DOMINION CALLED LOAFERS' PARADISE

Chronicle (Levin), 13 June 1947, Page 3

DOMINION CALLED LOAFERS' PARADISE

NELSON/ June 11. Candid observations on New Zealand as he saw it today, some 40 years after leaving to travel and Wurk in moBt countries of the woHd, were given today by Sir Harry Twyford, a former Lord Mayor of London. ■ ' In my day, ' ' ha -said, ' '- Dick Seddon used to call this God's own country. "It seems to me today that this is not altogether riglit and a more appropriate phrase would be loafers' paradise." Sir Harry said he was sorry to find that the .average young person in New Zealand seemed to.think n, great deal more of amusement than oi' making a success of his job. - They seemed interested only in football, racing and drinking "awful ersatz beer". He said there was no country for which he had a greater affection than New Zealaand, and were it not for his business interests he would retire here. By nature New Zealand was endowed with every conceivable thing which

could make people nappy, aua ne would leave it with the greatest regret. Asked about uational charaeteristics he had notieed, Sir Harry said that he' knew of no country in the world with so* many fme-looking women who carried themselves so well. He had notieed an improvement in the pliysique of the people, presumably due to physical training in the schools. • Another change, the loss of native bush from thousands of acres of hill country, was regretted by him, as some of the country was almost nseless for farming. He' said he would lilce to pay a tribute to the thousands of kind people who had been sending parcels tD Britain. Tliose parcels supplied just tlipse little" wanfs that made all the dijference. '