"N.Z, A WORKERS' PARADISE."

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1783, 23 June 1913, Page 4

"N.Z, A WORKERS' PARADISE."

A VISITOR'S VIEWS. CBy TfllcernDh.—Press Association.) Christchurch, June 21. The Rev. Vallance Oook, who by invitation of the United Methodist Church of New Zeaiaml is contluctimr a scries of mission gatherings, throughout the Dominion, will open _his work in Christcliurch to-morrow. "New Zealand is the working man's paradise," declared Mr. (.'ook in tho course of nil interview to-day, "and as far ns working, people are concerned 1 am convinced there is not a country equal to it in the world. The whole of your legislation seems to bo mado in tho interests of workers, and the wa,;;es paid, hours worked, and conditions generally are nil in favour of the working class population. ] cannot say as much for tho wealthy and middle classes. What 1 mean is, that the latter classes are, confronted with the servant problem, and they have not here facilities for homo luxuries and the general attention that they are accustomed to liive in the more 'highlyHirganised society which prevails at Home. In England where they have three servants, hero they have to bo content with one, and that means a great curtailment of liberty." Mr. Cook added that although New Zealand was the working man's paradise ho regarded it as ono of the most religious countries ho had ever visited. That was a pleasing surprise to him, for reports he lieard before leaving Home were quite to the contrary. Referring'to the Suffragette movement, Mr. Cook said that the general feeling at Homo was that women ought to have tho vote, and lie believed it was tho serious intention of the greater part of the present Government to have afforded facilities to that end, but tho tactics of tho militants had undoubtedly erected a great wall of prejudice against the movement for, after all, John Bull would never bo bullied into a thing. He believed, however, that at no distant date women's franchise would be granted in spite of militants.