"A BIT OF ENGLAND."

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 266, 9 November 1928, Page 9

"A BIT OF ENGLAND."

DELIGHTFUL, TOUR.

DELEGATE'S IMPRESSIONS.

'It is just another bit of England on the other side of the world," said Lieut.General Sir William Furse, director of the Imperial Institute, London, this morning, in giving a few brief impressions of New Zealand.

Sir W. .iam said that it had been a delightful tour, and they were now keenly looking forward to seeing the Waipoua Forest, which they had been led to believe would be the culminating point in regard to forestry investigations. He mentioned that his real work was in connection with the Imperial Institute, but to be a member of the delegation had given him a wonderful opportunity to acquire information in regard to New Zealand, and incidentally to appreciate its wonderful variety of scenic attractions. , The tour had enabled representatives of many parts of the Empire to get in close personal touch, and discuss many matters of mutual interest, something that would be of inestimable advantage in the future.

Sir William said that New Zealand's National Park was a magnificent asset for the Dominion, and the combination of mountain, forest and lake scenery had charmed them.

At Kaiangaroa and in the vicinity of Rotorua they had had an opportunity of close examination of the New Zealand State reafforestation work, and the unanimous opinion was that it was a very successful operation, and progress on the right lines.

The visitor said that the thermal sights at Wairakei and Rotorua were alone worth coming to New Zealand to see, and one of the most pleasant memories of the tour would be the stay at Rotorua. "As a soldier, what pleased me very much was to meet there so many of your fine native race, who had served in the Great War," said Sir William.

I Referring to Rotorua, Sir William said that the visitors had been very interested in accounts of the Tarawera eruption told to tliem by people who were at Rotorua when that great outburst occurred. The delegates had seen the country that had been smothered with ashes, and had been able to note how, in the years that followed, the way that the forest had regenerated. It was a unique instance of its kind.

Briefly Sir William referred to the need of the closest touch between Great Britain and her far-flung Dominions. In passing he mentioned that, apart from India, Britain had fifty million square miles of tropical possessions, and a population of two hundred million people.

There was increasing need of the closest co-operation between Britain and British people, and thus a representative delegation by making an extensive tour of the British possessions could acquire □lost valuable infnrmftHnn. • J