N.Z. High Commissioner Returns From Canada

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28399, 4 October 1957, Page 12

N.Z. High Commissioner Returns From Canada

(New Zealand. Press Association)

WELLINGTON, Oct. 3. Statements that United States views affected Canadian opinions were largely exaggerated, said Mr T. C. A. Hislop, who returned to Wellington with his wife and daughter today after seven years as New Zealand High Commissioner to Canada. “Canada is very definitely an independent country, with its own policy and a very strong and independent national feeling,” said Mr Hislop. The two countries collaborated in some matters, notably those of defence, Mr Hislop said. The D.E.W. (defence early warning) line in the Arctic Circle was run jointly by the United States and Canada, and a defence research station at Churchill, in Hudson Bay, was partly manned by Americans, though it was founded and owned by Canada. Canada played a big part .n Commonwealth affairs, said Mr Hislop, though its population of 16.000,000 had a greater variety of origins than that of New Zealand. Its Federal Parliament was bilingual, and Montreal was the second-largest French-speaking city in the world. The country was receiving many immigrants, notably from Britam and from Holland.

Travelling in every province, Mr Hislop noted that Canadian industries were all on a vast scale. The country possessed the sources of almost every material it needed, having every known mineral, and immense grain and timber concerns.

The Canadian railway services were the last word in rail travel, with coast-to-coast services running 3000 miles without the need fo: any passenger ever to leave the train. In Labrador the recent developments in rail communications were tremendous, said Mr Hislop. A 300-mile track had been built in two years in a region which was ice-bound for much of the year. The big Canadian city corporations did not carry out as many functions as did those in New Zealand. Duties such as transport and milk and electricity sup-

plies were run by private enterprise or by independent boar ’s. Mr Hislop has no immediate plans for the future. After leaving his post four months ago he travelled to Britain and the Continent, and with his wife was given the honour of an audience with Her Majesty the Queen st Buckingham Palace.