VISIT TO SOUTH ISLAND

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21417, 8 March 1935, Page 10

VISIT TO SOUTH ISLAND

♦ LORD NUFFIELD IS INTERESTED PLAN'S FOR A FUTURE TOUR OF DOMINION Mr G. A. Lloyd, private secretary to Lord Nuffield, told "The Press'' last evening in a telephone interview from Auckland that Lord Nuffield hoped to return to New Zealand later for a long tour, and to spend a good deal of his time in the South Island. "You tell the people of the South Island that Lord Nuffield very much regrets that he has been unable to visit that part of the Dominion," said Mr Lloyd when it was suggested that there was a good deal of disappointment that Lord Nuffield had not come south. "It has been simply impossible to visit the South Island on this tour because of the hurried nature of the visit to New Zealand, but you can also say that I Lord Nuffield is hopeful at a later date of returning to New Zealand and spending a couple o" months here. He will spend some of that time in the South Island for certain, because he has always spoken with interest of your part of the Dominion and expressed his keen desire to see it. Lord Nuffield has been particularly anxious to visit your famous glacier region, of which he has .■■■noken many times. On his next tour, if it is possible for him to return, he will also try to sample some of the big game fishing in the north." Lord Nuffield had a very warm affection for New Zealand, Mr Lloyd said, and only the absolute necessity of his being back in London at a certain date prevented a longer stay here. As it was the visit to New Zealand had occupied a good deal longer time than the call at Australia, where it had been merely a matter of a very short time off the boat before it left for New Zealand. Lord Nuffield had had a very busy time in New Zealand. Mr Lloyd repeated how much Lord Nuffield admired the country and its people, and his regret at not being able to see the South Island. VISIT TO ROTORUA LORD NUFFIELD INSPECTSSETTLEMENT SCHEMES iI'RESS A.S.SOI'IATIOI* TKf.KGRA II .) ROTORUA, March 7. In company with the Minister for Lands (the Hon. E. A. Ransom), Lord Nuffield visited the Rotorua district yesterday and inspected the Galatea Estate and other places of interest, in addition to attending a special Maori concert in the evening. In an interview Lord Nuffield said he was most favourably impressed with the development areas at Galatea and in the district generally. "I have no definite plans in connexion with my visit to New Zealand," he said, "but what I can say is that if ever "I left England this would be the country where I should come to live." Asked whether he contemplated any settlement venture in this country, Lord Nuffield said that he had at one time cherished ideals of the immigration and establishment of the surplus British population on the soil of the Dominions, but at the present time these new people were not wanted. He struck an optimistic note when speaking of the future ot Empire trade, which he said he was sure would definitely continue to improve. Great Britain was now back to her 1914 activity and was rapidly winning back to normal conditions. Her recovery since the war had been amazing and, although he held aloof from party politics, he felt he could say the National Government had done good work.