WORLD’S BEST

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 586, 12 February 1929, Page 16

WORLD’S BEST

Viscount’s Opinion of Ellerslie IMPRESSIONS OF DOMINION Convinced that the • Ellerslie Racecourse is the most beautiful in the world, and that the New Zealand rainbow trout is the best sporting fish he has ever spun a reel on, Viscount Hampden yet has a grievance against this country. “I haven’t had a decent bit of bacon haven't had a decent bit of bacon since I have been here,” he said to-day. The Viscount, who is Brigadier-Gen-eral Thomas Walter Brand, K.C.8., C.M.G., a soldier of the South African and the Great Wars, has been in New Zealand for three months with Lady Hampden and a daughter. Chairman of directors of the National Mortgage and Agency Co., he spent two months in the South Island and a month in the North, inspecting the branches of the company, sight-seeing, and fishing. SORRY TO GO “The chief thing I have to sav is that I am sorry to be going away,” said the Viscount before he left by the Niagara on his homeward trip. “That is my feeling toward this lovely country. I wish I had come here years ago.” He gained a general superficial knowledge of conditions in the South Island and from his own connection with English farming he was able to say that he was “extremely refreshed to find agriculturalists in prosperous conditions”—a contrast to the farmers in England.

He fished the Tongariro River, and though he was a month too early he found the sport most enjoyable. The New Zealand rainbow was the best sporting fish he had experienced. At VVellington he attended a race meeting and found the general lay-out of the course extremely good. Before leaving England he had been advised to go to Ellerslie meeting at Christmas. He had been unable to do that, but from his visit to that course yesterday he was convinced that it was the most beautiful in the world. GOOD RACING In the Dominion the public seemed to be • extremely well catered for; it got excellent racing more cheaply than in England. “Perhaps this is due to the totalisator and we may reap the advantage in England when we get it there, for it is going to be established shortly.” The remarkable recuperative power shown by the farmers, on the whole, impressed the Viscount. They had gone through a bad time and had recovered. It was just as well,, he thought, in times of prosperity to bear in mind the lean years and prepare for the ups and downs. The present outlook was good and he hoped it would remain so. “Your butter is delicious, but I was really surprised about the bacon,” he said. “How is it that a country so enterprising in everything concerning agriculture should be lacking in this?”

Lady Hampden was formerly Lady Katharine Mary Montague-Douglas-Scott, daughter of the sixth Duke of Buccleuch. Her niece, Lady Angela Scott, according to a cabled message from London, is affianced to Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester.

The Viscount was asked if he had any news of this engagement. “I haven’t the smallest idea,” he replied, do.” “I know no more about it than you do.”