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Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1060, 26 August 1930, Page 10

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MR. FORBES’S LAST MESSAGE From Our Resident Reporter WELLINGTON, Today. The Prime Minister, the Hon. G. W. Forbes, issued a farewell statement before his departure from Wellington for Auckland last evening. His statement was as follows: “On my departure for the Old Land to attend the Imperial Conference I think it is recognised by everyone that it is very necessary for New Zealand to be represented at this most important gathering, at which will be discussed many questions vitally affecting the interests of all the people of the Empire. “Firstly, I feel I can voice as New Zealand’s representative the Dominion’s devotion and loyalty toward the King and also its desire to co-operate in every way, particularly in regard to trade relations with Great Britain, which will be mutually beneficial. New Zealand lias shown in a practical way its desire to assist by cooperation in the granting of a very substantial preferential customs tariff by which manufacturers in the Old Country have been materially assisted. We realise that the more business they are enabled to do the better the position they will be in to purchase our

products. We dr, not insist upon anything in return, although we would appreciate boit/; consideration being extended to i: g. to a greater extent than has beej t the case in the past, especially as. tar as foreign countries are concern sd.

“It is nr/ hope that as the result of discussi 3 us at the conference, something aloiff; the lines 1 have indicated will be rf/Mised. While lam at Home T will c>j nothing that is likely to cause r/iy embarrassment in Empire matter / in general and trade matters in pa: icular, and I know that is the wish of the people of New Zealand. “I t leaving the Dominion I that, the position of the country is" not as satisfactory as one might wish. H'/.vever, I am quite convinced that throughout the whole country there i s a determination to face the diffi- * ulties with which we are faced and am quite sure that this attitude, ' which one cannot help but admire, will result in an early return to that condition of prosperity which it has been our fortune to enjoy for several years past.”