A GREAT FUTURE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1684, 26 February 1913, Page 8

A GREAT FUTURE.

THE NEW ZEALAND TO BE.

AN ENTHUSIAST AND CRITIC. "I am simply an English country gentleman. who • takes A considerable interest in the Empire and its future!" The speaker was Mr. Roger Rowlands, of Soiuwho lias been touring /icalaiid lor a couplc of months, and being delighted with the country, ha 3 decided to stay another month here. , a ! n .charmed with New Zealand—l think it is. a great little-country, and a oountry essentially for Englishmen, l'roperly handled, it has, I should say, a great luture, but. you want a good class o£ men men witli a little capital preferred, who .would push on. tho process of development. I do appreciate'tliat England is largely dependent on li»r colonies for hor lood supplies, and. that being tho case, hold the opinion that the moro' this. country nnd Australia aro developed tho better for those countries and tho better lor. England. One hoars a great deal about Canada at Home, )j;it tho life out thcro is really only adapted for the sturdiest class. Its eight months of hard winter lifo is a •fight to all save those whoso up-bringing', and lifo have inured them to roughing it. Just beforo 1 left Itonie I heard of a high naval officcr —on admiral, if, you please—and a colonel in tho army wero going to Canada to take up farming. They, I should say, were foredoomed to fail, while oven at their ago they might stand a good chance out here. You hear a good deal about the successes mado in Canada, but precious littlo about the many failures. ' "New Zealand: has a very big future as a tourist ground. There are hundreds of wealthy Englishmen who would .visit New Zealand during the,. English winter if they only knew there was such a placebut they don't know,' that's the point. .How often .do you hear of New Zealand at all in the :Engli'sh provincial press—perhaps onco a month, to record an earthquake or fire. New Zealand requires advertising, and I', think you've' got a man fit Homo now in Mr. Mackenzie who will do something to make tlje country known. "I've just been over, tho Milford-To Anau track. It is beautiful beyond description. _ Europs lias nothing like it.' Ono tourist ■ said . it; was' comparable to the Harz Mountains, but I do not / think the fllarz Mountains approach ' tho' southern mountain track for 'grandeur..of'scenery.-; At the same time I think something might bo done to mate tho lot of the- touriot a littlo more comfortable. ' An improvement- should be mado'in the huts, which'are -too small and uncomfortable, and they might be increased in'nUmb'cr. For .instance,', there is one stretch of' thirteen: miles' between huts, which makes the walk only■ possible to people of sound pliysiqiie, and a woman has to, bo a "strong; woman" to do tho. walk_ without being knocked up. Another hut is needed to. divide up that thirteenmile stretch. Tho road, too, has been, neglected, and tlie boulders to be negotiated put' another mile ,or two on to the wilk. nnd detracts' from the pleasure of. viewing the superb sOenery.. "There aro lots of, other ways in which the comfort of tourists might be studied. The hotels are , not always too-comforts able, and,-thanks to your railway system, one invariably arrives or leaves a, placo before the regular meal-hours, and has to be content, sometimes obliged, for a snack. ' You might by chance got a chop, and you mightn t.>- And it is all rushluncheon, dinner, breakfast—but that, I assume,. is one of the .'conditions of the country; It is all'very well for the working man to say thaV'such things blial} be.' and what's good enough for him is good enough for aimyie, but lie, should remember that : the Tourist. brings money into the country,; and invariably spends'it pretty freely,'- and is therefore an asset to',bo guarded. It has'.cost' us (Mr. and Mrs. Rowlands), at- tho«rato of jBIOO' a month to, .'live' sinco we ■ liavo been here, and I expect others spend even more." On his return to Epgland.it is Mr 1 . RoW: lands's intention lto;[ deliver. -. lectures on. New Zealand in all. the chief centres,, dilating particularly on; its scenery, spc.rt, and the chance there is for young, men to settle here". ' With, that., object in ■ view, he is getting a larfje selection of limelight views made, in order that he can bring before tho public the rare beauty of our sccitic spots.