THE HIGH COMMISSIONER'S STAFF.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 279, 22 November 1913, Page 11

THE HIGH COMMISSIONER'S STAFF.

ALLEGATIONS OF IXCIYTLITY. ARE THEY JUSTIFIED? (From Our Special Correspondent.) LONDON. October 17. 11.7 mea;orjf.- of the liigrh f'ommissoner"; orst-«" .': : '. Victoria Street, Lontlon_ S.W.. c:o ha. k :n the early days of Z3ST. rv r..lc wr. i hr o , VU pant o: th- duct ■ .in.: \\3« ;-->nn.M the pU.n 'Jist =om.- pcupl" -eem-v! T.i think n? its.- ' ./'■'"'''■l' A-ent put th-'rn to place New '.calaiidrrr- , invouiion-. rtnant-e visitors "on -he -0.-k--" -r.-ure t!iem ticket.* for p.\.-).;*:\v functions, ,md he a tort. i>l father, nio::ier. hro-Jicr. sister, and banker .-ombioed. n a.nypotly and fver>'hody who :!api..-ic-.i to b.- able to ciiim New Z.-.iland for their country by v:rIJP of l-.'Lo o" n-.denco in that dp'.ami. >."n; people even to t_his day -ecm to think : ii.it the rrprcsentative of the |)on;;:iion in L.ind'tn onzht ir> b'\ where tr.-y :irc i-on-crmd. .1 -ort r,' T.r?t-c!a»-= -njina" .-.ipubV ~l' jVats 3-.l■: -." '.nose p'Tfi.r"f-d ■''■- the jrsteful .irchK-Pft - l-o i-- i;t»T '-onfusion— reloused from •T!:e Bn*s Bottle." Of .■.iiu>p. tie n;i_ T 'i 1 omaiis'ioner can't live 171 t" •■;- standard. THc-e ,ir» -erne t3T.:= *>• .--I- do. and does do. for repTitab!" x -- r '/■■p.'ixn'•'■-- nn » \i±'.~ :o the Old r'oiirrry. bur a* a "Pjinn"" he is an trttrr a.nd abje. ■ faiiure. Thp H;~h fommL-sjorters for -• !i sovrrnr.; Dominions mi; be T.-rv bis m-n ;n .1 wny, but the best «i them his his limitations— social, financi-ii. ic'i commercial. Somp people seem t--> !e 'inj-vnr? of th.? fact. and to rsakr the failure of a Hi-h Commissioner to oblige them in =nrne particular direction the hasL- of riolenr .itLacks npoa :':.? nun himself or his «afi\ I nonce that tier? has 'wen a rprradescenrc of this kind of thing in New Zealand. I My rr-crnde.-opnee because coring ib" past qii.irtcr of 3 century ?!2iilar attacks have been made upon the New Zealand Government offices in London, dnrin; the reirjis oi" Sir Francis Dillon Bell. Sir Wcstby Perriva!. the Hon. TV. F. Rep-.--, and" Sir Win. HailJones, and now people err making ebarres of "impoiitenes.-" 0:1 the part of Mr. Maj-kpr,zip nnd his merry men.

Now. I have known that office for over p?ven s.nd twenty year?, and in that time have met hundreds of New Zealanders who havp visited ;: for a'! manner of And ha-v *> listened to tales witho.it end concerning mdiv;d T i.-il people'.f\'ppr:fn."PS at I", Victoria Street. Some of the?e individuals were people of no particular im-partance cither in New Zealand or here, yet their Treatment at No. IS has prodti inntimp'-p-ble unsolicited testimonials r.i the kindness and course-'.' with which they have been reception in Victors Street. lodjrfH] complaints, bat in 00 p°r cpti;of xhe.se cases it hxs been easy to dl3rnvrr that the complaint. have been treated just as well a- they deserved to be treated: in other words courtesy, consideration and sweet reasonableness beget their like, .md so do their opposite.-. A= re~i,ra-- Mr. .1. A. Young's charge, mad* rpcentJr in the House of Representative.s i" asked Mr. Mackenzie if be had anything to say thereon. ■ V?.-."" said "Sir. Mackenzie. "1 have, bnt first let mc ?ay now much I appreciate the defence of the sT.;>.rT and myself made by the Prime Minister. Sir Joseph Ward. Mr. T. Buxton. Sir Walter Buchanan. Mr. L. .V. Uitt. the Hon. D. B'iddo. Mr. .1. 11. K-.-ott. Mr. C. F.. Statham. Mr. J. .\. Hanar. Mr. E. Newmar., and other.-. ""Personally." he continued. "I have been so much ai-customed in ray pubDc life to charge* of on. , son a.nd another That I have adopted the rule of not paying any anrntion- But I 'nave to «-iv 3 -word on bebaji of my ,-TarT. and I have 20 hesitation in at "ncr statin; thai no staff devotes itself with greater <-arp thin co»= the =r5 of this office to &«ist in every p,-s?;Me way the visitors fr--m :o T 'ne ITonie CouTitry." ■As :"-> ,-ha.r-r--* ' ; rw-i~,iit - mafic sJT3irjf.T -ii" office and Tiywif. rie firer. case i-irrurr-d »itjiin .i iff , , of my arrival iff. I; wraf that of -i. man who mc: mc a- my hotr.e and sa.kl t'-.T '•"• was a N=w ZPiUndfr ,71 dire distress, with i";:--> and fdiEi!y h"an"Hi;. He said he ~zd~ a ric«.e friend °T one 01 ITT ran" T°eperied NVw Zealand friends, •'nd at-toiic-rre-i mc by JWng able even to tell rce the niTure of ccrmnninicatifflis tiai '"raj passed between my friend and y \ ,p' • ' * old him -to come To the office 'n the mortiin;- and ! would *r-i! with r< S casp. He tw * sptiFitn- , . hr said. : -* T-i ;■■> :he r.ffW. 1 refused n.-ftiftta.ncp : in:t r was rather ivi my conrciencp during ih» Vi:z' ri: • '' nd the <\ New 7-3,.i-).- ■ .vas aw.irting mc a: my gale • be m=rvrnintr. when 1 £aye him a couple ■>.' -overeigrt?. H* r«»aeon for Hit waning i -"• go in the office, he intiiDited. was on account of the uioiviHty o[ er.mp mcTnl»er> of ; .he s'.-afT *.o him. Tiv asked up no: 10 nrnrtm tiia; he had Tor. "hut I did. and djscovexed ihat he "S3- on" or' the regular frauds who bad b"ea in ihp Habit 0: visiting the office in order ■-> take from the visitors V>ok ;a«" O3m/s of new arrivals from New Zealand. s-i at- ro be :■". 3 poei'.i-on to -rrite •'becz:r>c lertoT?.' I wrote to soy friend in New Zealand 'j~ : mar., and be rubied mc saying that tbp iVllow was- a A letter followed, in which my friend pointed out that :i;p -nan had been in his employni'Tit ■'-I stolen £l..">nn from him"." "Ar-y other ineia-ncrs y>7 , ! can ca!l tn tcind'" "0 i. j<«. Another •jiarsre at incivility *{sutis; tb* cfßcp T-Af- made by 3 nran ridded in:ro<iut:t icrrt l from lit to people r-f rf-pn'-'" , here. He ij.; very 3 Cyr<"ss-i■ <- \f he '-.irriej rp"> inrroduc-i-iocs ;.o n>. we Tefn&eo hie requeet; bu; "* p ty&d -? mur 1 Tnore. serious tban '3i: We had in our posseEF-inn a. letter ; rom 3 rouns woman who bad been in ■"is employment, and she stated that he tbe f?ther 'if her child, and nad r%!asPd to g;vo her as?jstj.n(» :.n any w ay. T"-js rc*n was a source of grftat. a "3<7T-aTi CP to This —and xZ~ps.7&vtvl ps wrh 3.11 sot's, of paiae sri penalties. Tnclud'.ns the reTmrtiriSr of tb- ofrice to bis irieeds in New Zealand. And we have haG other coff*. Wα find that People i vtn? here /13 thpfr means deeire. to raonopol'.se on special ck-cssi'oiis the ?r'.v;lp-?rs -H.i: are rn-fidM for people are n- i vs.* from New Zealand. Oc t-he lasi ->»-r.TLs=i*-.n -->f tJie openiiu: of r' l * ftffi-'R Sad :it ks di>r>o>sjj ?">ur tV-~'.5 f->r "«• nf dtrtjncrus'hee v*;:o-* \ g^r.t'-".^-'" -.vh-, ha,-; lived in T!n-'"-An' '/-ar? hj.i ■>•» e3"-o~re--tf > ask t.vr <>reef *!;ese four tiicJcP'r ." Eimseii friend Seeing" liba , ! wo Etairy dsangtaelred New ZgdjKKieri in 2anATa.aj--fig^ttric r^r-'Bjigi^qg:it»jlwy.

! ex-raembeSß of tag Executive, <witi their i I wives, it did not seem to mc that the ' ■ gentleman mention-ed should get a. pre- j I ferenre, and he did not get the ticket-: i J bu-t he informed the office tela: be in-] ! tended to writ* to N"e-tv Zealand and fay | I that there was no u*.e in having a High I Commissioner's office in London." | "Are you troubled wixh visitor? who i demand an unreasonable amount of attention.?'" J "Well, we get a fair number of people I who seem to .think the ofii<-e tk- open for ! their special benefit. IVp do all we can Ito make the visit of our Sew Zealand 1 fnenris pleasant, but there are times I when, of course, we art* not able to do jail .Ebev wkih. Still, lam pleaded to be ! able To say that it is only a very few i who cxprws oitier ;lian appreciation of I what the offkfn - ? do for them: btrt at fee irme it β-houid be observed that ! the main reason for this office being i or-en i* to push New 2W.ia-:i'* produce »n-l ftinier her finarickl and diplomatic 'interests in this great metrr>r*">!* of {"he , world." "' 1 "' fxnvv "hc~e i ' n ' *-> '-*^-- ; o I seme quarters in New Zealand that the ' ii , £s i ( flnnrwioncrt' ofri<-e is staffed I wk;i old f.>gifT. wh-o h.ivo either never seen New- Zftaiiind or have i.iKt all touch |wiih th.' Duminion -and its affairs. Have p-vi .injthiijpr to say on that point?" "Yet-. ! .-hould Ike ir, s.iy ,i word f.-rpon. As a mirier of fa.--, many Now I Zoakn.irr- are empl-oyH in the ofFu:e. I Son."*, ni liavp been here fnr :i ,rood rant year?: others have not been I here vf-y lon- 1 think -: will be con-jce-i-d t'l.ir Mr. Earner, Mr. Donr.p and |3veolf arp familiar o-;'i the conditions [Prev-ij],!-,!- in NV<v Z.-almd. In addition, Mr. Snpr.cp hae. ree=.i>,fly be?rj sen; Horn" -o deal wi:.h all quesrioi? c-mnec-teri with I γ-iis- -vrrs. .-.3-j it -nmst be aHmitfpd That j dp. by re:ifon of an confidence the Oovi "nimen*- nave shown him. mnst also be : nos-=ee.vd of knowledge.- ---: 'I 'iDdcretand t*wf rainy vinitons [STUm-ble because yon are nor always ' ar-cPspiWp to ;bpqn wb-en They call. Is I tha t. so?' - J ~Tes. .that is so. bin. .is you know I -cry -well. I cannot poasir.lv "help myself lin that respect, an-d, 35 you aleo know, ! I am (W.trrtg as.de eiw-h Wednesday. , whpn at all posfiibie. entirely for the I reception by -myself of Xew Zc-;land ! visitors to London." ;