SIR ROBERT STOUT. VISIT TO SCOTLAND.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 84, 6 October 1909, Page 4

SIR ROBERT STOUT. VISIT TO SCOTLAND.

HOME AFTER FORTY-SIX YEARS. [FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.] LONDON, 27th August. Sir Robert and Lady Stout are no-w in tho north of Scotland, where, after an absiance of forty-six years, Sir Robert has been visiting his native town of Lerwick. The occasion was not j allowed to pass without notice, and tho ; Chief Justice of New Zealand, together i with Lady and Miss Stout, were entertained at a reception at the Lerwick Town Hall given by the Provost, Magistrates and Town Council of the Borough. The function was in every , way a memorable ons, and all sections iof the community united to give a hearty welcome to their distinguished guest. In tho course of the proceedings, ' Provost Porteous paid a warm tribute i to Sir Robert's work in New Zealand, during which he said : "Sir Robert is I known wherever the British flag flies ias a strong man of affairs, a skilful and eagacious statesman, and in his ■ present _ position as custodian of the public justice, ho enjoys what may be a littlo more prosaic, but is none the less responsible an office. Now, after . many years spending himself and being ' spent in the strenuous, active life of I a rising country, Sir Robert has come back to see tho old friends, the old land marks, and to revive tho old ! memories. I am sure- we wish him and j Lady Stout the plcnsantcst of hoiidaj's, | and wo hope that when they reLurn Ixs ; tho country with which Sir Robert's ; name is indelibly associated, > that they will carry along .with them a good impression »of the Homeland and a good impression of the Old Country." SHETLANDERS IN THE COLONIES. Sir Ttobevl, niado a characteristic reply. R-cforring to Shetlandcrs in the colonies, he said : - / "I may &u.y about all Shetlanders-,' without exception, whether they are m New Zealand, Australia, or Tasmania, J that there is a feeling among thorn, a desire to do something whereby their , nativo placo may ba honoured — that it | should bo said and known about Shetj landers that they boar I a good and honourable name, and aro of an am- ' bitious nature. I may also say that ; in the colonies I have found that tho ; nativo of Shetland is just aq able to j fight the battlo of life as tho native of any other country. In Australia, New Zealand, and Tasmania you will find tho Shetlander occupying just as good and honourable a position as other ■ mem. They are respected by their follow countrymen wherever they may bo placed, and I think it 13 a great thing to be able to say that." NEW ZEALAND CHILDREN. -•Continuing, Sir Robert remarked: "We are not, of course, like those ■who ha.ro *beon trained for centuries in 'an old country. The people are different. I went down to tho south of j England recently to address some 5000 j school children, and I compared them | with our New Zealand children, even i those of the North Isl.xnd, and they | lookfcd just as strong, intelligent, and physically as fit as any of the children 1 sa-w in tho couth of England. Of course, if you do not have a good physical basis for a race, that race cannot live. We see that the New Zealand race musfc be a good raco considering what tho native population is. The natives of New Zealand are strong, intelligent men ; they aro on a higher platform than those- of Tasmania or Australia. There are many things in the colonies different from the Old Country. We do not make so much of pin-,point djff&renres. For example, all the Presbyterian Churches in New Zealand are united, and tho Methodist Churches aro pretty well united also.

There is a comradeship among New Zealanders that is really admirable. Then they have a strong love of the Empire, and that is perhaps the most evident characteristic' of the young New Zealander to-day. (Applaueo.) Hundreds of thousands of them have, of course, never seen Britain, but they have read its history, and they like to be considered part of the Empire. In fact, when the Boer War broke out ifc was with the gieatest difficulty that we could restrain our young men from going to South Africa to fight on Dehalf of the Mother Country. Their patriotism far exceeds the patriotism of most Britishers, and in the higher and private schools tho boys get military training." SPEEDINESS IN "LEGISLATION. Further, Sir Robert continued: "A thing that strikes one in New Zealand is the intense desire of the young New Zealander to take part in the government of his country. We hare universal suffrage at twenty-one years of age, and every man and woman is entitled to vote when he or she reaches that age. (Applause.) W© deal with social questions* in a very serious manner. An election is not looked upon as a time for amusement, but tho time for the .performance of a sacred duty. Firat of all, we begin by closing all our public-houseE —(applause) —and when the people aro going to the polle you would think they were going to church. The whole thing has a sort of reverence about it. When the election is over thero is no doubt considerable excitement. Some Ktive won, and some have lost, but all along the desire to help the colony is clearly manifested. That is the main interest in all political and social questions. Our country is a young country, and we may occasionally do things that aro wrong. Our policy may sometimes be such that it will not stand the stern criticism of tho days to come; but we havo this enormous advantage over you —if wo I have mado a false move, if we havo a | bad law, w» get it altered in a few months. Wo do not spend years in trying to get a reform. We got it at once. One characteristic of New Zealand is ita specdinoss in legislation." Sir Robert conclnded iby thanking them most heartily for their kindness. THE COUNTRY'S TRIBUTE. While Sir Robert Stout was in Shetland, the monthly meeting of the Zetland Comity Council was held at Lerwick, when tho governor of the county, Jlr. J. B. Anderson, at the conclusion of tho proceedings, said: "As you are all a-ware, Sir Robert Stout, Chief Justice of New Zoaland, is on a visit to Shetland. Sir Robert is a native of Lerwick. As a young man he left Lerwick 46 years ago, when ho was nineteen years of ago, and went to New Zealand. In a very few years he, by virtue of his own individual efforts, took a very prominent position; and soon becamo a leader in the van of the progress and development of the colony. Ho was twice Prime Minister of the colony, and for a number of years he has held the position of Chi«f Justice of NW Zealand. Now, while Sir Robert is a nativo of Lerwick he is also a Shcllander, and I think, in doing honour to him, wo aro only doing credit to ourselves if we tnke notice of his visit here. Accordingly, I would .propose thafc we record in our minutes an expression of welcome to Sir Robort, and also to Lady Stout, and their daughter, on th© .occasion of tjheir prosont visit, an appreciation of the distinguished position to which he has attained, and our cordial good wishes for their future prosperity and health." (Applauso.J The governor's suggestion was unanimously agrosd to.