The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, and Echo. THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 1897. LORD BRASSEY ON THE COLONIES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVIII, Issue 17, 21 January 1897, Page 4

The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, and Echo.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 1897.

LORD BRASSEY ON THE COLONIES.

#:' WITH WHICH ABE US CORP. RATES

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It would perhaps hardly be correct to treat Lord Brassey as a perfectly dispassionate and impartial critic. His position as Governor of Victoria might hamper him somewhat in speaking his mind with absolute freedom about colonists and their ways. But though discretion might suggest silence under certain circumstances, there is no reason why a governor should give utterance to opinions at variance with his real sentiments when he is bailed up by the irrepressible and uninvited newspaper interviewer. Lord Brassey, who is now paying a flying visit to New Zealand, found himself in that position at Invercargill the other day, and he spoke with a frankness which carries conviction to the mind of the reader that he had no reason to shirk the ordeal of cross-examination upon the subject of his colonial impressions.

As a broad-minded, cultured and observant man, who has travelled much and has had a wide experience of the political and social affairs of many lands, the opinions of Lord Brassey are entitled to respectful attention. I Few visitors to New Zealand are se well qualified to speak of the scenic attractions of the country, and although the visitor, in the short period between the time of his arrival and the date of the interview, had only visited the most accessible of the Otago lakes, this. was the first topic upon which the reporter of the " Southiond Times" tackled his victim. The answer must have proved very gratifying to the interlocutor, as a true sou of Otago. Lord Brassey, after explaining that he had deferred his visit to Lakes Manapouri and Te Anau, in order to take advantage ot the fine weather tor his projected trip to the Sounds, went on to say :— Yesterday we wenb on foot up Ben Lomond's 5,600 feet). It was a severe climb, but although there W.re horeoi> available at any time we never mounted fcheuo. Lady Brassey successfully accomplishing the arduous task. Once there, we ' had a glorious view—truly magnificent., They seem to be more varied in outline in the best places than you find in Switzerland and present larger masses. Looking lower, Lake Wakatipu was perfectly lovely; the outlines were beautiful, and the whole view really charming. I have no hesitation in putting it distinctly above Lucerne, the finest lake in Switzerland. What seems to be wanting in the lake scenery in New Zealand is the finish and the pleasures found in the thickly-inhabited countries. With the Swiss lakes the country adjacent is in every instance more thickly inhabited than here, being Btudded all round with little townships and beautiful wood., which in their pictureequeness seem to lend an additional charm to the natural beauty. Especially is this the case in Lake Geneva, Lake Lucerne in parts being: quite as bleak as any portion of Like Wakatipu. This' morning we took special steamer and went up the lake, thus being enabled to get a perfect view of Mount Earnslaw and Cosmos Peaks. We were all immensely impressed with the grandeur »nd sublimity of the tnow-clad mountain surrounding that end of tho lake. Mount Earnslaw had not a cloud resting upon it, and we saw its snowy peak with a magnificent glacier resting on the side of the mountain under circumstances that gave it a truly noble appearance. If the beauties of Wakatipu were sufficient to evoke this warm praise, we can confidently anticipate the Governor's verdict upon the magnificent ■ scenery of the Sounds, of Mount Cook and the West Coast Road, the picturesque Wanganui, and the weird regions of the Plot Lakes. It is j already sate to rank Lord Brassey with j Mr Eadyard Kipling, Archibald Forbes, Stuart Cumberland and other | much-travelled visitors, who unhesitatingly gave New Zealand the premier place for the beauty and Variety of its scenery among the world's tourist routes. We feel more interested, however, in hearing Lord Brassey_ views upon the colonies as a home for men than as a tramping ground for pleasure-seeking birds of passage. Oa this matter also he is entitled to speak with authority, for his opportunities of comparing the industrial and secial conditions of people in many countries have been exceptionally favourable. In reply to the queries of the reporter, he stated :■— I have been in the colonies a good deal. I was in Australia ten years ago; I have been in Canada three times, in the United States three times, in the West ladies twice, and at the Cape twice, so that I have bad ample experience of colonial life. I like it very much, and I like the people. I find thab in culture, intelligence, energy, manners, and everything that goes to make . a great nation the people in the colonies will compare favourably with those of any nation. The extreme poverty thob is to be found in very large centres of population i_ not here, »nd the majority- of tbe people being in better circumstances than .hose in the older countries look for more enjoyments, take more holidays, and generally try to live a brighter life, and thab ia to their credit. We should all be in favour of the reasonable reduction of tbe hours of labour, and thus lessen the strain of life. I believe in people attending to the brighter side of their existence; and I notice with the colonials that when they work they do work. I understand that in industries of all kinds the wages of skilled labour are much .- higher than at Home; and lam very much disposed to believe thab the employer is largely compensated for paying the higher wage by tho greater energy with which the colonial workman work?. In tbe-sum. way tbe English workman ia more energetic

than the Continental. This must be so, for hi ß Wages are higher, and if be did not wore better we would not be able to hold the m- . dustrial supremacy which we now com- . mand. I intend when I retarn to.Melbourne to supplement tbe paper wbrcni recently read on "British Industry and Foreign Competition "-an answer to Made In Germany "-by an address on the economy of high wages. The paper referred to took . me considerable trouble in preparing, ana was the outcome of years of observation on industrial matters. It is a «»■?]«* ™* ever, that I have taken a very active interest in. My maiden speech in tb« -f^ 6*] I Commons in 1869 dealt with ;• British and foreign labour." Ab that time wo were ; still buffering from the effects of a severe financial crisis, similar to that caused by tho Baring failure, and the revival was slow. People said England's industries would never right nor her prosperity return unless the rate of wages'was lowered as tbey were on the Continent. My father, who had had a unique experience in tbe employment of labour, having constructed railways in every country in Europe and, I might .ay, ia almost every quarter of the globe, entirely disbelieved that idea. His deliberate judgment was that labour cost pretty much tbe same all over the word, and that a difference in wages was usually accounted for by a corresponding diß*»retico in the energy of the workers. Starting from bis experiences, I gave the matter an extended investigation and pub the result before the House ftf Commons in a htty minutes' speech that won a very good reputation, and ever since I have at intervals taken the question up. The visitor declined, on the ground of insufficient local knowledge, to respond to the reporter's invitation to express his opinions on " the advanced —or, as it is sometimes called, socialistic legislation oi the colonies," but he made some noteworthy remarks on arbitration ia trade disputes which we have great pleasure in qjoting :—- I may say that I have heard very favourable opinions expressed of the recent legislation in New Zealand on the subject of courts of arbitration. I believe you have courts of arbitration in which a Judge of tbe Supreme Court presides, and I have been told thab the constitution of such an authority promises exceedingly good results. I shall endeavour to obtain further information on the subject, and if the opinions already expressed regarding this Court of Arbitration appear justified 1 should like to bring the subject under the notice of my people ab Home in the hope, that, encouraged by the results in New Zealand, we might go further tban we have, yen dene by setting up courts of arbitration under 'the.direct supervision of tbe State. I have conducted two or three arbitrations at Home, notably in Staffordshire, Newcastle, and in connection with the London Dock strike. The result of my experience leads me to believe that a private arbitration by one not skilled in the technicalities ol the particular trade iv question, and not- personally familiar with the circumstances to be taken into consideration, cannot be so satisfactory as the arbitrbaion of acourb of conciliation consisting equally of employers and employed, to whom, from their own points oi view at least, the whole facts and circumstances are perfectly familiar; and I think ib an additional argumenb in its favour that this court may be a standing body always ready to settle a difference, and in its natural and normal workings ib loads bo periodical meetings, on perfectly equal terms, of employer and employed, lb ia thus a means of getting both sides to bebber respect each obher, to have more consideration for each other's difficulties, and at once to diminish jealousies, and hostilities, and tend to avert strife. There is one other extract from this instructive interview with which we *.vill bring our summary of it to a close, simply adding an expression of our wishes that the remainder of Lord and Lady Brassey's tour will bear out the promise afforded by the pleasant impressions formed in the opening week : Reporter : Do you think there ia any fear of tho colonies getting into any complications with England by refusing to admib Asiatics while the Mother Country is in treaty with them ? Lord Brassey : Certainly nob. England is nob at all likely to enter inbo any agreement which wonld involve the colonies admitting undesirable foreigners to their shores. Reporter : Do you consider the colonies have done a wise thine in imposing heavy poll taxes on Chinese and Japs? Lord Brassey: Yea; I think ib is extremely undesirable to receive large numbers of Asiatic* into countries which are suitable for settlement by our own race, and if you admit Japs or Chines* to come here as single men, having no intention whatever of forming homes and rearing families, 1 it is quite clear that they can afford to accept a rate of wages which would bo quite insufficient for a white man whointended to marry and bring up a family. But, to be candid, I think it is possible to go too far with the exclusion of Asiatics, and I cou- j sider it ia going too far to say that in parts where bhe climatic conditions are favourable for certain industries which can be managed by white people but nob worked by them, that Asiatics or other foreigners shall not be allowed to undertake the actual labour. Ib is quite clear that there are regions of the world—British territory—where white , men cannot labour, but can supervise the labour of others, and this should be allowed.