THROUGH NEW ZEALAND.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8160, 15 June 1906, Page 6

THROUGH NEW ZEALAND.

(BY TWQ AUSTRIAN JOUil-

B? A LISTS.)

It WAS early 1 morning when the Moeraki slowly and carefully steamed through the fog into Wellington Harbour. The majority of the passengers (steerage) were visiting Now Zealand for the flist time. The eutry waH not cheeriug. The wait for the doctor, the collecting of scattered luggage, the uncertainty of employment, and abive all the depressing state of the weather seemed to act as a falling barometer oa the erstwhile good spirit of the voyagers. The dootor, a smart, genial man, noon disposed of bis not too arduous task. The vanmen and the Custom House officials made short work of the luggage, but the weather, like the roor, remained with us. A cold wind, with occasional gusts of fine drizzling rain, followed us wherever we tramped, and we did tramp through mucky, slushy streets in search of a boardiughouse. We eventually found one, and with our luggage safely installed therein sallied forth to take our impressions of the Empire City. On that day, we fear, they were anything but favourable. And the night with its strong blowing winds—winds that seemed intent on doing their utmost to demolish the frail wooden structure where we were installed — onlytended to still lower our fast falling spirits. Sleep, and then the morning. What a change 1 The sun shining, mackintoshes and gamboots dispensed with, and in their stead the people, smartly and fashionably dressed, hurrying to their various avenues of labour. What a busy city it seemed. Work here must be plentiful. Everyone, to use a George Keidism, appeared ••jolly aud fat." Ten o'clock, ani the bustle temporarily relaxed and an opportunity wbb afforded of studying other matters connected with the city besides the labour and dress of its inhabitants. A visitor wants to see everything, especially an Australian. We wanted to see the gardens, museum, art gallery, public library, and the, zoo. We managed to see all but two of these in one day. We would have had ample time to view these, but unfortunately Wellington possess neither a zoo nor an art gallery. It has a lion in Newtown Park. The public reading room is no way in keeping with the population, nor, we should imagine, the tastes of the Wellingtonians, for 'besides the newspapers of the oolony, and a few periodicals and magazines scattered indiscriminately over various tables, the majority in a very delapidated and thumb-woru condition, the reading room offers little attractions to readers. No fire, and on a cold wet day instead of suming a cheerful aspect it has more the appearance of a poorly-condi-tioned cabmen's shelter. The museum is different. It is interesting in the extreme, and oave for the faot that the exhibits appear to be somewhat cramped, no fault could be found with such a collection of interesting and educational exhibits. The gardens, if they oan be oalled gardens, remind one more of a few beaten tracks through a dense scrub with a small homely cottage garden at the entrance, where in lieu of a oock and a few hens an emu is kept, much to the delight of visiting ohildren, whose principal amusement seems to taue the form of feeding the bird on suoh dainty morsels as stones and matches. Of the publio buildings the Town Hall stands out prominently, but all is outside snow—the inside sadly needs decorating. The Government Buildings, a huge structure of wood, enclosed by pretty grounds, is a splendid monument > t of the home of the most liberal ad ministration in the world. Tbe churches, though of no great architectural merit are homely and inviting looking, and those good men, in charge of them, especially the few it has been our pleasure to meet, seem to have not only the spiritual but also the mental and physical welfare of their parishioners at heart, for in connection with almost every denomination a society of some description for the benefit of the youthful adherents has been established. Aud while writing the good work of the Y.M.C.A. must not be overlooked. The splendid effort of the members in raising £IO,OOO for their new building is a feat worthy of emulation by many other societies in Wellington, or, in fact, in any city in he world. • But a truce to criticism and description. We came to New Zealand for work, and like a lot more found the dream of untold prosperity a difficult matter to realise. There is no doubt about New Zealand's prosperity, but the influx of labour from less prosperous colonies is greater thau the cities, however busy they may be, oan absorb. And New Zealanders are nothing if not loyal to their own—and right ly so. No outsider oan get a billet while a competent local man is idle. With the exception of a few branches of the building trade, the demand for labour is greatly exceeded by the supply, and though we feel confident that we would have found work eventually in Wellington, had we Deen financially strong •enough to wait, we deoided to shake the mud of the Empire City off our feet and make a walking tour into the heart of "God's own country," where, we were told, work—hard work—was to be had for the asking ON THE TRACK.

It was raining when we left Wellington, raining so bard that we deoided to indulge in a ride in a New Zealand train for the first time. We took tickets for Lower Hutt. On oar arrival the rain had not abated, and we were hospitably treated by Mr Young. Next morning we started on our tramp in real earnest. Everything with the exception of the weight of our haversacks seemed conducive to good humour. The oheery good morning of the passers-by, tne waibling rejoicings of the birds, the fine-looking dwellings, well-kept gardens, and prettily-trimmed hedges reminded us forcibly of an old fashioned English lane In modern garb. Ten miles were covered. Our ioads*had increased to twice their weight. The sun was hidden behind the clouds, the occasional fittings of the brightwinged gold-flnob, was no more, the cheeky sparrow had stopped bis

tweaking; the golden furze blowing looked less bright; and as the Blow drizzling rain merged in a steady downpour, our prospects appeared anything bu<; bright it was lunob time when we reached Upper flutfc, and it »8» Im 9 thab for the first time we asked for work, not once but several times. The answer in every case was, "You'll have to go fnrther back. There's plenty of work there." "Why not try the sawmill about four miles further in?" suggested one well-wisher. We decided to do so, and were soon again silently and thoaghtfully plodding along. "So-and-so wants a couple of men," a maintenance man on the road told us. We walked across a muddy paddook and interviewed him. We "good-dayed" him, and told him our mission. " "lis work yez wants is it?" We agreed. "And where are yez from?" We told him. "Australia! Oh, Australia, 'tis a terrible place." "Were you ever there?" we ventured. "I was in Sydney wanst. Ob, 'tis a terrible place. The floies and the skeeters they nibble at ye and they ate ye. Ob, 'tis a pity yez came from there. I have no workj for yez. Are ye going far?" "On till we get work," "Oh, 'tis a good road yez have. Good-day." We thought he might have asked us to stop for the night, but he didn't, and it was not till we reached Kaitoke, eight miles from Upper Hutt that we learned that the sawmill we had so anxiously looked out for. along the road had been closed down some time.

When we awoke next morning it was still raining, but we deoided, nevertheless, to make on to leatherston. To do this it was necessary to cross the Rimutaka. Ranges. The roads muddy, the cold biting wind, and our enthusiasm considerably damped by an over-abundance of depressed spirits, these, together with a soaking rain interspersed with showers of sleet and occasional falls of snow were the companions that acoompanied us over the ranges. Yet despite all these discomfitures we enjoyed the walk. To say that the scenery was magnificent would but ill describe it. To us, used to the sombre and awe-inspiring grandeur of Australian mountain soenery where dull monotony verges in a weird melancholy the change was glorious. Here all was different. Though far-off snow-clad peaks decorated the horizon, and minor hills and deep glens and valleys formed the foreground, yet everything tended toward? cheerfulness. The shadows were not as deep, the foliage was not as sombre, the very atmosphere seemed to exhale an eu-

tbueiasm that was impossible to resist. Giant ferns, cabbage trees, Innumerable twining runners, at times almost obsoured the view, whilst at other Bpots the climbers appeared looked in graceful festoona the roadside, lending to the vision quite an Arcadian aspeot. However, the enthusiasm that was aroused by the scenery was quiokly dispelled on reaobing the river at the foot of the mountain. The river ■was running strongly, and our only possible means of orossing it was by fording it. This feat, however loath we were to attempt it, was the only method by which we could reach the other side. So reluctantly we stripped off our water-sodden garments and made our cold journey across. It was a perisher* Everything we possessed was wet through and though we did'nt ory it would have taken a very great humourist to make us laugh. After fording the river we proceeded, wet without and disconsolate -within, on to Featherston whioh appeared to us to be a pretty, though lifeless village, with or without possibilities of future expansion. The few residents we saw took thin gs so leisurely that we presumed the rest must be asleep, and we felt inclined to walk through the streets on tip-toe, lest we should be haled before the "beak" on the awful charge of disturbing the peace whioh reigned supreme over the plaoe. At this hamlet we had a somewhat hum ourous experieuoe. We BBked a little girl where the, priest lived, and she directed us to a oertain house. We enquired of a young lady who answered our knock at the door whether the priest was at home, and : she replied that he had gone out bat would be back in a couple of hours' time. We passed away the intervening couple of hours in the Literary Institute, where a weloome fire waa burning, but our Btudy of the magazines was interrupted by the unseemly behaviour of a number of boys who turned the reading room into a kind of interior playground. On going agaiu to ■wait upon his reverence we discovered that it was the residence of the police and not of the priest to -whioh we had been direoted. We made the disoovery in time to avert a ludicrous tlnnder. As a matter of fact no "soggartb aroon" resides in the sleepy village. Journeying on towards Qreytown we took our evening meal with* a wayside farmer from whom we gained much , valuable information regarding the labour conditions in -the Wairaraoa. He expressed the opinion that work would not be easily obtained until after Masterton had been passed. Next morning we arrived at Greytown, and were hospitably entertained by DrM. A'Beokett M'Oartby, whom we found to be a kindly gentleman ready to assist end oheer the pilgrims in a . strange land. We were favourably impressed with Greytown, and we noted numerous buildings which would be a credit to any provincial town. Several shops and private residences were in oourse of ereotion, and there was evidence of a steady growth and expansion of business. Here we met one gentleman who bad a grievance. We met in a muddy street, and the gentleman -alluded to remarked that though the municipalty was 50 years old footpaths had not yet teen forced in places where they were badly wanted. "New Zealanders are not •progressive enough," he added. Orossing the Waiohine River we noticed a little Maori cemetery, which, being something uncommon in Australian eyes, was inspected with interest. We noted carefully the tomb of Ngatuefe Tawhirimahea -chief of the Ngatiahungunui, who died at the age of 90. While there the chief's grandson came and courteously gave his permission to make sketches of the tomb,, which, as well as the other tombs in the cemetery, had been constructed by the relatives of the deceased. It was our first actual contact with the Maoris, and those we met appeared to be highly intelligent, and anxious to bestow favours upon strangers. How different are the Maoris to the lowtype aborigines of Australia. Passing on to Carterton we found a kind and genial friend in the person of Rev.-T- J. Cahill, who displayed a keen interest in our adventure. Carterton we found to be a fine type of an inland town, though we were informed that there was a better one ahead. The spirit of progress was observable in the shape of new buildings, a sewerage scheme, the projected installation of a clock and chimes in the Post Office tower, and in other directions. The streets however, are in a woeful condition of disrepair and neglect, but we learned that when the sewerage scheme is completed attention will be given to the improvement of the thoroughfares. The library is commodious, and well supplied with newspapers, book's and magazines, and evidently the committee expends the funds at its disposal to good advantage. A striking feature about Carterton whioh appeals to one who has sojourned a while in the hud-dled-up "Empire City,' is the spacious and nicely planted grounds surrounding th,e better olass residences, and were Carterton a larger plaoe "rus in urbe" would not be an inappropriate tit!e*to apply to It. It was while we were in Carterton that news was received of the death of the late universally respeoted Premier, and we could not fail to be forcibly struck with the manner in which the sad intelligence was received. Everyone appeared to feel that he had lost a personal friend, and that the country had lost a man who would be difficult to replace. One resident went so far as to say say that the loss of all the Australian Governors and Premiers would be less than the los» of Mr Seddon.

Leaving Carterton behind we strode along an excellent road in happy mood with the sun shining genially overhead. The fine fleldß -stretching away on either gide formed a pleasing picture when contrasted in the mind's eye with the sun-baked and drought-stricken regions in the interior of Australia whiob it has aforetimes been oar lot to pass through. The farm homesteads are, however, not as oloae together as they might be. Bat we noticed several new farmboases in course of erection, whiah we took as a siga that this stretch of country is to he more closely settled in the near future. Calling at Mr Hourigan's 'homestead, soma three miles from

Masterton, we were kindly invited to stay for lunch, and once again we were afforded evidence of the hospitality which the more broadminded residents of New Zealand are ready to bestow upon Australians We found however, that the experiences whioh these good people bad had of Australians in the Fast were not altogether of a happy kind. Some whom they had employed had behaved so badly that they decided tc adopt the motto "no Australians need apply " We were given a previous instance of this aoimua against Australians. A man whoapproaohed us in a very cordial manner on learning that we hailed from Australia used language neither polite nor complioientary and curtly walked off without bidding us goodbye. A Viotorian informed us that a South Island farmer saw him with a view of giving him a job, as he was in want of a harvest hand. Negotiations were in progress, but came to an abrupt termination upon the farmer ascertaining that his prospective employee came from over the water. This attitude on the part of a certain eeotion of the population is extremely puzzling. When New Zealanders go to Australia they are welcomed with the right good hand of fellowship and the reason why a similar spirit is not exhibited in the case of Austra lians coming to this colony is somewhat difficult to ' see. No doubt some of the Ausralians who came here did not belong to the most desirable olass of citizens. Should the whole be condemned on acoouut of the delinquinoies of the few? Or is there some other reason? It is only fair *o say that the more intelligent and broad-minded residents of this fair country, depreoate the existtenoe of this form of insular conservatism, and appear desirous of cementing the bonds which should unite the two peoples and bring them into closer touch with each other.

The approaches to Maatertoti prove very attractive to the visitor viewing them for the first time. The beautiful rows of evergreens stretching across the farm laad at right angles with the road. The neatly kept gorse hedges in brilliant blossom rivetted attention, and the old men's home was noted, and further on the handsome villas and well-kept grounds which grace the roadway on either side. We felt that we were coming to a prosperous and important town, and we were not disappointed. Masterton, we thought, might well claim to be the capital of the Wuirarapa. The streets —then a trifle muddy—are lined on either side with handsome business premises and neat and commodious dwellings. An air of prosperity surrounds the plaoe, betokened by theTiSf-raff of the builder's saw, the shirr of the plane, and the oliokclack of the trowel, while welldressed people in goodly numbers parade the prinoipal streets on busidess bent. Most of the conveniences of civilisation are here, and a notable feature at night time is the excellent gas lighting system. The recreation grounds and the showgrounds are much above the average of those usually found in country towns, while the library appears to be a useful institution with room to grow. la many respects Masterton bears a similarity to the chief inland towns of Australia, and yet it has oertain characteristics which are essentially : typical of New Zealand. Whilst, at present in Masterton, the local labour market might be said to be well supplied encouraging reports come in from the outlying districts that the demand for labour is gradually increasing. This to us is encouraging.