SOME THOUGHTS ON NEW ZEALAND.

Evening Post, Volume LXXX, Issue 31, 5 August 1910, Page 11

SOME THOUGHTS ON NEW ZEALAND.

♦ MISS TALBOT'S IMPRESSIONS. - KINDLY CRITICISMS. (From Our Own Correspondent.) LONDON, 24th June. So grateful is Miss Meriel Talbot for the hospitality of the New Zealanders and the beauty of .their country that she hesitated to depart from a mere recapitulation of its charms to adjnit that she had discovered anything, either in the place or the people, that did not accord with her views. One of the strongest impressions she has brought back with her is of the reality and the vigour of the crusade for the preservation of infant life in tht Dominion and her admiration of the work which is being done by Dr. Truby King. "It really struck me as strange, though, that in a new country with all the advantages aud the delightful climate of New Zealand, there should be the necessity for* such a movement. That is what I call an Imperial work, really an Imperial work." Was there anything in New Zealand which struck her as requiring to be remedied ? "Well," replied Miss Talbot, with a smile of apology, "f really think tho railways are not good enough for so progressive a country. ■-They have entirely converted me against the nationalisation of railways. It is much better to have competition. In Australia each State has its own system, aud although they are State-owned, they are a good deal better than in New Zealand. But the Canadian lines are the best of the Job. "If I might put it that way, the New Zealand railways are so squalid ; the carriages are small, and altogether, the trains are just like little old-fashion-ed ones-. The dust, too ! I never saw anything so dreadful as the lino from Rotorua to Auckland. But how beautiful the country is ! It is not only interesting. Ifc is magnificent." THE POSITION OF WOMEN. Miss Talbot spoke with some reluctance of the relative position of the sexes in JNew Zealand and England. As- the outcome of her experiences she is of opinion that women in England, take a greater interest in public and social matters than in NW Zealand. Apart altogether from the sxiffrage campaign and years before that was thought of, women wero actively engaged in local government, in social reforms such as charities, the poor law, the housing problem, etc. "It was curious to me," she said, "to find, in a country where they are in full enjoyment of the franchise that they are so behind in the interest they take in public things. And it does not seem to be expected of them that they should do more. It will come, no doubt, but it struck m« both in private life and in their conversation, that the men of New Zealand do not expect the women to take a more active part than they are taking. "The relations between the sexes? Well, they seemed to be i-ather more medieval than I expecied. The mci. seem still rather to keep their business away from the women. They look upon them as people who will be very pleasing when they get home, who will look after the house and make pleasant companions, but they do not really admit them to a full share in their lives. In this respect it struck me that they were rather behind us in England." Miss Talbot is of opinion that New Zealand girls believe in thoroughly enjoying themselves. That, of course, is true also of Australia. The explanation, she thought, was that their parents or grandparents had probably all gone through a very hard" apprenticeship in the early days, and they were determined that their children should be spared. The trouble was that there was a danger of going to the other extreme, and bringing up both boys and girls to enjoy themselves from their earliest years. Tfiat led, naturally, to a lack oi discipline and a weakening of the ties of home life and' of home influence. The practice of walking the streets at night, so common in Australia and New ZeaJand, was the outcome of this. THE WORK OF THE LEAGUE. As regards the work of the Victoria League in New Zealand Miss Talbot said the response had been a very real one. The work had already been orga nised in several of the centres, and they had readily accepted the suggestion thai both men and women should take puri in the organisation. One thing thai seemed to be much needed in New Zealand was better information about tht conditions existing in England. There were always persons from England tray elling in the colonies, and tho leagiu was going to make' a point of letting then know when a member was abroad whe could give addresses on English matters Then, again, they did nob seem to know out there of the opportunities which the league gave to travellers coming Home to England. They really wanted mem bers of all classes. She had been able to make known what the league desirec to do in the way of arranging for o welcome to be extended to persons going out to the colonies. They were not ar emigrating organisation in any sense. They simply wished to help persons whe were emigrating by arranging that thej should receive a welcome on landing. Referring again to the hospitality oi the colonies, Miss Talbot said she mci with universal kindness and with a desire that she should be shown every thing. "Tho simplicity of the hospital/ ty is what appealed to me. Ladies neemed to appreciate the fact that, although they had no servants, they still had to entertain. The domestic servant problem, I found, was very real and acute and a great burden to ladies. ] am J,old some people had even had tc leave the country on account of it. ' "I do not think the beauty of the country can be exaggerated," bhe remarked in conclusion. "You have some thing of everything, and although in the North the vegetation is "almost tropical yev you have h. perfectly bracing climate, The South Island seemed to me to have the most delightful climate I have evei been in. The people are also very con tented."