A Distinguished South African Visitor

New Zealand Tablet, 20 December 1906, Page 24

A Distinguished South African Visitor

The Horn. A.'Wilmot, K.S.G., a member of the Cape Legislature, arid . a leading' Catholic in South Africa, -was a visitor to Duneflin in the beginning of the week. The Hon. Mr. Wilrriot has been a lea/ding public man in . South Africa for many, years, arid one of the .reasons of his visit to New, Zealand is to inquire into the working of our land amd labor laws, and especially the Advances to Settlers Act. At the , present I ..time South Africa is not able, notwithstanding „ its vast area, to supply its own people with ' the necessaries of life, and therefore the Government have in- contempla-. . tiou an 'irrigation scheme to assist the farmer in increasing the production of the couutry, and also to induce . settlers to take up land. For this latter purpose the Government have .under consideration the question of assisting settlers, and Mr. Wilmot has been inquiring 1 into the means -adopted in New "Zealand for the encouragement qf settlement.. In his -inquiries he re--ceived the greatest attention and facilities from the Government officials, who' placed a large quantity of valuable information at his disposal. Our distin- • guished visitor expressed his high appreciation of what he had seen in New Zealand, especially the crops arid ihe beautiful scenery. „ .. , ' .. ~ "•". Mr. Wilmob paid a visit to the office" of the 'N.Z. Tablet ' on Monday morning for the purpose of interviewing the editor ami getting some particulars- of the life of the late Bishop Moran, which he intends to embody in an "account -of the work of Bishop Ricards ' (our late Bishops successor in the Eastern Vicariate of Cape Colony;, which he is contributing to the 'Catholic Magazine' of :South Africa. Mr. Wilmot is Jweit&nown in" South Africa as a graceful writer on "various subjects, especially Catliolic matters, and his writings in our South African Catholic have always been recognised as one *of the • main features of that excellent and ably edited monthly. „. Mr. . Wilmot was greatly impressed, -with the extent -and comprehensiveness of the Exhibition. One feature above" all others which riveted his attention was the fernery, wi,th the beauty of which he, „ was quite captivated, lie ■ was also greatly impressed with the • substantial character of the buildings ~*iri the principal cities, and with the, surrounding scenery. The Avon at Christchurch^, with Ihe well-planted ■_, parks, and the Southern Alps in the 'distance topic his -.-fancy. He was highly pleased with the substantial progress made by the Catholic Church in the ' Britain of the Souiih,' which he considered a very appropriate name for New Zealand, the beautiful cathedrals in ■'Gfiristchurch and Dunedin being; much admired by him. Mr. Wilmot went north on Tuesday, and is to meet the Irish envoys at Wellington on December 27. He" returns to South Africa- by way of Australia.