IMPERIAL TIES.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 March 1920, Page 8

IMPERIAL TIES.

VISITS TO GREAT BRITAIN. WIDENING MEN'S OUTLOOK. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, March 19. I At a complimentary dinner tendered ■ - last night to the Hon. A. M. Myers, who - i is leaving for England with his wife and 1 i family by the Megantic to-day, Mr. , , Myers said he would not be back in time > ! to be present at the next session of Part j li.iraent. . 1 | The visits of colonials to the Mother ! Country had the effect of widening their : j knowledge, and he believed it to be ab- ■ solutely essential that representatives, I j not only of the political world, but also r j of commerce as well, should pay periodi- \ | cal visits to the Old Land. Many ftiisun- - | derstandings would be removed were i | they to do that. •'I As the result of his first visit in 1900 I he became an ardent believer in Imperial i preference, and still maintained that we j should trade more and more with our j own kin. There was no reason why the British, E/npire should not be self-con-tained, but only by carrying out the j ideas of the late Joseph Chamberlain and j laying down a scientific tariff could that > umch-desired object be realised. We drifted from time to time, for the reason that we had no defined policy, but he believed we could take a wider view of things by making visits to the older lands. He hoped by his present visit he would be able t*> assimilate knowledge which would be of use to his fellow citizens on his return. New Zealand was a glorious country, which had a great future, and he hoped that her attachment to the Mother Country, which had never I been greater than at the present time, t" would continue to grow. Immigration should be fostered, so that the Empire ; might become self-contained and stand 1' for freedom and justice more strongly than ever.