COLONIAL PREMIERS AT HOME

Hastings Standard, Issue 372, 14 July 1897, Page 3

COLONIAL PREMIERS AT HOME

MR REID INTERVIEWED. (?<■/ Yl'.s.i As.sw idii")!.—('"/!>/n)//it.) London, July 13. The Right Hon. G. H. Reid, in the course of an int.-rvicw, stated that New South Wales had started a fresh career and made substantial progress. The recent elections had fhown that the colony was more earnest in the federation cause than the others. There could be no union without New South Wales. Mr lieid praised Sir Saul Samuel's services to the colony as Agent-General, and said the Government would so arrange his retirement as to make it as agreeable as* possible to Sir Saul. He lauded Cape Colony for the gift of a warship to the Empire. He said it was undoubtedly a welcome one because the Cape had given trouble to (ireat Britain while, on the contrary, Australia had given none. During the last ten years Australia had contributed the equivalent of several warships, while New South 'Wales had expended £oOQ,OGO in providing the finest naval base outside of Englanu. . Mil REID BANQUETTED. THE PACIFIC CABLE IN JEOPARDY. London, July l£s. The Right Hon. G. Reid was entertained at a banquet in London. Lord Selbouruc presided. The company, which was a distinguished one, numbered 200. Mr Reid, in replying to the toast of his health, said the representation of the colonies in the Imperial Parliament would add to the difficulties in the solution of the complex problems involved. The onus rested upon the proposers of startling changes to prove that the present arrangements were unsatisfactory. He said the Premier of Victoria was wrong when he assigned the cause of the depression in the colonies to over-bor-rowing. The real cause was the fall in value of colonial products to the extent of 00 per cent, in 25 years. The Right Hon. Sir Wilfred Lauricr displays lukewarm feeling with regard to the Pacific cable. He mistrusts the estimates which have been made as to the cost, and the scheme is likely to be indefinitely postponed. THE VISIT TO lIAWARDEN. THE G.O.M. SPEAKES FREELY UPON COLONIAL MATTERS. London, July 13. Mr Gladstone spoke freely and with ease upon colonial problems ou the occasion of the visit of the Premiers to Hawarden on Saturday. He applauded Lord John Russell's efforts in securing responsible government for the colonies in spite of the difficulties of the traditional Colonial Office policy , which* was based on the belief that the colonies require to be administered by force. He said he had watched the career erf the Right Hon. G. Reid with the greatest interest, and he warmly congratulated him upon the success of his fiscal policy. He hoped New South Wales would' remain true to that policy. He also spoke iu terms of approval of the fiscal policy of Canada to Sir Wilfred Laurier.