A SPLENDID TIME

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 23, 28 January 1915, Page 8

A SPLENDID TIME

! COMMONWEALTH PRIME MINISTER IN NEW ZEALAND. The Right Hon. Andrew Fisher, Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia, has returned to Wellington from a tour of the South Island and leaves for Sydney to-morrow. In an interview by a Post representative today, Mr. Fisher expressed a warm appreciation of tiie unbounded kindness of his reception in New Zealand by one and all. He had had a splendid time, and was delighted with all he had seen during their sojourn here. He was much impressed with New Zealand and the future before it. It exceeded his expectations, based on all he had heard and read of the country and its people. In scenery, climate, and wealth of soil, the Dominion was magnificently endowed, and the standard of living was high. He was particularly struck with the fine equipment of the cities from the point of view of the health of citizens, and local government in this respect seemed to have been thoroughly successful. Between the cities there appeared to be a healthy rivalry, and this rivalry extended also to smaller localities, and was, to his mind, quite a noticeable feature of New Zealand life. Carried to excess ? this tendency might have its dangers in detracting from the broad view a people should take of its national problems. The problem of defence he had already discussed freely and frankly in public addresses, and nothing had transpired to make him alter the conviction he had expressed that the very geographical position of New Zealand made the Dominion largely dependent for its defence on sea-power. In general, he hoped that visits such as he had made would Be reciprocated by representative men in New Zealand, and he could guarantee them a warm welcome in the Commonwealth from both the Federal and State Governments and the local authorities. The better the peoples of the two countries knew one another the better would it be for both. For his own part, he felt that his visit had been not only exceedingly plea Mint, but also profitable in the opportunities it had afforded of meeting public, men and of learning the needs of the Dominion in relation to the Commonwealth. Much could be done in the way of improving reciprocity in trade, as in other relations, and he trusted his visit would prove helpful in that respect. He would be exceedingly happy on his return to Australia to convey to the Government and the people there personally his impressions of the^warm feelings of friendship on the part of the Dominion towards the Commonwealth.