UNKNOWN

Taranaki Daily News, 2 July 1909, Page 4

UNKNOWN

AUSTRALASIANS I>. CANADA, j ROYALTY ENTERTAIXEU. (StaiAcorrespondMil.) \ Cataary. Albe-ta, -May *>-. Four dins agl>, after » pl«--a Sl 4ut trip across* tiiV Pacik the K.J.S. iWam. dropped anchor ow>o"it« *hc e \Y, ° Victoria, and har\dly had tic ve*Vl o-t way when she wits boardcl by a\ He t•rntion of Canadian pressticn nr,d u\ Mr. George Ha.».\of the tanad.a,k lacine Railwav. l''rdm tliiit moment; UH eleven Australasian! pressmei and 4ight ladies accflmpnnying. them to the Pps* Confers were taken int. ■•jM'fW' the world-wide renown of Canadian ho pitalitv seeming to , concentrate itie 1 .1 the' Canadian presi'men and the cijlie"rsoftheW. lor\the comfort and pleasure of the voyagers across the CollIllicit. 3lr. Ham is acting as ciceionc and -eneral adviser for the juurne} through Canada, while a stall lof special servants was attached to the party tun moment it landed, to attend to theM lu"Ka«e and creature c omfort uumi occVto ocean. In short, nothing lias been neglected to memorise the a I too brief sojourn in Canada as.a bright particular ' interval in an historical mciC Th'e luncheon at the Canadian Club after landing was a notable occasion, for there met around the iboard representatives of widely-separated parts of the Empire. It was a fitting p/clmU to the Press Conference, and it has some historical value, for it was perhaps the first occasion of the kindThere have been gatherings' of premiers and other statesmen; but that, perhaps, was the first occasion when representatives from distant parts of the -Empire met together with a common object. Australia, Tasmania, Xew Zealand, and Canada were represented at the tables. The gathering represented the Imperial idea, "for those present acknowledge the same King; they glory in the s'amc traditions; tliev rejoice in the same Common 1/nv; 'they speak the same language: they stand together shoulder to shoulder in support of the same ideals of human liberty and national righteousness. In these'things is the great imperial tie to be sought. Politicians aiming at thii triumph of their party or the acceptance of their particular policy may. say that this tie is to be sought in 'something else; but it is the things mentioned that have made the Empire, and it is upon them, as upon a solid rock, that the Empire must stand. The party, .perforce, had to hasten by the Princess' Victoria across to the transcontinental railhead at Vancouver, where a round of festivities had been arranged, and their preface was the meeting of the party 011 arrival by his Worship Mayor Douglas; Mr. A. H. Stone, president of the Board of Trad:; Mr. R. Marpolo, western executive agent of the CP.R.; Mr. W. !•'. Salisbury, and Mr. C. B. Foster, assistant-general passenger agent of the CP.R. j The ladies of the party have been an important factor in the 'programme Mr. Hani mapped out for their torn- of ths Dominion; and their wishes, as well as those .of their journalistic hustads, have been looked out for by their guide. To them all Mr. Ham was very, soon just plain Ueorgc. He, the boss, issued orders to that effect about balf-an-hour after lie met them in Victoria, and his word is law. Anyway, as one of the party expressed it next .morning, "I could not call him Mr. Ham. Why, I feel as though. I had known Jiim for years'," and that is the feeling which exists in the hearts of the entire city. Festivities of all kinds, some of them regal in their splendor, arc planned for the trip, the CP.R. having taken the precaution that nothing worthy of their notice, should be missed during the transcontinental journey.

ix the ROCKIES. Sorry as we were to leave our hospitable' friends of Vancouver, time tailed imperatively, and two days ago we boarded the east-bound train, one and all move than flattered and delighted with our reception in Columbia. We have so far been favored with magnificent weather, and all arc enjoying themselves thoroughly. AVe travelled 620 miles through. British Columbia, passing through and over snowy mountains and glaciers nearly the whole distance. The party spent last night at Field, 40(i4ft above the sea level, close to Mount Stephen, which towered 0400 ft above the town. This is a favorite stopping-place for tourists, and toinbincii all possible attractions for mountain tourists. "We left Field this morning in a special train, and after passing through more gorgeous scenery, spent half an hour at Laggon, which is in the province of Alberta. At Laggon is erected a monument to the late Sir James .llcctor, and cameras were, out "snapping" the granite column, which bears the following inscription: "Erected in honor of Sir James Hector. K.O.M.fr.. geologist and explorer to the Palliser expeditbn of 1857-1800, by his friends in Canada, the United States, and Xew Zealand! one of the earliest scientists to explore the Canadian liockv Mountains, lie discovered the Kickinir Morse Pass, through which the C'nnndiim-L'aciflc Railway now runs from the Atlantic to the raciiie Ocean. Erected 11100."

It appears tilmt when Sir James Hector was surveying lii'ii-. lie received 'i nasty tick from a horse, which rendered him helpless for • a considerable time. The place was then named Kicking Horse I'ass. We arrived at Banff for lunch, and after dinner take the special again. lianlV is the station for the Xntinniil Park and Hot Springs, the latter lioing in charge of J)r. Brett. The National I'ark is a reservation of 5*32 square miles—the largest in (he world. The scenery here is magniliccnt, peak after penli rising snow-crowned into the translucent air in dazzling splendor. The hotel, a very Jinc and commodious place, was opened specially for the party, flic hotel not being available for Ihe .public for anolher fortnight. The C.I'.U. have done all that is possible, in fact, to make our'journey pleasant and coiuforlaiblc. Mr. George flam, who has become a general favorite, .having been sent all the way from Montreal to Victoria to receive and conduct us throunh Canada. Bfil'lTSH COLUMBIA FUTURE. Our 50U-ini!e journey through Jiritis'h Columbia was tin ohjret-Jiwon in many respects, and those unacquainted with the country have little conception of its enormous possibilities in; many holds of enterprise yet comparatively untouched. The land is progressing now at railway speed, and in Vancouver city since the beginning of the year 2000 permits' have been granted for buildings. It is estimated that in the Albornic district alone (British Columbia) there is sufficient timber to load 100 cars daily for lfiu vcars. The cars hold :i,(IOOit. It is, r believe, only a question of a few years when the whole of the paper foj- New Zealand and Australia will be supplied from Vancouver. Already two paper-mills arc ' being creeled, and several more are in contemplation. The All Bed route via Vancouver is one. aku, that in the near future must become a great tourist highway, over which the journalists are the first representative budv travelling between Australia and England by the Union Steamship Cohrpauy's SydneyVancouver line of boats, in preference to the uhl route via the Suez Canal. "The All-lied Uoute" via Vancouver has been . demonstrated the shortest, most comfortable, and in everv way most preferable.highway for travel between the two continents to the people bo,<t able, by virtue of the organs tliev control, to disseminate anil '-pass the good word along" to the people of tits Australasians.