AFTER FORTY YEARS

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 118, 16 February 1928, Page 8

AFTER FORTY YEARS

AUSTRALIAN POLITICIAN REVISITS DOMINION QUESTON OF RECIPROCITY A visitor to Wellington is the Hon. W. Bennett, a member of the New South Wales Legislature, who has rt turned to the scenes of his boyhood after an absence of nearly forty years, spent, for the most part, in Australia. Mr. Bennett is at present member foi the Gloucester electorate in New South Wales, and was Minister for Forestry m the Sir John See Government over twenty years ago, and was Ministei tor Works in the Wardell Government in the same State. Speaking to a Dominion reporter yes terday, Mr. Bennett said lie was particularly interested in Wellington and the district, as he happened to be born in a little farmhouse at Silverstream, in the Hutt Valley, and had spent many years of his childhood there, and his youth,in the Wairarapa, before he left for a land of greater opportunities. At the invitation of the Mayor (Mr. G. A. Troup), Mr. Bennett accompanied the municipal party to Otaki on Tuesday, and whilst there was induced to speak from a but-ter-box in the golden sunshine of a perfect afternoon. Mr. Bennett said he was very pleas ed to be present, and very much interested in the object of the visit to Otaki. His interest would be bettei appreciated when he told them that he was born in the Hutt Valley 64 years ago, and though lie had spent a good many vears in other parts, lie was still concerned in the land of his birth. He was also very much interested in the milk supply question, in which both Sydney and Melbourne were concerned, and after what be had seen and heard he was inclined to think that they in Australia could learn something from the experiments made on this side of the Tasman. Men. who were born in New Zealand were prominent in the political and commercial world in Australia. There was Sir. 1. RBavin, who was born in Christchurch, besides several other members of the Parliament of New South Wales and other States. Mr. Bennett dwelt on the manner in which science bad helped the development of the dairying industry, particularly in showing how to deal with byproducts, all of which had meant additional revenue. He knew something of the business, as he had been the chairman of one small dairy factory, and therefore knew the troubles that beset suppliers who were apt to be a little careless at times. It was not so rare a thing to find a drowned rat in the milk brought into the factory, but on one occasion that was eclipsed when a pair of blucher boots were found at the bottom of a can. It semed that the farmer had bought a pair of bluchers in town, and in order not to forget them, lie dropped them into a can, which in due course was filled with milk and taken to the factory. He noticed that there had been a good deal said about the 6d. per pound dutv placed on New Zealand butter in Australia, and could realise that it was a serious thing over here. He had always advocated reciprocity in trade between the Dominion and the Commonwealth, as they were all under the Union Jack, and should seek to help one another as much as possible. He mentioned that Mr. Prattcn, Commonwealth Minister of Customs, was coming to New Zealand for a holiday, and suggested that he should be interviewed with a view of getting more favourable conditions.