"SHAKY LITTLE N.Z."

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 114, 17 May 1927, Page 7

"SHAKY LITTLE N.Z."

STRANGE AUSSIE ILLUSION.

GLAD HAND ACROSS TASMAN.

mr. Mclennan says "put it out."

Returning by the Ulimaroa from his first visit to Australia, Mr. E. D. McLennan, M.P. for Franklin, was very enthusiastic about the way the Australians bad welcomed him and his partr, and he is a strong advocate for a cordial understanding between us and our cousins. "I was very much tickled at some of the ideas they have about us he remarked this morning to a "Star"' reporter. "I was surprised at the number of people who thought we have nothing but a shaky little island, where earthquakes were more frequent than anything else." On the other hand, Mr. McLennan gained quite a lot of new ideas about Australia and her problems, and be feels the great importance of extending a cordial hand across the Tasman. "The more we get together, and understand one another, the better it will be for all of us," lie added.

Naturally, the land appealed to a farmer like Frankiln's member, and ilia thing tliat struck him most was tko absence of the intensive farming—the top-dressing, and so on—that has made dairying what it is in New Zealand. Over in the Commonwealth they seem to depend more on the natural grasses, and seem to think the additional work involved in the New Zealand way would not be justified. He was speaking more particularly of his experience up Lismore way, on the north coast of New South Wales, but he gathered that the same conditions prevailed elsewhere, and were charcateristic. A thing that struck the New Zealander was the varied character of the land from a farmers' point of view. Round Lismore and the Richmond River he saw lots of lovely dairy land, and then in going through to Queensland by motor bus he went through some land that was—"well, it would feed a sheep to some acres." •

Cheap Land. After a few days in Brisbane he came south again and passed through the famous Darling Downs, which were looking first class. To show the difference in land priccs between New Zealand and Australia, Mr. McLennan mentioned that looking at the splendid crops of maize and ensilage a New Zeaiander would say the land was worth from £70 to £S0 an acre, but the local estimate was only £10 an acre! Ordinary dairying land in Australia was worth about £.'io nil acre. Mr. McLennan had a look at the dairying wherever he went, and says lie saw nothing on such a large scale as the big factories up Waikato way. Like other New Zealanders who see Australia for the first time, Mr. McLennan was much impressed by the amount of money in the country- At one of the dairying places on the North Coast of New South Wales he got into conversation with the bank manager, who told him that not a single client was in arrears with his interest. Sydney greatly impressed Mr. McLennan. The McLennans, father and son, have both seen the great city, but there was a gap of 8S years between their visits. Mr. McLennan recalled the fact that his father and uncle landed in Sydney about 1839, and. not caring for the country came to New Zealand the following year. Sydney's splendid ferry service -greatly impressed the Aucklander, who won* derpd tf something could/not be done to give Jftckland water travellers equally quick dispatch in getting on and off the boats. Sydney's well-run tram service, and, of course, her new underground railway, also hit his imagination—a wonder which was, however, eclipsed when he got to Melbourne and saw the. magnificent electric railway service there- An electric train dispatched every minute and a-half struck the New Zeaiander as being something approaching hustle. Pirate Petrol. Over there the owners of trains and things have been having the same difficulty with motor bus competition, and, while they have not gone to the length that New Zealand ventured in her restrictive legislation, they have taken some measures to avoid double-banking. One instance of the petrol-steam war struck Mr. McLennan as being more than odd. Down in Melbourne tlie railway people were running motor buses to Geelong in competition with their own trains. The fare for the 45 miles bv road was 3/9, while the railway fare was 14/2. It seemed a queer state of affairs, but of course the railway people were doing it to keep outsiders from coming inIn addition to Mr. McLennan, the New Zealanders who travelled with him were: Mr. and Mrs. J. T. Young, of Hamilton: Mr. C. Brookes, of A- Buckland and Sons - Mr. G. H. McCullough. an Ardmore farmer; Mr. W. H. Mclntee, of I'apatoetoe; and Mr. Hutchinson, of Auckland. They all said "Hear, hear!'' t« Jlr. McLennan's encomiums of the way the 'Aussies" had treated then;, and are henceforth all good advertisers for the Commonwealth.