MR. WILL CROOKES, M.P.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1840, 28 August 1913, Page 7

MR. WILL CROOKES, M.P.

SECOND VISIT & IMPRESSIONS. It was during tlio naval debate i».. the House of Representatives last evening that a DouiNioN reporter approached Mijj W. Crooks, M.i'. for 'Woolwich, with a request for an interview, and though keenly interested in tlio arguments advanced, "Bill, M.1'.," as ho is colloquially known in tlio East End of London, obligingly and smilingly complied with the invitation to "como outside."

Mr. Crooks ( notwithstanding his conscientious objections to vaccination, smilingly acknowledged that he was having a good time in the Dominion, and admitted that ho was glad to renew his acquaintance with so delight- . ful a country after nearly four years' J interval, his last visit being in Novein- / ber, 1009. He bad 110 hesitation in saying that, judging by his own _ experience, tlio people hero were kinder than they were on his previous visit. "Wo had a great timo at Auckland," added Mr. Crooks, "and they done us pralid," ho added, relapsing into tho vernacular. "Yesterday wo did about 60 miles, going up Olio Tre6 Hill and Mount Eden. I nave written Homo a ■ description of Auckland, in which I say, 'The province of Auckland is surrounded by garden cities,' and mentioning tho places I have seen." Asked as to his impressions of Wellington, Mr. Crooks replied that tho question was premature, as ho had only been in tho city a few hours, having arrived by tho express from Auckland about four o'clock. "Wo loft England on July 10," added Mr. Crooks, "and expect to sail up tho Thames about November 17."

Impressions Of Our Parliament. Asked to express an opinion on tlio naval debate which was proceeding, Mr. Crooks smilingly declined, merely, remarking that ho was extremely glad to liavo been present, and to h'avo heard such stirring speeches on both sides, "but," hp added,, "I don't want to como here and toll them what to do. They liavo their own troubles, and aro quito competent to deal with them." Mr. Crooks, in reply to further questions, said that ho could not resist, whilst listening to tho debate, comparing tho House with that was most familiar with, and ho could not help thinking that tlio members of tho House of Commons in London and tho Houso of Representatives in Wellington woro actuated largely by tlio flauio sentiment, and with regard to both Government and Opposition, ho could quite aptly quote, "Tho essenco of libel'(v is deliberation." Mr. Crooks added that ho was- to bo' joined to-dav by the rest of his party, who yesterday visited Rotorua, leaving him to como to Wellington in advance, and that to-morrow night they, ,'ore proceeding to Sydney, where Sir Joseph Walton. Sir. Norton .Gnffiths, and other members of the British J arliamentary party had preceded them as the guosts of tho Commonwealth oJ Australia.

Slnco His Last Visit Here. It will bo remembered that on ill® occasion l of tlio last visit to Ncjv Zealand cf Sir. Crooks, who with his . wife was making a leisurely tour ot tho Dominion, an unexpected dissolution, of the Home Parliament out short , ■ liis stay, and that, reaching Ivnglaud. 011 January 16, ho "went to the poll on tho following day, and was defeated bv a few votes, but that in tho general election which followed at the end ; of tho same year lie regained tho seat . J which •ho had held, except for theso few months, since 1903. 'It is interestinc to remember that this big-heart-cd,- deep-clicsted "son of tho people, whoso deep-sot, twinkling oyos aro in, strange contrast with his general air of imperturbable calm, was in IoJS mado chairman of, the Poplar Board, ot Guardians, having control over tno samo workhouse in which ho became an inmate 37 years previously, lie still treasures tlio gold watch which the workhouse officials presented to him on the occasion of his election to Parliament in 1903. England Not Decadent. Mr. Crooks disputes tho notion that England is decadent, remarking: She is jiot decadent by many centuries yet. and tho physiquo of Britons is as good as ever it was in spite of all that may. be said to the contrary. Of course, vou will still find there tho awful contrasts between wealth and extreme povorty, but that is not confined onlj to England. There is a general tendency," ho added, to mako a first-class question of everything that relates to tho regulation of child labour, and that is duo to the influence of tlio Labour organisations and to the intellectual improvement of tho working classes as a wliolo." There had been such.a revolution in English industrial life, ho explained, that there was no compaiison between what obtained now and fifteen years ago, tho cliango being principally duo to better feeding, improved sanitation, and better surroundings. 1 Asked as to the Labour party, of which ho is so prominent a member, Mr. Crooks said that though there were only 41 of them out of 070 M.l. s, they had managed to etfcct much, and ho attributed tlio old ago pensions, the national insurance and other workers compensations to the efforts of the Labour party. His visit to Now Zealand, he concluded was to get knowlcdgo by contact, to get below the surface of things, and to sen what people themselves felt about tilings. '