VISITORS FROM IRELAND

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXXIII, Issue 15902, 13 April 1912, Page 2

VISITORS FROM IRELAND

SIR ROBERT ANDERSON AND PARTY. Amongst recent arrivals in the city were Sir Robert Anderson, Bart., and Lady Anderson; Mr A. Hope Bannerman, a nephew of the late Sir Henry | Campbell-Bannerman; and Mr and Mrs | W. H. M’Laughlin. The visitors come 1 from Ireland, and are at present tour- i ing the world. Sir Robert is a member , of the Belfast Town Council and chair- . man of the Belfast Corporation Tram- 1 ways, and was last year High Sheriff of the County of Monaghan. Ho was twice Lord Mayor of Belfast, and was | created a baronet when High Sheriff during the King’s visit to Ireland. Mr M’Laughlin is the City Magistrate of ! Belfast. ! "When interviewed, Sir Robert An- j derson and Mr M’Laughlin gave a few details of their tour and their impressions. The visitors speak in high terms of New Zealand scenery. Mr M’Laugh- j lin, who has travelled extensively in I Europe, Africa and America, declares that he has never seen anything so • beautiful as the scenery at Queenstown, the Remarkables on a bright sunny day being a glorious sight. Sir Robert Anderson has been impressed,! with the contented and well-to-do appearance of the artisan class in the dominion. The progress of the colonies I has impressed the visitors, who have been astonished at the perfection of the electric tramway system and of the ' olectric lighting . schemes. There are about 300 cars and 1000 men employee! I in the Belfast tram system, Sir Robert , stated. The system is Tuii at a profit, and this year about £20,000 is being given from the tramway earnings to-J wards the relief of the rates. Since they reached New Zealand the visitors have been treated with the greatest kindness, and the desire shown to make their trip a pleasant one has won their warmest gratitude. On Thursday the visitors left for Otira and returned last evening.

Chatting to a reporter on their return from Otira and Lake Moana, the visitors spoke iii terms of the highest appreciation of their visit. Mr M’Laughlin stated that although he had toured the world, he lmd not seen scenery to equal tbit of the Otira Gorge.' It would be a .great loss to touristo if tho completion of the West Coast Railway were to put an end to tourists crossing tho gorge by coach. He paid a tribute to the excellent management of the coaches by their.drivers. Lake Moana. was considered to be equal to the best scenery the party had yet seen in the dominion. The accommodation at the lake was good and the charges .were moderate, and Mr M’Laughlin stated that one could not imagine a more beautiful place. Both he and Sir Robert expressed the opinion that in the future Lako Moana must become one of New Zealand’s most popular tourist resorts.

Referring to their New Zealand tour, Sir Robert stated that his party had been struck .with the excellence of the accommodation provided for tourists. The newspapers, he considered, were all of a high standard, and quite the equals of the British papers. He had been impressed by the way the newspapers were endeavouring to promote the welfare of the country by obtaining the opinions of visitors from other lands. Dunedin anrl Otago generally the. .visitors' considered to be typically Scottish, and even the scenery in the'south was similar to that of Scotland. •

The visitors will leave for Wellington to-night and will sail from Auckland for Sydney on April 22.'