MR C. BARWELLIN AMERICA

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIX, Issue 3175, 29 October 1892, Page 2 (Supplement)

MR C. BARWELLIN AMERICA

THE CIDEH. BAIUtEM.S. Many of our readers will oa'.l to mind a humourous letter which appeared in our columns a few months ago, written by Mr C. Harwell, late of Tamahere, of making fame. The sketch described a trip from Waikato to Auckland by water. Those who were acquainted with the route taken marvelled at its being possible to accomplish suuh an undertaking in (he little canvas canoe which Mr Harwell had himself built for the journey. The description of the trip and the incidents by the way, the narrow escape from shipwreck and disister were well described and made particularly readable by the artistic manner in which the writer clothed his ideas, and kept up the interest throughout the whole description of the journey. In accordance with a promise made prior to his leaving New Zealand for a wander through America to write and give us some impression of the country, Mr Barwell has addressed the following letter from Salt Lake City, which will be found interesting reading : —

Prom the city of l:itter-dny sain's, America's Zion, Salt Lake City, Uiali, I keep my promise to write to you. Great have been ray wanderings since I left New Zealand. From Sun Franoi-co of the extreme south of California, ia San Joachin's snltry valley, in Los An<?elo-' orange groves, in San Diego's land-locked harbour. From there along the coast from port to port, to the Golden Gate again. Then, northward still, along Oregon's coast to Victoria, and Vancouver, thence up beautiful Puget Sound to hilly Sifittle ; on up White River Valley, southward now, through forestclad Washington to rainy Oregon, across the great Columbia river, train and all, in a great ferry, to grain-shipping Portland ; then on across barren, hideous Idaho to equally barren and hideous Utah, till the green fields of the tree bosomed Ogden are reached; on still along the shore of th 3 Great Salt Lake, to the fainou* Salt Lake City, almo.'t hidden in its luxuriant foliage, and nestling close beneath rugged, snowtopped mouutains. Here my travels have ended for a time at least. Two monthH I have been here, and I expect to remain all winter. I have not, naturally, been making money, but, working a few weeks here, and a few days there, have balanced my accounts fairly well ; have gone through a variety of experiences, and enjoyed myself immensely. I have seen some fine scenery and some fine country, but for all that, this much-vaunted country cannot for a moment be comparrd to New Zealand for beauty, produc'iveness, or climate, but can give her points in rattlesnakes, tarantulas, and scorpions. After seeing renowned California, I am

more than ever convinced that, if you could import a little common sense into your Government, New Zealand, with sill her embarrassments, might, in a few yaars, be the envy of the world. It is their protective policy, which has made, and continues to make the United States, the prosperous and progressive place that they are. Why on earth don't you abandon that freetrnde folly, and fro in for a drastic protective policy? Your variedjjresources, your compactness, your position and your splendid harbours mark you oit as destined by Nature, to be the workshop of the Southern Hemisphere. Why kick against your destiny ? The McKinley Tariff Bill has been the greatest success here. It has falsified evnry ftloomy prediction of the'democratio freetrader, and, mark you this, while it has provided employment for 230,000 men and women, it has, in the short space of two years, cheapened to the consumer nearly ev«.ry, if not every article on which a prohibitive tax was imposed. Protection, ic a young country, benefits no one more than the consumer. You want protection, 60 to 100 per cent, protection, in New Zealand, because greater local markets, your farmers and labourers want cheaper implements, oheaper clothes, cheaper boots ond shoes, cheaper manufactures of all sorts; and ' protection will do this, and more than : this for you. Adopt such a protective policy, and in twenty years your up country farms will bd cut up into build-

ing allotments. Do you _ imagine that anyone, who has ever lived in New Zealand, leaves her because he hates the country? Not he. He is driven out by that absurd policy, which says to New Zealand's sons, what-

ever their natural ability, whatever their aepiratioDß or tastes: "Go follow the plough, or herd eheep, or eke pet to Hell out of this, we have no use for you." To use an Americanism, your New Zealand freetrader "makes me tired." There is but one olds* in New Zealand more illogical, more absurd, more impervious to common serine and irrefutable evidence than your freetraders, and that class is in jour lunatic asylums. I a<n not afraid of-.hurtiup' your feelings, for I know that the freetrader, perched aloft on his monumental folly, looks down on the protectionist with that complacent scorn which is only felt in its full completeness by the fool or fanatic. It is to be hoped, for poor Zea'andia's sake, and for the sake of her rioing generation, that Providence -will see fit to convert you to protection, or, if that be impossible, remove a number of freetraders (euffiotent to destroy their influence) to another and better land, where it is to be hoped, for their complete happiness, they may be allowed, in place of the prescribed " Hallelujah !" to sing to the twanging of their tuneful harps, "The consumer inTftr'ably pays the import duty"—that infernal earthly lie, which, perohance, in that wonderland may, by some curious inversion, become an eternal, heavenly truth. Bah !

I like Salt Lake immensely. The climate so far has been delightful; rather warm in the daytime—9o to lOOdeg.—but deliriously cool at nigbt, and even in the daytime a cool breeze is generally blowing. I go for a swim most days in the Jordan. Yesterday I was on Mt.Olivet; have bathed in the warm sulphur springs, and, most curious sensation' of all, have floated about the buoyant waters of Great Salt Lake—an experience worth six months' hard work rather than to die without going through it. I am at present bossing the milkingshed of a large dairy company, and, though not particularly pleasant, the work is easy enough. I have lots of leisure, and by virtue of splendid health, novel surroundings, and pleasant society, feel in the best of .humours. I could, I believfl, even be oivil to a freetrader.

If you can find time I should be glad to hear how Waikato progresses. Whereever my wanderings may lead me. I shall always look upon myself as a New Zealander and take a New Zealander's interest in his country's affairs. I hope to get something better to do in the course of time. Still wages are high, I am saving money, and I feel more contented than I have done for years. My only trouble is that, like the old-time Mormon, I have too many wives—all cows, and many kickers. It is a little difficult hern as elsewhere to pluck a rose without a thorn. Perhaps through your paper you will tell my friends that you have heard from me, and that I am still alive, and kicking more than ever. It is quite time I was off for my usual swim in Jordan ; so with best wishes for your prosperity and conversion to Protection, —I remain, yours truly, Ciias. Bakwkll.