timo for tho reason that wo have no defined policy, added Mr. Myers, "but'l believe we can take a wider view of-things by making visits to older lands." He hoped that bv his present visit he would be ab'.o to assimilate knowledge which would 'be of use,to his fellow-citizens on his return. New Zealand was a glorious country which had a ereat future, and ho hoped that the attachment to the Mother Country, which had never been greater than at the nrescnt time, would continue to grow. Iramiirration should be fostered, so that the Emnire mteht become self-contained and stand for freedom and justico ' stronger than ever. (Applause.) The gathering concluded with further cheers for Mr. Myers.