NEW ZEALAND.

Taranaki Daily News, 9 April 1920, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND.

A VISITOR'S IMPRESSIONS. RESOURCES AND FUTURE OF DOMINION. To a New Zealand Times' representative Alderman E. Lindsay-Thompson, J.P., of Sydney, who has been paying a visit to New Zealand, made the following remarks on New Zealand, its resources, and future prospects. "I am much indebted to the Hon. the Prime Minister in seeing much of the country, and deeply appreciate the honor. I trust he will soon be restored to health to enable him to solve the difficult problems ahead of him. "I go back to Australia much impressed with the beauties and resources of the Dominion, and well aible to offer my advice to my countrymen who propose to seek fresh fields and pastures new. What appeals to me most is the apparent happinness and prosperity of those on the land, and particularly the wonderful country and development between Wanganui, New Plymouth and Napier. Your population seems well distributed, and I was much struck with the various cities visited, which appeared to be equally important and each having its own local attractions.

"I noticed the development of Wellington with its attendant difficulties, and appreciate the efforts of your city engineer, who seems to have the happy idea of treating public services and utilities very artistically. I recoguise what you have done and your greater difficulties ahead, and while progress will force this development, country towns such as Palmerston North, Hamilton, Wanganui and Napier, etc., backed up with such good country, are naturally-capable of extensions and development without impediment. I venture the opinion that with the difficulties on the one hand and the free expansion on the other, a still more equal distribution of population, which is good for a country, is likely. "As an architect, I am glad to see that the old idea of treating wooden buildings as if they were stone is disappearing, and that there is an effort tcv.design in accordance with climatic conditions and the material available. This is good, and if carefully studied and developed, will give the different districts local design and characteristics, thus further enhancing the interest in the beauty of your country.

"You have a moderate Government in power. It appears to lack in a degree the party, or class bitterness of. other countries, and maj' it continue, as the only way to overcome' the ravages of war and loss of production is to pull together. Grow, grow, and develop more and more, and thus seeu-e cheapness. This polity alone will give the wage earner full advantage of. the increased wages. War has changed our social conditions. Let us take advantage of the comradeship in war and pull together in peace, and your future is assured. "Your one Dominion Parliament, backed up by local government, appeals to me, and is a big contrast with Australia's seven and a Federal Parliament. We should follow you with one Parliament and effective local government. Personally I feel Australia is much over-gov-erned, and we will not secure the full advantage of our great resources till we alter our methods of self-governing. "I have received the greatest kindness in God's Own Country, and with God's own people united you have a great harvest in store."