NEW ZEALAND ABROAD

Feilding Star, Volume 2, Issue 317, 22 August 1924, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND ABROAD

PARLIAMENTARY PEL EG AT ES MR JAS HORN’S TRAVEL NOTES.. Mr James Horn, M.P. for Wakaiipu, one of tiho Parliamentary delegates to South Africa, (in Durban today) writes to a friend in Redding from Perth as follows: Von no doubt heard that I got a, midden call to go vvith the Parliamentary delegates to South Africa. I was selected at 0 o’clock bn Tuesday night, and just got on board the ferry steamer the same night and to Dunedin, at 9.30 p.m. on Wednesday evening arid left .there by train next forenoon at 11.15, so I had practically two hours to do my private business. (During these two hours Mr Horn managed ,to attend the meeting of the Otago Education Board and promised to enquire into education matters in South Africa). 1 got back to Wellington on Friday morning and boarded the steamer for Sydney at 11 o’clock the same afternoon.

We bad bad weather in Cook Strait and the gale continued until Sunday night. Out of 1.71 passengers not more, than 20 sat down to the. tables for meals till Monday morning. My three mates took it bad so I bad alone to face- the music and uphold New Zealand at the Dining saloon, and- so. far I have not a meal yet. From Sydney we have journeyed by train to Perth. We bad two days (about) in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, hnlf-a-day at Jvalgoorlie and three days in Perth, and by rail have just covered 3700 miPs. We have been five nights in the train and have bad a royal time. In every State, N.S.W., Victoria, and South and Western -Australia we were met at every station, by a Government motor car which took iis to our hotel and with an attendant was at our disposal till we again left the city. We. f even bad occasionally Hie State railway saloon carriage given us to shift from one city to another. Having Hie use of the motor car wc were able to drive all. over the cities, suburbs, and many miles into the country. Dinners, luncheons and seats in the theatres wore at Our disposal, introductions and invitations to the Prime Ministers, also Minsters of both State'Houses, including the Common wealth Government, and we were, also received by the Lord Mayors of Sydney, Melbourne, and Adelaide and the Mayors of Tyalgoorlie and Perth. It appeared to me that each State tried to v-nfhid it lie others to welcome ns. We have seen and learned much about Australia, seen some of the, finest lands down to actual deserts. We have •met the leaders of all parties and we are agreed (the four New Zealand delegates) to drop polities (for the timq being), and have interchanged thoughts on all sorts oT Subjects. My mates arc all city men and. they discuss all municipal affairs. On the other hand i, being essentially a .country man, am very much sought alter by Australian country men "and am continually discussing good roads, mining, irrigation and lands. Newspaper men are after 113 everywhere for information and photographs which appear everywhere in all newspapers as we pass along. It has been a great education so far, and I: understand that in addition to conferences in South Africa we will meet delegates from England, Newfoundland, Canada and other Dominions, < including eight from Australia (Whom we IvaVe already met and dined with). W<? a 1 re to journey over practically all the States of flic South African Union, our stay there is supposed to lie two months, and as it takes exactly a month from New Zealand to Durban it will mean wo will lie awa.v four months, arid therefore expect to get back (o Wellington about early in November, 8 ’ V