SIR JOSEPH WARD

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 200, 19 May 1920, Page 7

SIR JOSEPH WARD

FAREWELLED BY COMMERCIAL TRAVELLERS REMARKS ON EXCHANGE Sir Joseph Ward is leaving New Zealand by the' Tofua. to-day, going to the United States and to England. He will bo absent from New Zealand for some little time. Yesterday afternoon ihe members of the Wellington Commercial Travellers' Club invited Sir Joseph Ward to come to the dltab to permit them to bid him farewell. Thfre was a good attendance of members present on the occasion,. Mr. A. H. Goss, vice-president of the club, was in thb. chair. He said that the purpose of the gathering was to take lcave : of Sir .Joseph Ward as a, member of the.-.Commercial Travellers' Association of NeiV Zealand, and in his capacity as a successful business man rather than as a politician. He congratulated Sir Jossph Ward on having leisure to take e trip to Britain, and wished Sir Joseph and Lady Ward a pleasant voyage and a eafe Tetum to New Zealand. The Hon. W. D. S. MacDonaTd said that he thought every business man in the room would Recognise that in -the departure of Sir Joseph WaTd the Dominion was losing one of its strong men. He thought the business men of New Zealand had something for which to thank Sir' Joseph Ward in his long connection with" financial concerns in New Zealand. Person all yhe deeply regretted' that Sir Joseph Ward was "leav ing New Zealand at this juncture, but he hoped that Sir, Joseph Ward, after his strenuous life in business and politics in New Zealand would enjoy a wellearned Test. (Applause.) Mr. M. Carr said that he knew he was echoing the sentiments of members of the club when he wished God-speed to Sir Joseph Ward, noli only because he was a, member of the association, but because he was above air else a . statesman and an Impmalist. When Sir Joseph Ward had addressed the members of the institution in the early dnys of the war he had so inspired . them all that they, had set to work to raise money for the war loan, and they had actually raised the sum of ~£300.000 free, of, commission for the Government. He attributed their enthusiasm in all their war efforts to the influence exerted on members by their guest on the occasion of his address to them. He joined in the good wishes of the chairman and Mr. Mac Donald. The chairman called for cheers for Sir Joseph Ward, and they were lustily given, with "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow." and cheers also for Lady Ward-. Sir Joseph Ward was received with applause and cheers) He thanked the chairman. Mr. Mac Donald, and Mr. Carr for their kindly references to himself. He said that lie had by some two years and a half missed being born in this country, but he had been brought up here, his children and grandchildren were here, and he was attached to New Zealand bv the closest ties. He congratulated the commercial travellers on their splendid war work, and generally he expressed the opinion that tho war record p of this country would on later examination prove' to be finer tliitn that of anv other overseas part of the great British Empire. (Applause.) Ho need hardly assure members present that in his humble capacity as a private individual—and this was tho first occasion on which he had travelled from New Zealand as a private individual to England for thirty-three years, enjoying a freedom which he much appreciated—lie would do anything he could for the welfare of this country. In the United States he wouldi try to impress on those men whom he knew there the folly of trying to keep up an adverse rate of exchange against Now Zealand and some other countries, when this must have a bad effect on the trade of other countries and on their own trade. He believed that the conditions of commerce in . the Empire -would have to bo materially changed. In no other war could the serious exchange difficulty bo overcome. This.oountry must trade with the United States, and the United States must trade with us. It was a good thing that wc should give preference to the Mother Country,' but he thought also that the Motherland should concludo an arrangement for reciprocal trade between Britain and the United States. In this way the two nations would be drawn closer. together, and they would add to their own 6trongth as a defensive alliance in tho nnhappy event of another war. It would never, in his opinion, be possible to get the exchiingo rato corrected until tho banking institutions made up their minds that it would no longer bo jwssiblc to ha.ro 101 l thciir banking business done through London. He thought that the banking institutions of this country should have their branches in the United States, and tho United States banks should also bo allowed to establish their branches here. It could not 'be tolerated ihat wo in New Zealand should be made to suffer because of the rote across the Atiantio being unfavourable to London. This doctrine he intended to preach in tho United States and in England. Unless soma adjustment could be made by which the rate of exchange against this country could bo reduced, then this counhy, ono of the most productive in all tho world, would be suffering under an impossible handicap, equal often to 30 por cent.

He again assured the company that although lie was leaving New Zealand 6s a private citizen, if there was anything in his power to do, all his efforts would be on behalf of New Zealand. In a word of farewell, he reciprocated the good wishes offered to himself and L,\<lf Ward by tho members of tho club, '" Sir Joseph Ward resumed bis scat, amid applaw-e and cheering, and onco moro the company sang "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow."