GOOD NAME OF NEW ZEALANDERS

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 5, 1 October 1935, Page 10

GOOD NAME OF NEW ZEALANDERS

Being Maintained Abroad

PUBLIC WORKS ENGINEER’S TOUR By Telegraph—Press Association. Auckland, .September 30. "New Zealanders are upholding the good name of the Dominion in many parts of the globe,” said Mr. R. Packwood, of the Public Works Department, who returned by the Niagara after a nine months’ world tour on behalf of the New Zealand Government. Mr. Packwood was formerly engineer in charge of the construction of the waterfront road and Westfield deviation and of the Waitaki hydro-electric powerstation. During his extended tour lie visited many different countries, inspecting a wide range of modern developments, including loading, irrigation and power-plant construction. “Of tlie many things I saw.” Mr. Packwood said, “probably those that impressed me most were tlie Singapore Naval Base, irrigation works in India, road and drainage development in Italian swamps, and dams in France. At tlie same time I realised how very fortunate New Zealanders are with their well-developed public services and in tlie healthy conditions under wliich all classes do their work.” After visiting the Malays, Mr. Packwood proceeded to Singapore and then to India, travelling as far as the Khyber Pass and inspecting irrigation works in the Punjab and various developments in the East. In Palestine he visited Haifa, where in recent years from an open roadstead a harbour holding 40 ships hail been constructed capable of dealing with tlie enormous quantities of building material needed in tlie rapid development, of the country, and in the transport of oil brought overland by pipe line. He inspected works in Sardinia, Morocco. Italy and France, and after some time in England returned to New Zealand, via Canada. “Everywhere we went,” said Mr. Packwood, "we realised the high esteem in which New Zealanders arc held. In India we found a New Zealand engineer in charge of the electric development: of the Punjab, and in Palestine another was Director of Lands, while an Australian was Director of Agriculture."