A DOCTOR'S VISIT HOME.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 12365, 2 December 1905, Page 4

A DOCTOR'S VISIT HOME.

PROPOSED VISIT OF BOWLING TEAMS. AN INTERESTING INTERVIEW. Dr. Tliomas, who has been on c vrsit to the Old Country, returned to Christchurch on Wednesday. In a conversation with a 'Picks' , representative ho described some of his impressions. Although bowling may not bo the meet important of tho manifold activities of man, it is yet one which engages no small amount of interest, and as Dr. Thomas is an enthusiastic bowler, the Pressman asked him at the outset what had been his bowling experience when at. Home, and what steps ho might, liare taken to further tho visit or a Home bowling team to Christchurch tor tho International Exhibition next year. '•i understand," eaid Dr. Thomas, "that the Exhibition Committee Iku> refuted to take over tho thirty-two rink green in ilagicy Park. That, of course, alters tiio situation. 1 was told at Home, that if inducements offered " i«cotti>h team, and an English team also, might cut to New Zealand. It the' Committoe goes to work in the right way, and fiends a formal uotificaiion to the Home ouhorities, I think it is quite reasonable to suppoee that Home twins will vi»it us. bio iar as my own Iwwling experiencos at Home go, 1 may &ay that two games arc played there—tho crown game nr.d tiia Scotch or level game, which ulone is playtd in New Zealand. I played in Gia-gow, Liverpool and London. The lil'sc green, in my opinion, in the Bellahouston Green, in CJasgow. Tho London County Council green, nt Wandsworth Common, is also a very 'line: green. Jt is inaiio ot i-ea-grass, which b> very .silky, and calls for little attention. It forme a truer surface, and gives the player ft better chance of scoring from a fair <shot. Tho Luton green, in Edinburgh, is also, a good gßvn. 11l (llasgow tliere are. no itvs tlir-.u thiity-iive. bowling clubs. This will give you borne idea of tho oxtent to which tlio game is played." The PreMffian then asked Dr. Thomas what hmd been hie general impressions as to life in the Oicl Country. "It seonw to mc," the doctor replied, ''tlvat there is much to bo ad mi rod and much to bo enjoyed in tho old land. Nevertheless, I think the people there arc distinctly non-progro-sMve. They arc not half iis go-ahead from tho agricultural point of view, for instance, as the colonial is. Tho fooling in their minds is tlwit what was good enough for the father ics good enough for the son. Everywhere one eees the sdcklo nnd the scythe in tho fields. Then, as regards (social conditions, in tlio larger cities tlwro is a class never econ in New Zealand—a claf« of stoi-ved persons—persons, I mean, starved from generation to generation. Amongst the upper classes the drinking habit has largely decreased from what it was thirty years ago, but amongst the lower classes the vice is very pronounced. There is terrible drunkenness, not only amongst tho men, but amongst the women also. Tho country is, probably, on tho whole prosperous, but the depopulation of the rural districts Ls very noticeable. Emigration to the colonies, and gravitation towards tho largo centres, are both very marked. It is a fact that one-fiftli of tho area of Scotland is a deer-park.' . Dr. Thomas was then asked what had struck him as regards the political situation. "To tell you tho truth," he said, "I did not tlc-voto much, attention to politics. Whilst I was at Home Mr Balfour sustained a bit of a shock, but he stuck to his guns, and, under the circumstances, I think he was justified in doing bo. Thoro is distinctly a more pronounced conception of the rights of tho individual than there used to be. Tho people are considering their status with moro consciousness of what Bocinl relations mean than they used to do." Dr. Thomas stated that, to his mind, London ie greatly over-populated, oncl tho atmosphere is very unhealthy. In that city he was greatly struck by tho admirable facilities existing for locomotion. On tho whole, the conditions of life at Home did not strike him as being vastly different from what they arc out here. Aβ regards his profession, Dr. Thomas visited the hospitals of London, Liverpool, Glasgow and Edinburgh, and observed the latest methods of operative surgory. Ho found that coming from New Zealand was a groat pasejwrt to attention. Everywhere it was only necessary for him to pay that he hailed from tho Antipodee to enlist immedi- | atoly the sympathy and attention of all with whom he camo into contact.