A RETURNED COLONIST.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 12935, 15 October 1907, Page 5

A RETURNED COLONIST.

INTERVIEW WITH 3IR T, MACARTNEY.

Mr T. Macartney, of Tai Tapu, who has just returned home after a visit to the United Kingdom, was interviewed by a representative of this journal and a.sked to give his impressions of tho state of affairs in the Oid Country and what changes ho had noticed after an absence'of forty-five years. Mr Macartney said that the trip had been saddened by the loss of ono of his party, Mrs Nutt, "who died before they reached Monte Video. So far as weather was concerned, they had a very pleasant voyage Home. Mr Macartney's destination was Belfast, and he landed in that city at the. very time of the riots. Everything seemed to be in a terrible stute of c.million. Carters, colliers, policemen were on strike, and his first cx-pei-enre was that he could not get anyone to take his luggage to an hotel. [v fait it could only have been done with an escort of soldiers, aad even if he could have got a carrier to undertake the job, the streets "ere not safe. The military were doing their best to lestoro order. In his efforts to get his luggage, ho saw n good deal of the rioters. Although he did not actually see a riot, lie saw all the preparations foT one. Mobs of sullen, angry, men and womc.i eoilected rajui'ly. and strangers had to be exceedingly careful not to be drawn into one ot theso crowds. In tho streets weio heaps of stones, and it was a common sight to see women and young girls busily employed gathering stones, bricks, bottles, and other missiles in preparation for another outbreak, and on (several.occasion..? he saw showers of stones como hurtling into the street from the top storeys of buildings. As for his luggage, he finally gave up in despair all hope of getting it. and, as a matter of fact, did not obtain possession of it until just as he was leaving the city. In gpito of the difficulty of getting about, not to say the danger, Air Macartney managed to see a good deal of Belfast. The city itself he found littlo altered, but was much impressed with the extension of the suburbs and the greatly enlarged docks. What had boon tho country when ho last visited it, was now an extension of tho city.

Ono ot Mr Macartney's most interesting experiences was the visit which ho paid to his old homo, 'ihe farmhouse in which he was born was still standing, and the surroundings seemed little altered. Among the sights of Loudon, Mr Macartney found Smithhold Market particularly interesting. New Zealand mutton aud butter wcio much in evideiico, and were highly spoken of. He saw Tai Tapu butter for sale. He was much struck with tbe vast quantities of provisions of all kinds to be seen at Smithficld, and the brisk trade that was being carried on. Some of the people whom he met seemed well informed with regard to New Zealand, but the majority had very hazy ideas, a common impression being that Now Zealand was a part of Australia.

The voyage to New Zealand in tho Arawa was a very pleasant one. V\b.-u the Equator was reached, mu:h am moment was caused by tho obser/ance of the time-hoiiourcd ceremonies in connection with "crossing tho line." Father Neptune and his retinue had their hands full, and many of those on board had to submit to the penalties imposed by tho genial god. The sailors put up the "Dead Horse" Lo auction, and tho animal was bought at a good price by a well-known racing magnate. In conclusion, Mr Macartney said that his travels at Home had fuily convinced him that New Zealand was, at any rate for tho farmer, a splendid country. Ho was glad to be home again, and would not, for any consideration, live in the Old Country. With regard to the latter, he had expected to see changes, but what he had seen had disappointed him in the extreme, and he was glad to be back among his friends in Now Zealand.