FROM PERU.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 425, 6 February 1909, Page 6

FROM PERU.

GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL SEEKS INFORMATION., i' JSOMETHING. ABOUT'THE COUNTRY.. ■. ' Among" .the passengers' W ' arrive' from l / Sydney by the Mekpia. yesterday was Mr. ' the Department 1 of Development, Peru, who has been com- • missioned to , ; make' inquiries into the' cbndi--1 tions" and methods of' agriculture-in/Australia and New. Zealand. Mr. Klinge,-who is a 1 native of-Peru, is quite .a young man, arid , comes fully'accredited ; by high officials, and ' bearing a letter of introduction tp Sir Joseph : Ward,- :■; ;:' : , V-V-'' '■ " '■■' ; > •■-,' : ■■'-. ■: . Mr.! Elinge informed ,'a 'Dominion represen--1 tative that-leiintended/tosperia eight weeks '■ m JNew Zealand, the'greater part of which ■■ time-he-had,dqcided to-study. the;system : of co-operative; dairying (and creameries) in the North island.'; His intention iii so doing was to ; encourage dairying' the high!lands. and on ; the/,western'■ slopes of the Andes,- where , the country-was' epfcndidly! adapted to the class of dairying which had proved so,successful in the Dominion. Jtwas not'intended to expprt dairy was plentyofiwpulatiori to:absotb-all the dairy produce for: a'long time , ;to;come,!.-. . ; '. !■' ■' . '-,'-. '! . : ;"I had.gathered;?' said' the 'reporter/ "that a considerable-area of Peru was arid country. ,, I'Sb'it.as-on'the coast,between, the moun-;. ' tains arid: the grass, no , rain,! except m the valleys-where country is irrigated by, an .elaborate system;!under which the-flow of the rivers'and . streams is. arrested, arid diverted , .into Irrigated; channels. , There we are able! tp.;'grow, crops land is'very ribh.arid very ..'dear. ..:.,!•/■ - ••■■■■:••■ ,; "But'-the cqastal-land-between: the Andes and the Pacific is only a thirtieth of the area of Peru;;which'- .million square miles in : On the;east..side!we.have all climates l from the'snow-topped mountains ! to• the tropical ..districts'below in; the , .watershed of the:mighty^Amazon, ■■;.-• .;, > : . ■-' ■!,''. Tich .country■ indeed, -where'any- , 'thing.can be grown—-sugar cane, cotton, rice, rubber,; and, anything that demands a tropical . rbrsub-trppical. climate; We are big producers of rubber, and' most of.-the .. cocaine, and i quinine' made in , the world is the essence of plants native.to the country, v.The vegetation , is. very;dense..in ; . the'valley.'of the! 1 Amazon-, but! Tra'h'ave a',big town— -Iquitos— 2ooo miles from; the .mouth;'of the river, through which much., of J the.: produce •of -, the ''country, passes :. to -the outer world. ;,-It is the high lands - we want -to develop—high ■ up/above. .the.'tropical yegetation/wWe : the land is.'cheap for. cattle.'' ;:';/ ; Pe'ru,'..'.mtb\ite'>faK!iiiaiifflg'>: /; past^,' ; -has,'a placid'-but -interesting' p"resent... The.wbnder ;of the, ;.Tves.tern;-coast. country- 'are '.the'-irri-. .gated .patches^!,with. wHich-.the :cbuntryside! . is; gridirbned', 'yet' marvellous.,as.are these ■works::they' : 'are.not!to-day .nearly-so , extensive .'.as, were the -lands irrigated , by the Iricas , ; .a thousand years! ago.' ..These .people';had : . ■.the'most;'perfect; , system .of socialism: knotvn to. , 'mankind',''-'and.'under .that! system', they proved .■themselves "to" be 'a .'people of- the !highest. v ;intelligence.!.Their roads' -were! befe. ;ter thai- they , are .to-day,rowing',to ■the absence ..of; labour, troubles,, and- for ; the , ; same.i.reasonthey,;.were. able to!extract thei treasures" from.■•low-grade!, gold-mines/ .which underj'bther conditions, would have prevented the!winning.of the:previous metal in.,the.fabulous; .quantities.supposed, to have! .been' !held by. them at. one time..'■■'■'!•<■ ■..■■ '■■'.| k: The!;cojintry"is;a republicV but'riot : one , of , ' those .'"little .■. South. r , American .'republics" which; are ..so' often; mentioned' in;inflamma-' tory cable.riiessages,: detailing;!theiresult of some; .revolution j or-..other. "■: The country has i enjoyed !a:long .period of!,'! peace and proe-' ;perity..-The; present-president is : vMr.,!A. 8.1 ■Leguia,';who was premier 'for ..some years • and ■ /Minister' of ■' The president; .as 'well I as the'iribftibers. .are-'elected ;by"the , people, ivhq' erijby ; 'a -'-liberal, franchise/v. every v inale ■native;of .theiCountry.o'f age being- entitled' ;to..a'vbte'.' : -No; one.'.'could., vote -but natives' of-the,: country, -no matter how" long> they .;have': resided; imthe country;'-' The last elec.tion;;was ;held. in }May, ..'■'arid'the,..president took- office in.September/-which iis the usual. .'procedure.';!;;" , -;-;'..- s ' ■"■■■■■: :•■/•;' ■■■■'■'.;■■■' -..,■.■/■,-. ■....■;.: .'.:?-Mf:• ;KlirijgeJ ; states- ; that'.he reoeive'd h'is .educatipnSin.:-.th;e'Lima''-University,-which.is the .oldest",flaivereityj'bri!'the":'American^cori.tinentfolder:;by 89 years than any universitv States;;.^ 1 -., ! 'J// ', ■-';v., *■