BACK FROM ENGLAND

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 81, 2 October 1931, Page 5

BACK FROM ENGLAND

MR. A. G. BARNETT RETURNS

INTEREST IN THE DOCK After a combined holiday and trasiw ness trip to England and Europe, Mr. A. G. Baraett, secretary of the Wel« lington ■ Harbour Board, returned to * Wellington to-d_ay from Auckland^ ■where he landed yesterday. Chatting with a representative «£ "The Post," Mr, Barnett remarked that the building of the floating dock for "Wellington and its long tow had aroused an enormous amount .of inter* est in England. The publicity given ta it had been very -widespread, and had obviously done much to assist in keep* ing the Dominion on the map. Its con* struction had been a godsend to the shipyards, for building was very slack. The Idock was making better time on! its long journey than anyone anticipated. Minor adjustments having been made at Aden, the dock, he understood, was to go to Bat a via for a final overhaul before starting on the > las* long lap to Wellington. N.Z. PBODUCE IK EUROPE. Mr. Barnett was much struck whilsti in England and other parts of Europe by the amazingly wide distribution ot New Zealand produce, cheese, 'apples, honey, butter, and the like. Even in out-of-the-way places in England it was regularly stocked, and one of the first things he saw in the German fruit markets were New Zealand .apple* These were selling at quite a reason* able price, and through an interprets he ascertained that the Germans.aj* predated them and would take as'jnang as we could send them. THE "HmiKO" HABIT. ' Another thing which struck Mr. Barl * nett very forcibly was the spread &U over Europe of the "hiking" habit. It was an admirable form of recreation; for hard times, he said, being healthy; and cheap. Young folk of both sexes indulged in it, often under proper rules and regulations, and in Germany it had even acquired a semi-military organ* isation. ' "The summer at Home this yeaij was pretty bad," added Mr. BaraeU, "but we escaped the worst of the wet weather. We saw everything that was to be seen, some of the cricket matches, the Derby, the trooping ot, the colour, and all that kind of thing. We met many New Zealanders, and many more who were interested in New; Zealand. But it was surprising to find hdw many well-educated people continue to link, in their minds and talk, New Zealand and Australia. It was sometimes difficult to make -them realise that New Zealand and Australia are not the same place. When I told them that New Zealand was about as far away from Australia as. England is from America, they were somewhat amazed." SAME OLD CLIMATE! Mr. Barnett said that during thai few hours since his return to Wellington he had had a very busy time answering telephone calls and the like, so much ao that he was still towards noon hoping to be allowed to get some breakfast. "I have hardly had time as yet to collect my thoughts," he: added .with.'a laugh, "but one thing I notice is that Wellington's climate does not seem, to havo changgd for the better during my absence."