AS OTHERS SEE US.

Hokitika Guardian, 27 June 1917, Page 4

AS OTHERS SEE US.

dominions COMMISSION ON NEW ZEALAND,

AN INTERESTING DE-

SCRIPTION

The final report of the Dominions Royal Commission, issued in March of this year, contains a short description of each of tffe dominions, and the references to New Zealand are on the whole of a verj complimentary character. The description is short enough; to quote in extenso, and runs as follows .

New Zealand is made up of .several small and of two main islands, the latter separated from , each other by Cook Strait, which , is much used as a waterway be- j tween the east and west coasts of i the Dominion. In total area it nearly equals the British Isles, but 1 as in shape the. islands are long and narrow, the distance from north to south is considerably greater. This results in somewhat marked variations of climate. Thus, while Dunedin in the south is cool, Auckland in tlie north has an atmosphere and vegetation which remind the visitor of those of subtropical lands. i fci^^^ggnnl^i^he^ver^isked

any to, be found in Europe. Its scenery attracts thousands of visitors every year and is an asset -of ever-increasing value. To tlie traveller perhaps the most remarkable district in New' Zealand is that of Rotorua, which is famous for its health-giving thermal springs, resorted to in large numbers by the ailing from many lands. Although none of its geysers equal the Great G'evser in Iceland in the volume of water :ejected, the largest, in the village of Whakarewarewa, spouts to a height of Boft and furnishes a very remarkable spectacle. i Many of the Maoris, who are aborigines of New Zealand, live in this Rotorua district. They are an extremely fine and Warlike race, whose qualities are fully recognised by the New Zealanders themselves. They take theft p|rt, through their representatives in Parliament, and in other directions,-in the administration ot the Dominion, have their places \\\ the ftqrne|l professions, and share the honotfts of its Universities. They own'large areas of land of very high quality in the North Island, of which are gradually coming;, into European settlement. It is, how r ever, the fixed policy,of the Dominion to conserve for the Maoris adequate areas ot land for their requirements. A few of the older men in their youth may have shared in their fierce tribal warfare, and perhaps fought against the British in their ’sixties. Tc-day, however, the Drown has no more loyal subjects than the Maoris. T.ieir history and thp study of their traditions is fulI"of interest to those who devote attention toisucU matters. Outside the mountain regions the soil of New Zealand gives great returns to the farmer and the pastoralist, while its sheep, after passing through the freezing works, are famous oil tlie British meat market, and - indeed furnish no inconsiderable, proportion of its supply of mutton and lamb. Its wool, too, is amongst file most notable of New Zealand products, and in fact is the leading export from the Dominion. Owing to the advantages ,of its climate and the richness of its herbage, New' Zealand is extremely well suited to small holdings, which tetul to increase in number year by s*ear. This is, in part, clue to the policy of the Dominion, which | encourages the subdivision of large areas'. The best land, is very valuable and continues to rise in price. Dairy products, such as cheese and butter, are exported in ever increasing quantities. Ip fact, taking its external trade in comparison with its population, New Zealand stands firm in the Empire. The kauri pine of New Zealand is, perhaps, unique among trees, if only for the vast age to which it attains. Enfortunatqly, it is being rapidly cut out and is for sundry reasons very difficult to , preserve. The fossilised gum of this tree is dug up in great quantities, and after treatment forms one of the best known varnishes: In comparison with some of the other dominions, New Zealand has no great store of mineral wealth. But it has produced a good deal of gold, and its irousaiuls and coal are valuable assets, the' best of its coal being of very high quality. Its water-power, too, constitutes a resource of great importance. Except for the added brightness of its skies, New Zealand ihay be described as another Britain in the southern seas. From’ the beginning it has attracted a class of settler worthy of the best traditions of the Motherland. The education and training which the Dominion offers to its growing-generation more than maintains those traditions. In its social legislatiqn find the even distribution of its wealth, New Ze|lapd jaorg than -any'otter part of the Empire.