NOTES OH A TOUR.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXX, Issue 3591, 2 August 1912, Page 7

NOTES OH A TOUR.

AUCKLAND BUSINESS MAN’S IMPRESSIONS. MORE DAYLICHT WANTED IN ENGLAND. SURPRISING FACTS FROM CANADA. By Telegraph—Special Correspondent AUCKLAND, Aug. 1One of the most conspicuous changes iu working conditions in England which struck Air Matthew Clark, of the well-known mercantile house of Archibald Clark and Sons, during a resident of over 12 months just concluded, was the habit formed by business people of going to work much later and leaving it proportionately late.

“When 1 lived in England 25 years ago,” said Air Clark to a'“Star” representative, “it was usual to go to business as early as we do iu Auckland now. At present English -people go to work perhaps as late as half-past ten in the morning and they., leave at about seven in the evening.

‘•ln explaining the change to me my friends attributed it to the fact that telephone and telegraphic orders now reach the establishments late in the afternoon for attention before closing time, 'whereas formerly they used to arrive by mail first thing in the morning.” The Daylight Saving Bill was attracting considerable attention in England, Mr Clark said, and he thought that its real object was to check the very tendency to which he had referred. He attended a large public meeting white in London, at which a personal friend of his, who has taken xi prominent part in the House of Commons towards assisting the passage of the measure, was speaking. The meeting was cptite enthusiastic and the experience was certainly interesting. The. feeling appeared to be strong in some quarters in England. Mr Clark remarked that there was need for improvement in regard to hours of work.

PROGRESS OF CANADA. Mr. Clark was greatly struck with the progress which Canada is making. Stories of how straggling villages of a very few years ago have sprung into cities mushroom-like are apt to ho regarded from a distance as somewhat fanciful. Mr Clark has verified some of them in a very convincing manner. Within the past few months lie. and his daughters wont to visit- some friends at Prince Albert, on the Saskat' he w.an River. They met -'Omcpeople who had gone over there from England with the idea, of spending three months with a. relative engaged on the Canadian railways. Instead they had remained for three years. These people had told the Auckland visitors that when they first went to Prince Albert it was a straggling little settlement without streets- Now it is xi young city with public- buildings that would be a credit to a, city of the size of Auckland. Its main streets were paved as well as Queen Street here, and the shop window displays contained goods equal in quality or perhaps better than those to be seen in the main streets of Auckland.

The side walks were planted as was the usual practice in Canada, and electric light had beeii laid on, while a tramway scheme was in contemplation. Such rapid growth within three years struck the New Zealander as being phenomenal.