MR. MASSEY’S WELCOME.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 May 1921, Page 4

MR. MASSEY’S WELCOME.

The welcome accorded to New Zealand’s Premier, almost immediately on his arrival in London, by the AustralianNew Zealand Club, gave Mr. Massey an opportunity of bringing the affairs of the Dominion prominently before the British public. Following the course adopted on his previous visit to Britain, Mr. Massey is keeping the people of the Dominion well posted in his doings and sayings through the medium of specially cabled messa-ges, so that there is no fear of his activities being overlooked. From thi§ source it appears that Mr. Massey’s welcome was most enthusiastic, though this is modestly attributed to his being at present the only overseas Premier on the spot. However, it is clear that in the course of his fortyfive minutes’ speech he enlarged on the prosperity of the Dominion and its progressiveness and ability to make .both ends meet even in the event of a falling revenue. As a; preliminary means for attracting the favorable notice of the money market, the speech was certainly well conceived, and it is to be hoped it may be effective in this direction. With regard, to his suggestion that the Premiers’ Conference should take place twice out of three times in one or other of the Dominions, the comment of the Daily Chronicle thereon exactly meets the case, namely, that an occasional conference in the Dominions "would be as instructive to British statesmen as it would be convenient to some Premiers. At the same time, if these conferences are to be helrl it would seem more fitting for the venue to be the headquarters of the Empire than ip South Africa, Canada, or Australia. It is the Imperial character of these conferences that ' has to be considered. If the suggestion is considered in its logical aspect, from an extreme viewpoint it would imply that the seat of the Legislature in each of the Dominions might be moved from one part of the country to another instead of at a central point. Mr. Massey has opened his innings confidently and with some eclat, and it is to be hoped that/he will not be so unfortunate as to be out “1.b.w.,” but will score heavily (on the money market); emerging “not out” at the close, and with an enhanced reputation.