“THE HIGHEST TYPE.”

Taranaki Daily News, 14 January 1922, Page 8

“THE HIGHEST TYPE.”

BRITISH OPINION OF NEW ZEALANDERS. THOUSANDS WANT TO COME TO DOMINION. Asked by a Times representative how New Zealand stands in the eyes of the people at Home, Sir Robert Stout stated that from the furthest north to the furthest south of the United Kingdom he found that New Zealand stood highest of all in the opinion of the public. “They looked upon our soldiers, for character and conduct, as second to none,” he stated. “They ad itted the great courage and initiative of the Australians. I heard nothing said against the Australians; but, when you mentioned New Zealand, they seemed to think that we had got here the. highest type of huihanity, and I thought that that said a great deal for our secular system of education, in spile of all the talk there has been here about our New Zealand youths lacking character. It showed that "the product of our New Zealand schools stands the highest in the world.” The reports he had heard regarding New Zealand Rhodes scholars were nothing but favorable. They were well spoken of by the secretary of the Rhodes Trust and by many others with whom Sir Robert conversed.

“Another thing,” he added, “is the great number of people at Home Who are anxious to come out to the Dominion. We could get thousands of the very best settlers if we want them. If we gave them passages and an assurance that they could get work for a short time till they fee! their feet, we could get the best possible class of immigrants. I got applications right /and left from great numbers of people. There were no ships, however, to bring them here. I was told by Sir James Allen that there were some 2000 people seeking passages to New Zealand, and they could not get them berths. Not only so, but there are also people w|th money anxious to come to the colony. One man told me that he would bring £lO,OOO with him if he came to New Zealand. Two things especially influence these people. First, they think the country must be good (hat produces such a fine type of men; and second, they hear so much about our climate —that it is more agreeable than the Home climate, and yet not so soft as to destroy the fibre and- virility of the race.”