Monks of St. Bernard and Their Wonder Dogs

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 110, 30 July 1927, Page 24

Monks of St. Bernard and Their Wonder Dogs

HE beauty of their land is the chief wealth of zi the Swiss —and in this there is a lesson for New Zealand, which has i&M been called by travellers “the Switzerland of the South.’ The peasants of Switzerland would find it hard to live solely upon the products of their somewhat scanty soil, but they flourish on the money they obtain by catering for visitors and by exploiting the natural beauty of their land. They are known as the best hotelkeepers in the world—another point on which New Zealanders could take lessons. The peasants usually own their own farms, for the acquisition of large estates is not allowed (still another lesson for New Zealand!); the Alpine pastures are shared by all, each farmer grazing his cattle according to the size of his farm. Some of the finest and bravest men in the world are the Swiss guides, without whom it would be extremely dangerous to climb the mountains (relates a writer in '•Lands and People”). Although the Alps look so calm and peaceful, they are really very treacherous, and many climbers have lost their lives upon them. Avalanches,