“BRIGHT EYE LAND."

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume II, Issue 26, 13 January 1912, Page 5

“BRIGHT EYE LAND."

AX AUSTRALIAN’S NOTES. fBY TtI.EGH Aim .-.CECI IL. 1 (Own Correspondent.) Wellington, .fan. 12. Mr. Gerald T. Baker, chairman of the Colonial Mutual Life Assurance Company, who returns to Sydney this evening after an extensile tour of both islands, collected some interesting travel notes, a few on which ho confided to a rcpresent.nl ive of the "Posi.” "This is my lit st visit to New Zealand." he said. "1: bus opened my eves after my own country, England, winch I h-ft when I was 21. 1 thought there was no eountiy to compare with Australia. 1 had not seen New Zealand then. It has been a levelaticn to me. Looking acrc.-s Ihe Tabman Sea from Melbourne one can’t unless he travels, foim an adequate conception of New Zealand and its people. Many things struck me while heie. ami yet 1 ought to have known mine abcitt the comitiy than I. did. ov reason of business connections.

Take the people. lh< are quite different from Australians. You have a type, and not onlv that, you have types in each of your four centres. There is a closer resemblance, I think, between the people of the Old Country and those of New Zealand (but your people aie quickermore energetic) than there is between Australians and New Zealanders. I was much impressed by the people of New Zealand. Their physique and their bright eyes. Why. 1 think you should cal! it bright eye land. There seems to be a spring, a go in the people and it is seen in all they do. Perhaps it is the efi’ec i f the blight climate with just a shi ness in it. "New Zealand has spent a lot ot money.—Good. in t them there i> p-emv to : !;!■"■ for it. it seems to me from what 1 could gather that yc-u are rot afraid to try anything, nor ro scrap it if it does not come up ;<> your expectations. I have travelled right through the Dominion from North to South and back again, and have seen much that is instructive in the way ot) adminirtra:ion. Forcing me to the conclusion dint von have a grand little cirnntiy well managed and wonderfully ] rclifi'.'. Leek iiha; you send away for- what is it— a million people. Labour troubles ; Ah yes. 1 suppose yen have them a« we have their, in Australia tea. but I think yen 'll find that all will settle down In due time. Everything now is m a state of flux. The vc.V-rs will see differ ently and •-.<> uill the employe:'Theic will in c-mrse cf time come «.u be a better understanding between oi.th sides, which will be perm mi ent. • Personallv. I am not at all apprehensive cf the hidustiial futino ci Australia ro: cf Now Zealand. The working men : : shrewd encugh :i: bait- sufficicn. <me 'cnse ke >-.'. that industrial »t:i.v canne; f,n oa for over, and ultom ti y things win

settle down. < i'kiib d as they ;*.[>- lg be at lipp.i. Mr. Baker. ' t > las a bowling green cf his own, was much immt's.. ed bv the enthusiasm disph.\<d Iv New Zealand bowlers in th' y 1 ec The great Noidi Ir.lar.d meeting, hi said, was something ho I'tudo pected to see Imfoie -a-tting oi a travel to what was to him in a

an unknown land. The hc..p>tal.ty which !; ' has expel teneod, . ..c. v hdt in this eemni-ry. was far more tiim. cX p P( -ted bcfme sailing for thc:«

i-uies. Australians who have vol travelled in New Zeals no should Jo -o, I'9 though., for manv reasons, and among them were the leniarknble natural features, the beautiful scenery. and above all to expei mm e 3i< warm-hearted and g.'nw.l <!-.aractcr of the people.