BRITISH EMPIRE EXHIBITION.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 September 1922, Page 4

BRITISH EMPIRE EXHIBITION.

TARANAKI’S REPRESENTATIONS. The Taranaki Chamber of Commerce endeavoured to arrange for a visit to the district of Major Belcher, the British Empire. Exhibition commissioner before he left for Canada en route Home. The Chamber was zealously up by Mr. 8. G. Smith, M.P. who has received the following letter from Major Belcher, which speaks for itself: I am very sorry that I was sent for yesterday morning by the uovernorGeneral and got back to the Midland Hotel a few moments after you had left. I telegraphed to you as follows this morning:— ‘•'Much regret that an engagement at Government House yesterday made me too late to meet you and your Tara*naki colleagues. I very much wish my time had permitted me to visit the Taranaki, which much impressed my agricultural colleague in June last. Am writing.” I should very much like to have had the opportunity of discussing with you and your New Zealand colleagues some of the problems of particular interest to the Taranaki. I have, of course, visited the Taranaki on a previous occasion, and my agricultural colleague, Mr. Hiam, saw something of it during Ills rapid passage through New Zealand in June, so that you may be quite sure that the importance of your district will not be lost sight of in the New Zealand report which I am sending home. The fact is that owing to the pressure on ex eryone’s time, and what I believe to be the unavoidable delay in coming to a decision regarding New Zealand participation, I was compelled to spend a good deal more of my time in Wellington than I had originally intended, and consequently to miss visiting several districts which I really ought to have seen either for the first time or again. I hope, in particular, that the advantages of the Taranaki will be thoroughly well represented at the Exhibition, and that some scientific effort may be made to bring home to the British public, not merely the quality of New Zealand dairy products, but also the plain Imperial importance ui extending their markets. Should any of the associations in your constituency have any concrete proposals regarding propaganda work before or during the Exhibition, and will be good enough to advise ma on them, they may count upon the most active co-operation on the part of myself, and indeed of our whole organisation. My address until the end of November will be c/o Prime Minister’s Department, Ottawa. I. expect to return to England shortly before Christmas, and from then on it will be my personal care to cooperate with each Dominion on any points where your assistance and cooperation may be desired. Jt may ensure prompt attention to any communications after the end of the year if they are addressed to me personally at our Head office, and I will then give them my personal attention.