CRITIC OF AUSTRALIA.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIII, Issue 402, 20 May 1922, Page 5

CRITIC OF AUSTRALIA.

FINE PHYSIQUE OF PEOPLE. PRAISE FOR COUNTRY'S BEAUTY. LONDON, May 18. Lord Xorthcliffe has launched into n discussion 011 the feeding- of the Australian workman, "lie is as well fed as anything in (Ins country," he said. "The workman of England has no idea how well the Australian workman is fed. No man in lingland can imagine v.hat Australia is like until he sees it. There are all son- of unexpected things and places which yon can never contemplate. What surprised me was the beauty of these places as we have heard for the last 20 years more about New Zealand than Australia." Lord Xorthcliffe deplored Labour's attitude in certain Australian States. lie -aid: "There is no place in the world where Labour is king to such an extent, and in Queensland it is dictator. A great contrast Is Canada, which has not tied herself to ridiculous Labour leadership, I became unpopular saying these thing-, but I am used to unpopularity. In New Zealand Labour seemed more orderly and less arrogant. Australia is so far away that Australians have no standards of comparison. They have many beautiful things, but do not admire them, because they lack the means of comparison with other places.; In Australia 1 was asked to admire second-, rate buildings and bridges, but not the magnificent physique of the people, which are the best in the world." Lord Northcliffe referred to Australians, designating immigrants as "Pommies." He 1 did not understand what it meant, but it was regarded as an uisnlt. A "■entleman sealed near Lord NorthcluTe's' table interjected: ''Rosy cheeks." and Lord Northdiffo provocatively replied: "Like yours!" He sounded a note of warning about the large number of Italians emigrating to Australia. There were several tvpos of Italians; were they getting the right type'.' They wanted to hold Australia for the British, He stressed the necessity of careful handling of immigrants on arrival and paid a tribute to the Rarnado boys as the best type of immigrant. The man of 55 became it grouser. "1 met plenty of such men. They are slacking about from town to town, getting the extraordinary hospitality that everybody eels in Australia, and cursing the country." -A. and N.Z. cable.