AN INTERVIEW.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1681, 22 February 1913, Page 13

AN INTERVIEW.

, PRAISE FOR THE.' PRESS. V (By Telegraph.—Special Correspondent.) Auckland, .February 21. ; - Mr. Evelyn Wronqh, now tliat his ftay' ill New Zealand is.drawing to ft closo, has talked in an interesting .manner to''an Auckland reporter. . _ ' 'Mr. Wrench found the application pi the Dominion's licensing laws of .especial interest. Though not a 'prohibitionist himself, he was prono to admit that the actual position iii No-License districts'had in his opinion been frequently misrepresented. If psoplo toolc tho trouble to' go' into'those, districts they would iind that prospority was just as great as;elsqwhere, and. that there was far less crime. . Mr. AVrench believes that the solution of tho problem fof "New-Zealand ultimately will bo a compromise—that the State should take absolute control of the liquor traffic. "And I'm not sure that it would not ba a Rood thing, too," added the overseas visitor. .. ■ Mr.AYrcnch had an interesting opinion to oiler concerning the newspapers of New Zealand. Tho press ho considered to bo absolutely a credit to, tho country, He had been struck by. the high literary •tone of the newspapers in the metropolitan dailies.' It was-safe to say that on an ayerago of throb day 3 in the week tho leading l articles dealt with-world prob-. lems. In this respect New Zealand papers differed vastly , from those-of'the' United States-and Canada, where tho daily publications were extremely , local in their, outlook. Public opinion in New Zealand therefore was. much better informed on foreign questions than ill either of the two : countries mentioned. It, was, nl9o amazing to find that here,-small townsj with less than,a thousand inhabitants, produced. daily 'papers containing 'cable news of, tho world's happenings that, would, put tho cable servicQ of lots of big cities in the Old World quite in tho shade. - ,In conclusion Mr; Wrdiichj'said that,the only point on which hp felt warran'ed in offering alny criticism was tho .lack of energy by the Government in advertising New Zealand. Moro trouble should bo tnken, to bring tourists to. New Zenland and more trouble taken to get them to. travel round once they got here. In. this respect ;Western: Canada and the United States were much more olive than New Zealand. The High Commissioner's office in London was ~n'n absolute disgrace, and ' tho Hon. T. Mackenzie ,' was fully justified in urging its removal. In-Mr. 'Wrench's opinion the very best form of advertising the Dominion is to.fend. Home siich.teaihs as tho "All Blacks" (who, gave 'tho Dominion. the b?st itdvertiymient it over had) arf.'l to arrange,as,often ns possible' exchange visits amongst people in whose doings a common interest is taken.