A NEW ZEALANDER ABROAD.

Evening Star, Issue 11890, 19 May 1903, Page 1

A NEW ZEALANDER ABROAD.

MR JOHN DUTHIE’S IMPRESSIONS,

[Special to thb Star,]

WELLINGTON, May 19. Mr J. Dutbie, M.H.R., of all men, has paid Mr Seddon a sterling tribute of praise. Mr Dutbie, who has just returned from a visit to Australia, informed a ‘Post’ representative that he did not hear much about New Zealand in Australia, except that the people there recognised the great force of character of our Premier, and undoubtedly the success so loudly claimed by that worthy gentleman has had an effect upon Commonwealth legislation during the last two or three years. MrDuthiesaid that the disastrous effects of the drought could hardly be exaggerated, and yet its effect was not greatly felt through a wide strip of country along the coast, and that considerably assisted in carrying the country on. The drought had pretty well broken up when he returned to Sydney. Mr Dutbie extols the Sydney electric tram system, which he was assured on all hands was paying re-» markably well. With regard to financial matters Wellington’s middle member said : “I made such inquiries as .1 could as to the ..flotation, by the Government of shortdated debentures at 4 per cent., and I was rather surprised at hearing (although I bay*no direct evidence on the subject) that traders axe using these debentures for remitting sums of money to England, as the debentures are issued with the condition that interest and principal may be payable in London if required; so. you see it is really English capital after • all that is invested.” After his American, London, and Auckland experience, Mr Duthis has a feeling in favor of asphalting for paving 1 purposes as against wood-blocking, on account of it being both more, sanitary and durable. # Another matter that . imprest'} Mr Dutbie while in Sydney was that in rpiiv of all that had been said about cleaning up after the plague the smells in Sydney Ha*, bor, particularly along the foreshore, near the intercolonial wharves, are as offensive as ever. It could not, he said, well be otherwise, seeing that the sewage of the city is drained, into the harbor, and lie 4id not see how they could expect to per a. healthy dty. while . that state of things was allowed to continue. „