LADY FISHER

Evening Star, Issue 20666, 13 December 1930, Page 24

LADY FISHER

Interesting visitors to Dunedin this week are Sir Stanley and Lady 1* isher, who after many years’ residence in Ceylon and the East are touring Australia and New Zealand before finally returning to England. Chatting with Lady Fisher about her six months’ visit in Now Zealand, one soon found that her absorbing interest •is in country and outdoor life, and that she has a great love for animals, making a point of studying their conditions in each country she visits. She was astonished to find that in a country such as ours, where she considers conditions in many ways ideal, which is so progressive, and where a strong humanitarian element prevails, the “humane killer” is not used in our abattoirs. Tliis method of killing has been introduced into Scotland, and a great effort is being made to bring it into other parts of Great Britain, and she put forward a strong plea that New Zealand should consider its advantages. Our visitors have toured the North Island, and have been delighted with its scenic wonders. The last few weeks spent in the South have, however, charmed them more and more. They have just come from a trip in I lie Hineinoa to the West Coast Sounds. The whole trip, Lady Fisher said, seemed like a chapter from a boys’ book of adventures. The romance of these wild regions quite gripped her imagination. In Dusky Sound the party boarded an old abandoned ship, which held endless possibilities for a story, and fished up pieces of the wrecked Endeavour to carry away as mementoes, _ The bird life especially enchanted Lady Fisher. The wekas were most friendly in these parts and had no fear of the humans. They would come as near as to pluck at their clothing, and were more than willing to join in the picnic meals, showing a decided preference for sandwiches. They were fortunate enough to see the now rare blue crane at quite close quarters, and were delighted with the bush songsters. Lady Fisher is interested in welfare 'work, and hopes to see something of this during her stay in Dunedin.