IN OTHER LANDS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 36, 6 November 1907, Page 2

IN OTHER LANDS.

THE DOINGS OF MR FULTON. PARS FROM A PRIVATE LETTER. A Dominion reporter has been allowed to tako a furtivo glance into a private letter written from St. Helena by Mr. Fulton, our chief flax grader, to a friend in Wellington. Somo sentences from it will show the sort of time Mr. Fulton is having, and what ho thinks of St. Helena and other places: — " May 23 (Sunday): Arrived at St. Helena,' and was hospitably entertained by the Governor. The Harbour Board launch met us and convoyed us ashore. ... "Attended at the castlo thrco days, and mot and addrossed settlors of tho Island, giving instructions re phormium in all its stages. I regret that 1 found a great majority of tho people of tho Island m a very deplorable condition regarding their finances. These are merely, existing. Their food,_ so far as I could gather, consists of fish, rice, potatoes and mealies. But not always rico or potatoes, unless they have tho good fortune of boats calling to givo thom work. The goneral rate of wage for thoso labourers in regular employment is 2s. por day—and thoy find themselves. How would that suit you Now Zealaud boys? ".I had hoped to do something for them in improving matters, but nothing very great for the phormium industry can be expected for fivo years at least. However, I am determined that nothing will be wanting oil my part in doing all that can be done to miniraiso their distress and improve their conditions in lifo. " After four weeks on the Isjand I was instructed to proceed to London (to purchase certain machinery), and while thero waiting for my report to bo considered I had a trip to Edinburgh and Glasgow. I visited tho Edinburgh Ropo and Sailcloth Manufactory, which is a very, very fino show, and gleaned hero very much valuablo information. . . . As opportunity offered in Lonclon, I called upon sovoral firms interested in our Now Zealand fibro, . . . and several manufacturers. . . . I had not time to lully investigate tho complaints, and trust tho Department will give duo instructions to mako further inquiries when my St. Helena mission is at an end. "Tho state of New Zealand tow on arrival at its destination is_ badly spoken against, and, doubtless, it is, to my mind, vary justifiable. Some that I liavo was beyond all oxcuse, and unless tho millers realise early tho folly of this trickery if I may so namo the sale of this stuff and discontinue tho oxporting of tow, cxcopt that which is in the best possible condition, tho market for it must soon bccomo a thing of tho past." j iii. Mr. Fulton when in London drew tho attention of tho English authorities _to the deplorablo state of tho islanders, in tho hopo that thoy would givo them relief.