SIR JOHN GORST IN NEW ZEALAND.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 12828, 12 June 1907, Page 8

SIR JOHN GORST IN NEW ZEALAND.

♦_ HIS VIEWS ON OUR PROSPERITY OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) LONDON, May ... Sir John Gorst was tho lecturer at last Sunday evening's meeting of the .session organised by the Cardiff Inde[>endeiit Labour party. The subject. di_*_i__s©d was 'Labour Laws and Con ditious in Now Zealand." Sir John, who wad enthusiastically received, said that the slow progict-s made in this countiy waa mainly owing to tho Parliamentary system, against which tho Independent Labour Party was intended to be a proUi.t. The two governing partiu> in the otan had traded upon the credulity and ignorance of tho mas-XW ot tli_ lH.'(iple As a wholo, the poop.o ot New Zealand wero a groat deal more cou_s<_iuiit> ot their interests, and the inteitwts ot tho countiy they had adopted than tho democracy at home. They, began their career ol social reform about the tune when tho pooplo in this country wore talking about it, and had mostly come to tiio conclusion that nothing could be done. There were no paupers in New Zealand, and thero were no millionaiies. A man out of work woultl there be considered a strange phenomenon. Everybody was employed at good wages. Sir John dctcribod the Act sotting up an Arbitration Court tor tho settlement of trado disputes; and the piovision of strikes and lockouts. Although they were not wanted _o much as here, they had old age pen..ions in Now Zealand. But the best featuro of tho lifo of tho worker in Now Zealand was that ho had tho m aspect before him of becoming v fandowner, and settling upon the land But the quantity ot land any person could hold was limited by law. A man must settle on the land and wo.-k it, or he could not continue to hold it. Answering questions, Sir John 6aid tliat one of t.he great causes of New Zealand's social progress was the fact that women had tho franchise. Miss Pankhurst then r< __c in the bal cony, and asked if the late Mr Soudon did not attribute the colony's progress to the fact that women had votes. Sir John replied that he believed that was so. Personally, he had always in tho House of Commons votod in favour of giving votes to women. One of tho audience challenged Sir John's figures as to rent in New Zealand. Sir John said: "Tho information 1 havo given is that supplied by the New Zealand Government in the Exhibition, and I believe it has never been controverted." The Questioner: "If you had), given the list of tariffs, we would havo understood tho position of pooplo in New Zealand. Tho cost of living is three times as groat there as hero. Sir John Gorst: "I believe I have given you tho figurea of the Now Zealand Government. If my friend thinks ho has been imposed upon, it is a ?[uestion between him an 3 tho New Zoaand Government.'' Answering other questions, Sir John remarked tliat he did not believe tho prosperity of New Zealand was due to tho fact that they had tariffs; the tariffs wero not very high. •