WELCOME TO MR GEO. FOWLDS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIX, Issue 229, 28 September 1898, Page 2

WELCOME TO MR GEO. FOWLDS.

A welcome meeting- tendered to Mi' Geo. Fowld-i, who Las been on a .seven months' visit to America and the Old Country, took place last evening in St. James's Hall. Mr Malcolm jN*:ccol presided, and seated on the platform won- the liev. J. Parker, Messrs Wesley Spragg.J. Fawcus.S. Reid,Secretary of the Liberal Association: :ilso members of the Women's Democratic Union, and others. The Chairman, in hi-, opening' remark's, said they '.nust all recognise that Mr Fowlds was one of the coming men of the city. They must all admire his zeal and ardour, and lie was due who had the gfii.t of imparting' his ideas to an audience. Ho was sure they were all delighted to see Mr Fowlds back again. A formal resolution of welcome was then passed, moved by Mr S. Geld, seconded by Mrs Xirkby, President of the Women's Democratic Union. Mrs Gibson, Secretory, also spoke in support. The resolution was passed amidst lutui clapping of hands. Mrs Kirkby Loped that Mr Fowlds would give his help to secure the Auckland-Taranaki railway.

On rising, Mr Fowlds was accorded a hearty reception. He said that he had travelled over about IC.OOO miles of the American railways, and had given addresses at most of the large centres. Wherever lie aid Mr Wesley Spragg travelled they found that the mention that they were from New Zealand was an open sesame to ir.any and many a prominent man and institution. They were,- in fact, received with open arms. Everywhere throughout the Anglo-Celtic world the people were looking to New' Zealand to do something to solve the great social problems that were confronting society at the present time. He had visited America five years ago, and Lhis time he found a marvellous change and progress in educational matters. Mr Fowlds considered N.ew Zealand was much behind in the matter of education. He did not think that languages were so much taught in America, as in some other coxmtries, but their technical education was brcaight to a high state of efficiency. Educational matters were mismanaged in England. Inquiries made as tc the cause of 'all the municipal corruption in the United States elicited the" fact that the general opinion was that itwas due to the street car monopolies. In America the street cars did not follow settlement, but settlement followed the street cars, and large fortunes were made out of these monopclies. Monopolists had to pay large sums of money to get councillors elected who would grant the concessions. He was quite sure that a city wouldfreceive the best results from a street car f\ stem by managing the system itself In most-of the go-ahead cities of th* Old Country that course was followed with success. While in America Mr Fowlds had noticed that the reelings in favour of an Anglo-American alliance had advanced considerably since his previous visit. The Americans' want of knowledge of anything outside their own boundaries was wonderful. The fact that their 70 millions of people made a small world of their own was partly the cause of that, and their papers were not like English and colonial papers as regards news from outside countries. In England he found a much more intelligent interest taken in New Zealand affairs, and the AgentGeneral had done a. lot to further our interests by giving lectures. The conditions of trade were much better there than in America. The feelingin favour of rating land values vas growing stronger and stronger in England every clay, and no Government, either Liberal or Tory, would soon be able to withstand it.

At the close Mr J. M. Morran moved a vote of thanks to Mr Fowlcis, Mr Fawctis seconded, and the motion was unanimously adopted. The Rev! J. Parker, Mr J. Mitchell, and others also spoke.