WHO’S WHO ON THE ARAWA BRIEF INTERVIEWS WITH THE PASSENGERS

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 39, 9 May 1927, Page 12

WHO’S WHO ON THE ARAWA

BRIEF INTERVIEWS WITH THE PASSENGERS

“The best trip for 19 years,” was how one officer describes the voyage of the Arawa, the last of the immigrant ships for some months, which arrived from Liverpool yesterday. And the passengers thought so too. Rain fell on only one day during the voyage, and at times the heat was rather trying.

One of the passengers, Mr. F. Drayton is a young Englishman who is in search of a little cool weather. lie got it yesterday. lie has been in the Panama Zone during the last few years, and before that he was plying his trade as a carpenter in America. There is no trouble at all about getting good wages in America,” he said, “but a man must be able to produce the goods. A good carpenter earns from nine to twelve dollars a day and a bricklayer in New York, if he is any good, makes as much as 18 dollars a day. Even street cleaners can make anything from three to twelve dollars a day.” Mr. Drayton intends to stay in New Zealand for a while and will try his hand at ship-building or carpentering of any kind.

Mr. P. Besson, who is making a health tour, left his native Ireland well on the way to prosperity. He is managing director of the Royal Hibernian Hotels, and caterer to the Grand Lodge of Ireland. “De Valera has gone back to his position as Professor of Mathematics in the Catholic University,” said Mr. Besson. “They are trying to revive his party, but they will not be able to do it —there will be no more fighting in Ireland.” He went on to say that the Free State Government has made wonderful progress in Ireland, particularly with the roads, which are now as good as anything in England. “Dublin has been rebuilt,” continued Mr. Besson. “It was really a God-send that part of the city was burned down. All the old buildings have gone and beautiful new ones have replaced them.” Talking of the 1916 rebellion in Dublin, Mr. Besson said it was worse than the war.

Mr. C. Wade is a young commercial artist who has come out to New Zealand to join Ilott’s agency. He and his brother had a studio in London. Mr. Wade said that with the aid of brilliant posters the overseas dominions are being advertised at Home. It is an outcome of the British Empire Exhibition at Wembley. There is a great demand in England for the poster man with new ideas, and anyone with originality is made immediately.

Mr. N. P. Walker was able to give some information regarding the steel industry in England. He has come out to become secretary of the Auckland branch of William Cooke and Co., wire-rope manufacturers. Although the steel industry suffered from the big strike it will pick up again, he says, and if the possibility of strikes could be reduced it would help England considerably. Orders are now being placed on the Continent because of the fear of strikes in England. English prices are higher than those of the Continent, he said, but the quality of the English goods is better than those made abroad.

After spending several shears in the Argentine, Mr. J. Call is returning to his home in South Canterbury. He has been employed by the MasseyHarris Company working among agricultural machinery with his headquarters at Buenos Aires. A small agricultural farm in the Argentine is equal to the largest in New Zealand, he remarked, and the cultivated land is exceptionally good. “Two things are essential when going to the Argentine,” he said. “One must have credentials and one must know Spanish—after that it is not difficult to find work, particularly office work.”

Mr. Call stated that New Zealand apples are much in demand in the Argentine and the Dominion fruit finds a ready market. The country has a splendid future, he said, owing to the large quantity of rich, flat country which can be opened up for settlement. The Argentine is in a good financial position.