The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 1914. THE HIGH COMMISSIONER.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 82, 27 March 1914, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 1914. THE HIGH COMMISSIONER.

New Zealand’s High Commissioner, , the Hon. T. Mackenzie, was accorded a hnc reception recently at the AngloSaxon Club in London, the members of which entertained him. Lord Plunkett occupying the chair, and iu his speech recalling the time when representations were made from the office in London to the effect that the price of mutton would inevitably fall were a certain course not pursued. Mr |Mackenzie, who presided over the com- ! mission of investigation, arrived at an entirely different conclusion, and events fully justified his forecast. Later on, when the wool market was for a time exceedingly depressed, and brokers were urging farmers to place, for fear of less return eventually, Mr Mackenzie advised them to hold, maintaining that there was nothing to justify the then low price; and again , the forecast was correct. So that in New Zealand Mr Mackenzie stands exceedingly high in the grateful remembrance of the farming classes. In reply to the toast Mr Mackenzie said it was quite true that ho had taken a great interest in agriculture and commerce, because to make a country such as Jsew Zealand successful, not only must they place the people on the land under conditions which would give them the greatest encouragement and hope, but they had to find markets for their products; ami to gain a knowledge of markets he had resigned his ■ seat in Parliament, and come into the busy world of London for three years, actually handling the formers’ produce, and 't was by reason of this experience that he had been able to give forecasts occasionally to the farmers as to the best lino of action to adopt. Referring to the objects of the club, he said that the first was to promote patriotism. That ought to be comparatively easy, 'inasmuch as the vast majority of the people who owned the sway of the King were patriotic in

every fibre; but he confessed that at j times the attacks of the “Little Englanders” were trying to Xew Zealanders, who were working out their own destiny. In connection with their finance and their defence policy, it i was extremely annoying to find that men who had no concern whatever j with their Dominion were continually) falsifying their financial position, and giving utterance to slanderous statements regarding the work which they are carrying out. He had observed. that a banker of authority had stated that the overseas Dominions should “borrow less and spend [ess.” With all due deference to the deliverer of that opinion, he entirely lacked a proper perspective of Imperial necessity. If Britain’s possessions were to be maintained, ite was essential that her spare spaces should be filled with people of our own race if possible. To do that the country must he opened up by rail and road, and other essentials must be provided. “So long as we have vast empty spaces,” added Mr Mackenzie, “so long will these countries constitute a weakness in our Empire.” Fortunately for the Dominion its present High Commissioner is no mere official cypher, but is well able to speak out on the questions which most vitally affect the country’s well-being. His treatment by the Anglo-Saxon Club -is but. an added testimony of his worth.