COLONIAL OFFICE ENVOYS.

Auckland Star, Volume XL, Issue 180, 30 July 1909, Page 4

COLONIAL OFFICE ENVOYS.

ARRIVAL IN AUCKLAND. "BRITISH C[TIZE3<rSHIP," , ■ - The Colonial Office envoys, Sir Charles Lucas, K.C.M.G., and Mr A. A. Pearson ' C.M.G., who are visiting Australia and '' New Zealand on a general mission of inquiry, arrived in Auckland this morning, and are the guests of their Excel? leneies, Lord and Lady Plunket,at Gov- • ernnieni House. Interviewed by a "Star" Tepresen- I tative, Sir Charles Lucas said the motiv« of theif visit was simply to brine the Colonial Office into a closer and "mor* *• personal touch with the dominions ':: beyond the seas, and to bring about a '•-** more intimate knowledge, by personal intercourse, which will strengthen tht :| good relations between the Colonial -; Office and the Australian and New Zea- ? land Governments. "We want," said Sir Charles, "to dispel the idea which seems to have prevailed to some extent in the past that we are wrapt up in » hide-bound conservatism in Downing- '-'V street. We want to make ourselves con- ' versant with the conditions in the Com- ; monwealth and the Dominion, tjnd to v come to a better understanding on all matters pertaining to'our mutual' wetf fare." *:■■ 3?£||§| Sir Charles and Mr Pearspn arrived from Wellington by the Main Trunk express this morning. Speaking of his impressions of the Dominion, so far as he had been able to judge, Sir Charles : said that he had been much interested" ' m all he had seen. The rich fertility of - the land was obvious, and. in the North Island as in the South, he had beert V much surprised at the remarkabla " amount of cultivation. "I know full" well ■ what the settlers of New Zealand have ' been able to accomplish; that has lonz - been known to mc. But I must admit ''. my surprise at finding such evidence:of cultivation and population," continued 1 ■ :} ' Sir Charles. "Did I not know the popul lafion of this Dominion, perhaps n-y surprise would not have been ' aa"greiii : , T but when one remembers that New Zea- ; land contains only a million, people, and is the size of the United Kingdom; if is indeed remarkable to find such wide sefrj* tlement, with cleared green flelds,' ; houses in every part of the coun"Another highly pleasing feature of our visit," added Sir Charles, "is ihe kindness of the peuple of New- Zealand, -'. and the whoie-heartedfless of th"c' recep? tion they have given u=- fhe Gqvernment and the people have been very good to ns, and. made us feet jqst as, - .'. much at home as if we had fleyer been '•:• ■■ out of England-, A? i have already remarked jn public, ft is to 'find . in every pari; of the. Dominion s.uch a' strong and heatthy 'sense «>f British citizenship. There is rjq jingois-jn abputj th-s p%tsio,tis,m of-tfie i{ is. British in its very solidity,? . ' 'Sir Charles stated th»t fee. *md Mr f Pearson t\ac{ unfortunately not, much time for s}ght-see|ng since th-sif visit to. "/'' New Zealand. Most of thejV time had been taken UP in visit\ng tjie cities, but while in tie South Island, they luid been able to {Upr the famous Lake ... and were much impressed with its beau- 1 "■'■ I ties. With all thti" New Zealsffid, citieV I they were much pleaspd and muclr-H'ter- ' ested, Christehurch striking Sir Charles ■''•'"■ as an ideal university town, bringing to' his mind something of a similarity tp Cambridge. On Monday the envoys front Downing-street procged to Hotorua, aridthere spend a week viey*in| thg wonders y of the thermal regions. Asked what his impressions 6! Aus- . tralia were, Sir Qharles Bai4: : -The. rem?' inisoences we carry away from the Com--monwealth are the most pleasant. Th« people were delightful, and the there, as in New tell vi, everything and to give us even" possible piece of information, was most refresh; : - ing. Australia appealed to us as a country) pf great space and great possibilities. -. The Commonwealth ha/S been experiencing good seasons, and we saW it at its'best! --""; \Ve visited Perth, and went as far as : - Kalgoortfe, gaining some ide» there qI », the wqrk pn the j*o.ldfiel<jS. Round about wa something * -. pf the rich South Australian vineyards and cornfields. From Melbqy-rne we r*jii ;■ up to the Ballarat goldfields, and then paid a brief visit to Tasmania. From'- - Sydney we ran up into the beautiful Blue N. Mountains, and had a gf ini P se °f tyi : ''out-back" country travelling westward ;,- for 50Q miles, as far as Bonrke, Bris- " bane was also visited, and we then ,: coasted up as far as Cairns, where we jmd a taste of tropical Australia. Everywhere we found much of extreme interest. Melbourne appealed to us as a heauti- ; fully laid-ou't city, while the natural' beauties, of Sydney and. its importance as ; a great trade centre Were obvious. • Altogether our visit to Aus- . tralia was a most delight- .;.-,■. ful ope, and we will carry away v most. pleasant -recollections of our trip. In all the Australian States, as in New Zea- v ; = jand, we received the same warm-hearted, ■% and courteous treatment from their gov? v ernors, their governments, and tneir peor ■■*. £ After spending a week at Rotorua, Sir W Charles Lucas and Mr Pearson leava V.Auckland for Sydney, and wjll proceed « from there to Fiji. They expeot to reach f. ;: Home about the second week in October, fe