Visit of an Italian Priest-Scientist

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXVII, Issue 5, 4 February 1909, Page 179

Visit of an Italian Priest-Scientist

The Roy. Joseph Capra, Doctor of Science and Agriculture, who has just completed a tour of the Commonwealth, arrived at the Bluff from Hobart on Monday of lasb week, and later on came, to Dunedin, whore he was the KuesL of the Right Rev. Dr. Verdon. Dr. Capra is engaged iv an official and scientific mission to the Commonwealth and New Zealand, one of his principal objects being to study the agricultural resources of the countries with a view to immigration. He has spent four months in the Commonwealth, and will go back there after touring New Zealand. As told to a Southland Times reporter .Dr. Capra's story is this: — •' My purpose is to take back knowledge about the Commonwealth and the Dominion of N.Z., and to make known this knowledge in Italy, because we know very littlo about the Commonwealth and New Zealand. I, myself, from my boyhood have read about Australia and Now Zoaland. New Zealand is very interesting. No place in the world is more interesting for the scientific man. I know about not only the volcano, the geyser, the mud springs, and the other geological features, but also of the fauna and the flora. So lam personally interested.

' But my purpose is to inform Italy. Italy has made great progress, and the people are very good — not like- it is sometimes described. Especially is this so in North Italy (I myself am from Milano). New Zealand has the same climate.

IWe have in Italy a great number of good people ; very clever in industry. They are now^ going to- America, it is so wished in America, especially South America — the Government like Italians. But my Government like to know other directions for oiir population to go. For that reason we like to know the Commonwealth and the Dominion of New Zealand, but so that we may direct here not send. We do not like to make in New Zealand an Italian village. The Government assists immigrants — good. But we want them to come free, and to settle here, like any other people; like the people of New Zealand. This is the purpose of my Government. We do not like sending people under contract. We like to make the conditions of Now Zealand known and to say to these people — "If you like to go, there are the conditions." But they must be free; they must be independent. They must come here and settle like the other people. I, myself, do not wish that they should come here as what you call workers and make the competition for the other workers. I would have them come like settlers.

' I have another purpose. It is commerce. In Italy wo want the wool ; we have not wool sufficient in Italy. We want the timber, and we want also the frozen meat. We have 33 millions and more of population. The census of 1901 gives a population of 31 milions and a-half ; the census of 1906-7 gives a population of more than 33 millions. The increase was two millions, thus we are growing very much. I want to know the quantity you have for export and to make it known in Italy. Also to make known to you what we have. lam no business man, you understand me. lam very fond of the people. I spend my life and my money among the people — I am a priest. I like the people not only of my native country, but the other people In Australia the people were very good to me. They gave me a pass on their railways and plenty of information. What I asked I obtained. I have road your official yearhook. I read all about it, and I knew about New Zealand before, as I have told you. I think that between Italy and New Zealand there must be greater commerce. The countries are of the same nature ; we like very much New Zealand. In Italy when I started people told me: "You must tell people there we like them." I write to the papers overy fortnight, especially to two papers, II Sole (The Sun), which is a commercial paper in Milano, and II Gorriere d'ltalia, the leading daily in Rome.

' The scheme you ask me about of West Australia of two years ago, that proposal fell down. The Italian people were glad for that, and I myself, too. The Italian people (I give you my private opinion) did not like that proposal. The proposal was that the Government send a' good number of families (I do not remember how many), and the Government of West Australia to give them land. But we are more independent of the Government. We do not like to be sent by the Government. The Italian Government has a very good institution. We call it the Commissariato dell' Emmigrazione. We like that the people should start from Italy as good people, that they should be an honor to their mother country. The Government help — that is good. We want to help the people to learn about these countries so that when they come they sliall not be singular. They shall know the customs of the country and be the same as others. Also that the Government here shall give them some facilities for settling down.'

During his stay in Dunedin Dr. Capra had interviews with a number of persons from whom he received a good

deal of useful information, and to whom he 'desires to -return his sincere thanks for their courtesy, consideration, and kindness. Dr. Capra left for the north in the early part of the week. ■ " "