THE NEW HIGH COMMISSIONER.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 3059, 2 December 1908, Page 5

THE NEW HIGH COMMISSIONER.

B}' lelegraph—Press Association*® December 1* The ffcew High, Commissioner was ejitertawreu 1 at a luncheon to-day, aroong ihoke present being the Premier, tfee Mayor and the Hons. J. A. M.s®ar, <f McGowan and members of fPariiament .and representatives"of

Jocaljbodies. Mir JL cT TeV?sley7™o£ the Chamber of Commerce, presided,' and said the Premier would give the new Commissioner all the backing up required/ particularly h the immigration an<J : advertising department. The posiV tion made moire of a commerial than a literary one. He also suggested that the Hon. J. A. Millar would make a good Minister of Railways; The Premier, however, refused to be drawn, ana merely intimated that the selection would be made in a few weeks. The Mayor, Hon. T. K. McDonaM, Mr Harkness and Mr,J. Dutbie were the other speakers, all of whom spokes in complimentary terms of the Hon. Hall-Jones.

The/latter received v a warm welcome on rising to reply. He thanked the previous speakers for their tributes to him. He, too, went back to the old days when he first faced the electors. Turning to the duties which awaited him, he hinted at measures which could be taken to impress the value of all New Zealand's produce upon the people of Great Britain. There was ordinarily no sentiment in business, but there should be sentiment which? should touch the people of the Empire to reciprocate in matters of business for their mutual advantage. If common-sense was brought to bear on all problems that occurred in life success would be assured. Referring to the London office, he mentioned that he would like to see an exhibit of the country's products in connection with the establishment. He believed such a display would be seen by hundreds of thousands of people in the course of a year. with the opportunity of exhibiting our products in all parts of the Old Country, he thought a demand for them would be created and would result in competition and would result in an increased price for products which meant money, and he hoped there would be no carping at an expenditure which would increase our output a (Applause). It was pleasing to him to feel he carried the good wishes of so many people in New Zaaland. His whole energie would be devoted to trying to fulfil their expectations, and trying to do the best for New Zealand. tite hoped, at any rate, to end his days in New Zealand, and to see our present prosperity continued and extended, and he saw no reason why this should not be. His first duty would be NewZealand, and in doing that he believed he would be doing his best work for the Empire as a whole. (Loud applause).