PROUD OF NEW ZEALAND.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 302, 18 December 1912, Page 8

PROUD OF NEW ZEALAND.

UK H. HC ATiAinry IMPRESSIONS. NO PORT AHEAD OF AUCKLAND. That New Zealand is the best of all, is the opinion formed by Mr. H. H. Adams, a member of the Auckland Harbour Board and the Waitemata County Coun- ! cil, who returned to Auckland by the ' P. and O. steamer Malwa this morning, after a four months' trip, in the course of which he travelled across Canada, and through parts of England, Ireland, Scotland and France. " Not one of the countries which I visited," eaid Mr. Adams, ' . when approached by a " Star" reporter lon the deck of the Malwa, " can, in my ; estimation, come anywhere near this Dominion either as a pleasant place in which to live, or as a country that is developing its resources in satisfactory proportion to the extent of its , population." For richness of country Ireland appealed to the Aocklander most, while for thriftiness the people of Corn- ' wall and Devon seemed to excel. The land of Erin, however, did not habitate its peasants under conditions that would be appreciated by New Zealanders —the pigs were housed too close to the people, and suchlike. "Yes, , " said Mr Adams, "if I were a young man this country would still be my choice. After hearing a lot about ; Canada, I went, and found that the country is all very well for a few months .' in the year. For the rest it is too much a case of pulling up lost ground. One town I visited had been "wrecked by a tornado a week or two before. Buildings as solid a3 those in Queen Street were pierced and left with great holes in i their walls. Again, the Canadian farmers suffer greatly by the disastrous effects of winter weather irpon their wheat crops." A very interesting statement was made by Mr Adams in regard to the ' port of Auckland. It was to the effect , that of all the ports be visited, none can compare for shipping accommoda- ; tion with that of the Waitemata. "I i a/in convinced that the wharves of Auck- : land, especially the Queen Street and Railway wharves, are a credit to the Board and its engineers. The nearest approach to them which I have seen are at Marseilles, but we have even improved upon them." Two important suggestions were made by Mr Adams as a result of his observations abroad. The first was that the , problem of providing greater aceommo- . elation for the ferry services on both : shores of the harbour should be taken in hand promptly and seriously. "In a very few years' time," 3»e added, "the present ferry wbarvee Trill be totally inadequate, and early preparations j ehould be made for the future." The 1 second suggestion was thai locks ehould '• be constructed in all the rivers which I lead into the harbour, bo as to provide I transport facilities. "1 noticed that all ' over England small streams have been ■ converted into canals for the use of '', lighters, etc. With a growing city like "i Auckland, it is important that factories : should be built as far oet as possible, and such an undertaking ■would encourage this result. Transport expenses would be light, and the benefit would be ,' as gTeat to the agricultaral industry as it would to the manufacturing." Mr Adams contends that with these addii tions to the scheme of further harbour l improvements, Auckland would possess ' a harbour second to none of those '. with which he is acquainted.