YORKSHIRE M.P.

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 339, 21 January 1937, Page 5

YORKSHIRE M.P.

Labour Member Visiting New Zealand. Press Association —Copyright. Wellington, To-day. In the course of a tour of the British Empire, Mr. T. Smith, Labour M.P. for Normanton (Yorkshire), arrived at Wellington by the Wangaella yesterday from Sydney. Mr. Smith visited South Australia as a delegate of the Empire Parliamentary Association to the State centenary celebration}. Since then he has visited the other Australian States, and after touring New’ Zealand he will'return to England via Canada.

Mr. Smith is secretary of the Labour Commonwealth Gicup, an association of members of Parliament which invites Dominion Ministers in London to address it so that members may gain knowieuge of the Empire and its Governments. One of Mr. Smith’s objects in making his tour is to meet members of various Parliaments of the Empire to gain insight into the problems ol the Dominions.

Mr. Smith was Pailiamentary Secretary to the Minister of Mines in both British Labour Governments, for which post a lifelong association with mining qualified him. He said yesterday that the Labour Party was making progress and hoped that next election Great Britain, as well as New Zealand, would have a Labour Government. Trade union membership had increased greatly in the last 10 years. The legislation of the present administration in New’ Zealand was being closely watched in Britain.