THINGS NOTICED

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 640, 18 October 1909, Page 8

THINGS NOTICED

FOSTER FRASER . TALKS. HIS NEW ZEALAND IMPRESSIONS.Mr. John Foster Fraser walked to and fro in '.his eitting-roonv at the"'Grand Hotel and talked to a Dominion reporter. . Ho had had a good time'in. the South Is-. land. i.The people were very hospitable, .very appreciative, and just like English people. He liked Now Zealand audiences. The country pleased him. It was more settled than he expected. Hβ was- impressed with the huge industrial possibilities latent in the waterpower of the rivers that flow from the Southern Alps. "; But there were specks on the picture. .

"I really can't go into raptures; over your railways;" Hβ remarked, with the good-hum-oured smile of the traveller,' who , notices everything and scolds nobody. "The trains

ore slow,' and not too clean. .-Comfortable?. ;Hell,-I didn't find them luxurious.... There, ■wnsnt a seat one could lie. down on to go to sleep.. But, I suppose lying down is against the rules—like 6ome other things. -I. had my, bag open on the seat in front'of me once, with some papers in ■ it, • that ; I- Was using.'. There were several :erapty seats in the'carrjnge, 'but, the ; ,guard came along, and ,told. me,,.! mustn't have the .bag.there;'it was taking up space that"somebody else migh't' want,"and'it ought to be in the luggage van. ' There seems to be quite a lot , of what I call Tceop-off-the-grass' regulations—such as 'No smoking , on the raUway platform.' I wasn't allowed to smoke in. a railway car in the midst of my.own party, and. with no passenger in. the';car . who; objected. It wasn't a smoking-car, and that !was enough for the pfficial. ' '' .."Polite officials? , ; Well. -I' fioticed in 'Australia that when > tho guard comes into 'the car.he says, 'Tickets, please: . In-New Zealand he just says, 'Tickets." In 'Australia,"whenhe has seen your ticket, he says, 'Tliank you.' In New.Zealand, it is you who have ttf say. Thank.you,',if it.is going to be eaid at alb lhere are exceptions; I met<:with-two-'in the isouth Island, and lam prepared'to meet with more m the north. Gentler manners seem to go with warmer climates—compare Somerset with Yorkshire, , Australia with' New Zealand, and perhaps- your North' Island with your South. . ■ -' -, '. ■•■ ■ ■

Mind, Im not complaining; These things don t trouble me"—and his smile confirmed the assertion—"but I can't 'help notioing; it's •ny habit. Now, I've eaten in a good many queer places'in different'parts of tho world, .but'a refreshment.car on;a-New. Zealand, train was 'the:,first' place where'.l had. to send a platter because it wasn't clean. Another, point • they put a youth with a bag at the door of the car to:tako the;'mohey,.'and see 1 that -you.'don't ■ get-- out without' paying' for your-dinner. .Waste of labour'and' wages, I should think. Rushed? Perhaps;'but rushes' are not unknown in.the dining-rooms ofiother countries,, yet the. head waiter, manages .to.look after, the money." . ,•.-'... .'.. The conversation., was interrupted by; tho entrance of "Buttons" with a small package and an envelope addressed in a feminine hand to. "Mr.V John Foster Frazer"—with "a-.,"z." The traveller glanced at it,- and'tossed' it'oh the 'table.; "That/can wait. Autograph book. I. think collecting-:autographs .is , the' silliest craze- there is.- I suppose I've signed- 500 in this-country. -' Most of' the collectors ; are wo-' men, I-,think." -. ■■ \ ■'..-.-,-,:. -■---,;.-,.-.> ; -, : Here was, an, opening- for a question bnife-, male : franchise... Mr. Fraser ;belioyed i in".'it, but:he had been surprised to'.receive...a-num-ber '- of '.letters,, from New Zealand', women i arguing against.: it.: They-, thought that since thoy.haoVhad the.francnisei they had received less .consideration: and-courtesy. from nien.'; He was inclined ;to: think that 'his''correspondents had allowed■ their views :to be'.'coloured-; too ■niuoh by one or two instances of' masculine rudeness. "Women ' have 'scats on' 'a'."great niany public bodies in England," he "said; "and in. all such cases,: they have , a purifying' and. elevating influence."-' ' '■■ .■:•'•; >He would not talk .'about-politics, but he ad-" pitted that he was .intensely, interested in..try-; ing to determine , the ■• of the .'Arbitration Act and. other industrial legislation upon, i.thedevelopment of. manufactures,.in. New, Zealand. "Your manufactures haven't beon increaßihg yery.'fast of lateyears," he remarked. ' He also wants, to know whether, the old.'. ago ..pensions, really-help the aged, poor very, much,-or. whe-. ther, the result, is. that their sons .and daughters : say,""Oh, • they'll get ■ their, .pensions; we needn't worry about them." •' ■•..' "■]. . The reporter \ven.tured the supposition > that these questions would" be . aiiswored a-,few months hence in'a booki .. ..' ■ .' ~ ,".'..'.:

■'"Everybody■ tells me ' I'm/going to.;writo' it. book' about New" Zealand,, and.X'seeni tb.be tha'only who doesn't'know it. -At pre--sent, ■ I'm : writing articles 'for, the '"Standard" . about'."Australia, to. conclude, 'probably,,' With, one or two on'New:'Zealand!" ■; '■".-'■"• ; .''"' v