“VERY ENGLISH.”

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 388, 20 March 1937, Page 3

“VERY ENGLISH.”

Antipodean People Are Most Loyal “I found the people of Australia, very English and I understand the people of New Zealand are even more so,” was the first thing that Councillor James Duckworth, of Rochdale, near Manchester, had to say when he landed from the Wanganella at Wellington. Mr Duckworth is the only son of Sir James Duckworth, a former member of the House of Commons, who visited New Zealand about 50 years ago. Mr Duckworth said he was on a pleasure trip, in company with his fellow councillor, Mr A. W. KayMenzies, and he had been saving up to visit New Zealand for the last 50 years. Like his father, he had always taken a prominent part in the Methodist Church, and had attended the conference held in Melbourne. He expected to spend three weeks or a month in the Dominion, and would visit both islands before returning home by way of Canada. Rochdale, said Mr Duckworth, was a borough of 95,000 inhabitants, and was the birthplace of the famous comedienne, Grade Fields, who would be given the freedom of the borough in July. The manufacture of cotton goods was the principal industry in the town, but, fortunately, other forms of manufacture had helped during the depression. Even then, there had been 18,000 unemployed in the borough, but the improved conditions of recent years had reduced this number to 6000 tefore the Gov-

ernment re-armament contracts were received. These contracts had meant a great deal to Rochdale, particularly as the Dunlop fabric works were in the town. Rochdale was considered to be a very enterprising place, and one of the best-managed boroughs in the north of England. It had a Labour Mayor. When asked to. comment on the constitutional changes in Great Britain towards the end of last year, Mr Duckworth said that the popular opinion was that the only course possible had been taken and that Mr Baldwin crowned his career by the way he had handled the problem. The popular Press of Great Britain had obviously given King Edward the impression that he could have both the wife of his choice and the Throne, but all classes' in the country were opposed to that view. King George VI. and Queen Elizabeth were exceedingly popular, and it was the unanimous opinion that the King would make a sound constitutional Monarch. He believed the Dominions were wholeheartedly with the Mother Country and had found the people of Australia very loyal.

This Sunday the local corps of the Salvation Army are holding their annual Harvest Thanksgiving services. The meetings will' be conducted by Brigadier Suter, who is in command of the Auckland Division. Seasonable addresses and songs will be a feature of the services.