Scottish Minister Sees Good in City

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 357, 18 May 1928, Page 1

Scottish Minister Sees Good in City

FOND OF NEW ZEALAND “SPORTSMAN’S PARADISE” “Auckland is not a wicked city headed for destruction. Religiously and morally it compares very favourably with cities of a similar size in the Old Country.” Summing up his six and a-half years’ experience as a minister in the city, the Rev. J. Lamb Harvey, of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, made this statement to-day. Mr. Harvey, who is leaving soon for Scotland, also gave his opinions on sport and political, social and religious problems of the Dominion. ‘Would, you call Auckland a Christian city?” he was asked. “No more than I would any similar city in the Old Country,” he replied. His term of residence here he described as an “eye-opener.” Most people at Home had no conception of the extent of the country and its fertility, or the size and equipment of the cities. “The Home country and the Empire do not realise what a possession they have in the Dominion,” he said. “That is my main feeling as I take a birds’-eye view of my experiences.” In 80 years the country had made remarkable progress, but there is still a good deal of “the raw and unkempt about it.” “One has had disappointments here,” he continued. “One distinct disappointment on the social and political side has been to find the old sort of land system existing here. One had hoped that the evils of land specula-

tion, the effects of booms and slumps, would have been avoided in a new country.” “Some way should have been devised of retaining for the community, site values, say, in Queen Street. Values created by the community shoulft go to benefit the community and not fall to private speculators.” About the land question, he had cherished a hope that a bold policy of settlement would be forthcoming. “If the country’s statesmen had vision and courage they would devise means of getting the youth of the country to turn to the land and they would make provision for tens of thousands of immigrants from the Old Country,” he said. “I would like also to see New Zealand taking the lead again in social legislation, especially along the lines of co-partnership and profitsharing. Schemes should be put forward to prevent or insure against unemployment. The Old Country used to look to the Dominion for a lead at one time, but the lead has not been given lately. TO BOOM SPORT “I will go Home to boom New Zealand as the sportsman’s paradise,” declared Mr. Harvey. “No matter what sport you follow, New Zealand is the place for it. My own interest has been bowls, and there are more bowlers to the square yard here than in any country in the world. “Probably the New Zealand bowlers are the finest in the world,” he continued. “A picked team from the Dominion wouid match against any team which could be brought forward.” Mr. Harvey said he did not believe the Dominion was “sport mad.” The climate inclined the people to games. But he would like to see sport keep clear of the element of gambling. In the higher things there were signs of an increasing attention. Education, literature and the higher arts showed a quickening of interest. MORAL EVILS “Morally there are some crying evils here as there are elsewhere,” he said. “The problem is, how are you going to prevent or cure gambling, intemperaance, illegitimacy and the divorce evil? A powerful public conscience is needed to deal wfith these things and for that you want a vitally religious and living church. My belief is that the church

is going- to count for more and more in the life of New Zealand.” Speaking of Auckland he said that it was much more cosmopolitan in its character than cities of the old country and occasionally he felt there was an American tone about it though he did not think this was to be entirely regretted. Compared with the Scottish University cities there was not the same close contact between the university* and the community. “1 never expect to see anything as fine as the view from Mt. Eden or One Tree Hill anywhere that I may go.” he concluded. “I am leaving with a warm affection and admiration for the whole country and especially for Auckland.”