THE NEW CONSUL-GENERAL FOR U.S.A.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVII, Issue 94, 20 April 1906, Page 2

THE NEW CONSUL-GENERAL FOR U.S.A.

Among the passengers by the mailsteamer Sierra from San Francisco last Monday »as Mr W. A. Prickett, the new Consul-General for the United States of America, at Auckland, accompanied by Mrs and Miss Prickett. In conversation with a "Star" reporter Mr Prickett said he had been transferred to Auckland from Rheims in France, -where he had occupied the position of Consul for eight years. Born in New Jersey, Mr Prickett was in the United States Army from 1862 to 1866, throughout the great American Civil War, serving with the Northern side. After the war he became a member of the New York Stock Exchange for four years, and afterwards carried on extensive dairy farming operations in New Jersey. Farming engaged his attention until his appointment as American Consul atRheims. "Rheims has a population of about 107,000 persons, and we were the only resident American family in the town, though, of course, there were many Americans in Paris," remarked Mr Prickett. "Of course, as regards New jZealand, direct communication -with California, and the fact that the language is the same, has attracted many Americans to your shores."

As far as impressions of New Zealand were concerned, Mr \ Prickett had had very little time as yet to look round, but he had heard many people singing the praises of the colony, and personally he -vas very favourably impressed with the little he had seen. Before, leaving for the colony, he had, on tbe recommendation of Mr F. H. Mason, Consnl-General at Paris, read Mr H. D. Lloyd's "Newest England" and other works, descriptive of tbe advanced legislation and political issues of the colony which were being watched with such interest by nations all over tbe world