THE COMMONWEALTH

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 123, 11 February 1918, Page 6

THE COMMONWEALTH

A VISITOR'S IMPRESSIONS. M|r. Downie Stewart, member for Dunedin West, who has spent s six months in New South Wales, health' recruiting told an interviewer in Dunedin that most of the Australian people he met looked enviously at New Zealand. It was curious, after all tho criticism fliat had been launched in the Dominion against the Government, to find Australians envying us for our good fortune in carrying on with so little conflict. The difficulties between the Federal and State Governments in Australia were becoming greater year by year, and tbp general opinion seemed to be that it would be necessary to increase the power of the Federal Government and curtail that of the State Governments in order to reduce friction. New Zealand could more and more congratulate itself as time went on upon its decision not to enter the Australian Federation. "Australia," said Mr.'Steward "fascinates one. by its great possibilities." Just before leaving Sydney lie had met .an American chemical expert who confessed that he had been amazed at the resources and possibilities of the Commonwealth, with its immense deposits of ores, coal, and minerals. He knewof no other country in the world witlv such possibilities," but the exnert added that he could not see dnyMit throurh the fog of the existing labour diffiniHips in the particular industry in which he was especially interested. The most essential result was quality rather than quantity of output, but; his Australian experience was that the workmen were careless ns to future consequences of producing inferior material. Public men in Australia- had evinced sincere respeit for the defence and other methods'of the New Zealand Administration, and were tremendously impresspd by the manner in which "Interna i difficulties ar; regards, eonsorintion had been overcome: in short, they looked upon the Dominion- as 5, model to be conied. Mr.. Stewart ooncludet 1 by stating that the younger politicians of Australia were finnlv of onimon th'it it would be better if the National Party were to (it otil. and innke way for anothor partv that would arouse Australia, to a full apprpciatirn of fie impels of the Em-pire Tlvv ■■ontemled that nothing has been done to fOmn" the !>.ctivitips of the emmtrv towards helning with all its might to win the. war. T'leve is naUnnal ooonomv and ro administrative efforts to make peonlo realise the seriousness 'of the Imperial conflict.