A DISTINGUISHED VISITOR.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 93, 13 January 1908, Page 9

A DISTINGUISHED VISITOR.

COUNT MORNER, CHIEF CONSUL tfOR 1 SWEDEN. ; INTERESTING' IMPRESSIbtiS 'oft'OTJl?' LIFE AND LEGISLATION Wellington lias at present a distinguished v lsitor 111 Count Motner,: the' Chief ConSuV for. Sweden in. Australasia," who is stiVmg 'Sit' tho v Grand Hotel. Count-Morner, who, m addition to the high l office ho holds,'is. a much-travellod man, and the- author of several books on the countries lio lias ,uas Bent out to Australia' by tile late' King Oscar of Sweden, m 1906, and lS now ordered to visic New Zealand with'ilo other instructions than-to, study the conditions generally. Why Sweden Is interested." r . ,i , " Thoro arc three reasons "why-Sweden -is* interested m Australia and- New Zealand,''' stud Count'Morner to a Doiokion representative on Saturday: " (IV. Becauso .li,er commercial relations with, th<? colonies are m-. creasing; (2) because thero aro sueh .'a number of; Swedish compatriots "''bit . I _ain told,in !somo . instances-.therb are wli'dle. districts of them—and until now,wo havo had ■very littlo connection with them; and (3) at Home—by Homo,: I mean Swoclen —wo pre .very much interosted. in!'tli'o ''espenniefrfal' laws of Australia and NeW Zealand;- Td bliolt the, interest which men! learned,in -tlift 'scien'cc of law tako in exoenmeufc.il- legislation. ) >:thc l first ordor I (jot waG to make ,a report about, the juvenile courts of Australia- and New Zealand." .. , ■ ;v"*''-'--.Smdo cdming out to Australia} anil "stuflymi; the laws as a lawyer, hccouldiftiot help I boiiig struck, bjy the faot :th'at> of our legislation wiis mpst'-radical,.; jet, thcVj Court .procedure was .very: old-iajshioraod. ,„As.j far as no could sec, there Was no movement 'to effect.: alteration in- thifr' Sweden they wero iihead of-ÜB'in this matter. Their laws were all c&dified-i from.'.the.-Tear: ,1737. and for, a few shillings ..ar'y ..citiseircould obtain all the information J>s required on any law. Here it was- necessiTy ,-,to-go through a law library, perhaps, to: li;arn,r\vhat > one required to know: There, were;' of course:; lawyers in, Sweden, but there was, liO'oblieav tion' to employ tllem, as,-,.;out ..here'.> . ;7Elip Court procedure'was nlso -modifiedplified. .''ypur.'laws,'' :Mdrner,i' : i ''are democratic; but yoii.ri-iCmiit, lafffS: the opposite; of dertibcratib,.- y A ;i detao6i3iJtie. law pfoieeding -'.ought tjito _-,b&-yeheap-; .inaristocratic Sweden eve% the pocE'est'nirji is able to proebed. beferfc Uienugtest' Co'art- 1 - his Majesty's own." . iTfeesti, reriiirks .were made, -lie oiplilined, fro® .j(i6. : pcimt \6f, view; of the law student. Cjurt sought After truth and rapidity; and a inini'jiutn of cost. : . . Colonial Legislation. .-■■ ..km-.,„■ Speaking of: colonial legislation, CountMorner Said it. seemed, that »the,.±rend whs to belter the moral conditions by, laV. 'Much of this legislation would he Btrange 'to • the .(Swedish'. people, with . their; strong ; for .individual liberty,' but'^tlioY'e,-ail iierfc,. .tllcy Were struggling ends—tlio siniplo -and ctlafcal ,'lifo. pmt'fthcri): tlioy wero doing it by education—they- -:were» allowing personal liberty, /;; but; v-educating' against social evil. .''You' ore." s'wUifig-'* to' attain the end! by le^islationj"-Jf«M ! \C6unt-' Morner, "we. bv education! It na.i indeed'-an. interesting study, and tho-.future.-will- see the result. As for rajsteif;'- : l- ! ijrtjf<!f"a.."mail! .who docs not do:wrong because, he dock not dosifo, rather- than a man who '.'dofes not do it because he is prohibited;" 1 -/:-; ,v.l 3t3i> His Travels. i Since ■ leaving Sydney. Count. Morner.-has visited Fiji, Samoa, and Tonga ."and" m each place he has mot conntfymou. : -'Wherever lfe had gbilo it was indeed to learn how the Swedes'.wore nppreciiaffed'; as settlers.;,' In Samoa; his 6ottnS : ifym^fiaji ( i banquet, and one little --mtfcrf sting incident ■was 'that • while lie ' was.fafc , ?;{he ! .. israud.''the Swedish inhabitants- sang. a sa.ig ,ili his/honour in ; the aticoinpaniihc'Ht of A, Native had 'bee.tv i; f6r -.tho : fiTst'Ctltf Jtfsliee 'of.' Saiiioa., who copy of the song was pfoi'ented: 1 tb'-lCdilrit Morner.. In Samoa".the'yisifor;tod",fcnnd'.'# nourishing Swedish colony, arid, to'his as'ton-i isliment.tho chairman (now'a Ve-y^respeefed 1 , resident'of Apia); had tdl'd''hini'thSt' 110 'hint' self had arrived at Saitioii -as ,+lie jhato- to Bully Hayes, tile last pirate-of : tlib Southern Seas. At Tonga'the, King had.' rCce'ivcd'liiiii'in official way, and at'his departure, presented , him .with . a large; himself. In New Zealcnd. , Arriving at 'Auckland, Count ;Morner spent niiw ' days' there, ~.then ,j.;came. south; " I am very interested ; indeed ,in the life hero and in Australia," : ho,-dcolarc'd., "Your Premier has yory:;. nicq, in" his, rommilnications of welcqino ,to too,- : andj indeed I am very charmed at ■ the courtesy I lmvo received.". : v;-'v No time limit lias been placed on. .Connt | Morner 1 ? visit ,to Now,, Zealand. ..XHp in-, .tends getting into_ touch ~witli his.countrymen hero, and viG;tini: : ;theiiVvHettlera-ints. For that, reason he willfbe hear from thoin.. As a traveller, Count jy'.ornor hopes to find., mnfih to .'mtorost.''him , ..irc the Maoris. Ho. has . already ,beai .in touch.with the Native Minister at Aiieklajid, who had made upon him a splendid impression. One of his first oxcurraohs tieipato in a littlo .the,, object of which will,.be to' catch : pair of .tlio. alinost extinct huia. birds for preservation oil t-bo island sanctuary. From' liis. 'bricf. visit.'he has formed tho impression .that.'.the' New Zealand people .have ,treaty the, ':,3Taoris with greater reßpect and' considorn'tion'.tbfl.u is usual with conqiK'.riiig; Eufopenns'.' -'lThis ■ ivas a 1 question'. ho > wouldstatly,,..flirt,her.. There wiis also an interesting..r-tudy in. rcsgard to the, fauna and flora of these now countries, whero tho Old "World' introductions seemed to be quite takipg the plneo, <3f tlio original inhabitants. Count Morner intends writing a book on > his south. Tratio arid Comraerco.- " ; Another and more official subject'teuchfed on was tho development of trade between Australasia and Sweden. 1 , • :Tho • ConsulGenoral wished that New Zealand mCrehiintS might know that there has" birai' started a new line of direct ships "bety.-nen : 'Sydhoy' and Sweden. Plenty- of cargo has" fieeii offering from Swedoii to Austrldra. but tho steamers that soiled direct- wcnt back- nearly empty. "Why is that?" asked .Count-'Mor--ner. "Surely you liavo''products^ otit here to send to'l?weden or Europe?': I "will 'lie pleased to give information''to thoso'who ore. interosted in tlio matter.-"'"-Thi,s : ';sam6. line of steamers, ho said—modern 'in every way, and of tonnages-wore" taking passengers Home from Sydney for £20 first' class. Count Mornor was oiiito a'stonisiied and delighted with the city of Wellington. He arrived bore via the Manawatu "line, and the rapid change fron,!-, the stump-covered hills to a modern and' picturesquo city pleased and astonished him' f very much.