TO BIND EMPIRE.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVI, Issue 4887, 7 October 1925, Page 3

TO BIND EMPIRE.

PARLIAMENTARY ASSOCIATION. APPEAL TO DOMINIONS. The aims of the Empire Parliamentary Association will be better understood as a rseult of the address delivered at the National Club, Sydney, by Sir Harry Brittain, M.P., one of the members of the Imperial Press Delegation. He appealed to the membens of the State Parliaments of Australia to join the association. Mr Bavin, M.L.A., who presided, described Sir Hany Brittain as a very distinguished man, and one of the best “Empire men” in the Empire. Sir Harry had a very deep sense of the greatness of .the Empire, and had devoted his life to its interests. In sketching the history of the Empire Parliamentary Association Sir Harry paid a tribute to .the secretary, Sir Howard D’Egville. Until 1911 there was no machinery of any kind, to bring together, the Parliaments of the Empire, or to look after the members of those Parliaments when they arrived in the Motherland. Before the association was formed parliamentarians from the Dominions visited London, and probably found the great metropolis the loneliest spot in the world. Now there was=> a clearinghouse for both information and hospitality. The headquarters of the association were under the roof of the ancient hall at Westminster, in the most historic ten acres anywhere'under the Union Jack. HISTORY OF A ROOF. "That roof,” said Sir Harry, “was built in 1397, of good old English oak. It was built by the King’s carpenter, by order of the King. When it was repaired ten years ago a conference of the world’s architects decided tht< if the order was given again not a single living man could reproduce it. The oak was brought from a forest in Sussex.

Sir Harry said he was very proud of the mother of Parliaments, and of the wonderful camaraderie that existed there. He doubted whether there was any place in the world where they would find the isame firm friendship .as., under the roof at Westminster. The association was entirely nonpolitical. Any member of Parliament who ni,tended to visit the Homeland, had merely to send his name to the secretary of the association.- Special provision- had been made for members of Dominion Parliaments to attend the . House of Commons. Travelling facilities were placed at the disposal of those who wished to travel to the various centres. The Commonwealth group of the Labour Party was doing splendid work. ' "I don’t care yhich party a man belongs to,” declared Sir Harry, “so long as he is keen on the Empire.” The association also had two usefulpublications—the journals of the Parliaments of the Empire, and foreign notes. . CHAIR FOR CANBERRA. “Yo.u are going to have a visit from all the Parliaments next year, whe.i we are looking forward with great pleasure to giving ,to the Common-, wealth a replica of the Speaker’s chair we have in-the old Parliament at Home,’’ he siad. “It is a beautiful Gothic chair, and it will be given, with the love and affection of all of us in the Homeland. “I would like to make an appeal to the members of the State Parliament to come in as membersi of the Empire Parliamentary Association. I am glad to learn that many, members are now likely tb join, and I hope that a strong branch will ‘be formed before the delegation from other parts of the Empire arrives next year. "We have come out here to learn all we can, and a,re gleaning valuable impressions every day. We' are almost dizzy with your hospitality. We shall always remember the wondrous welcome in your great port which will reinain for ever one of the most vivid impressions in our memory.”