WORLD TRAVEL

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIV, Issue 294, 9 November 1934, Page 2

WORLD TRAVEL

HIGH PRAISE FOR QUEENSTOWN “THE GEM OF THE WORLD.”

A world traveller, Mr Walter Turtle, vice president of the Intertype Corporation, with branches throughout Europe and America, was a visitor to Palmerston North to-day, having completed a four embracing New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Honolulu prior to arriving in the Dominion. Mr Turtle has been in New Zealand on several occasions, his last visit being made four years ago, but this is the first occasion on which he has had the opportunity to view any of the scenic beauties of this Dominion. In conversation with a “Standard” representative, Mr Turtle explained that he had taken the opportunity to visit Mount Cook and had found that it fulfilled all the good things which had been claimed for it; indeed, in his opinion it surpassed Switzerland in its impressiveness and grandeur, adding that while the snow-clad ranges might not boast the great heights of the mountains in Switzerland, the whole countryside offered a greater variety. Ho had motored through to Queenstown, traversing beautiful rural areas and the more rugged districts which contain the auriferous lodes which entice the gold-seeker. Queenstown had been seen in smiling mood, and Mr Turtle termed it “The Jewel of the World,” contending that the town snuggling in its very compactness in the arm of Lake Wakatipu, with the rugged snow-capped Remarkables towering to the south of the town and Ben Lomond at the back, made a unique picture—one of the most fascinating in the world. Mr Turtle also spoke in high terms of the travelling and hotel accommodation met with on the trip, stating that the wants of the tourist were given the fullest attention, thereby adding to the enjoyment.

HOMEWARD BOUND. On the homeward trip Mr Turtle will travel through Australia, along the east coast of South Africa to Kenya, Khartoum and Cairo, thence to Jerusalem, Syria, Japan, and India prior to returning to England. Varied through the trip is—it would furnish much of interest to the real tourist— Mr Turtle has travelled over the route so often that it has lost much of its glamour. During his business excursions, he has visited all kinds of newspaper concerns and has encountered all types of people. One trip int-o tho heart of Zululand had furnished something of an unusual nature for there he had encountered a newspaper bearing the unusual name of “The Sausage.” Naturally, the employees were natives and the majority of them were women, for it is a characteristic of the race that the males are more interested in tribal fighting or in the sport of cock-fighting than anything in the nature of work. On the occasion of the visit to the town, the men had departed en bloc for another village, leaving the women-folk and the dogs, of which there were many, in charge of the kraals—groups of circular mud huts. The women of the area, it was explained. rolled their hair into knobs at the top of the head, those being kept in position by clay, which in time became as hard as a brick. While the practice had its advantages in the direction of tidiness, it offered some discomfort at night-time, a wooden block with a cavitw for the head-nob having to be brought into use for the comfort of the sleeper. By way of contrast, Palestine offered many of the most modern ideas in printing houses, and whereas much of tlie world’s best printing was formerly executed at Leipzig, the Jewish houses of Jerusalem were now securing the orders. The hatred which had developed against the Jews in Germany had had the effect of driving the members of that race back to the land of their forefathers and, as a result, Jerusalem was literally flowing in money. Real estate had advanced by 200 to 300 per cent, while buildings which had been bought for £SOOO tour years ago were being sold for £20,000, and an orange grove which had been purchased for £15,000 had changed hands at £60,000. The ancient order of things was giving way to modern buildings, and Palestine at the present time offered a wonderful speculative opportunity to the investor with money at his command.

A similar state of affairs prevailed in Syria, further explained Mr Turtle, for Behrut and Damascus had also made phenomenal progress. In the former city huge buildings were being constructed, all types of manufactures were now operating, while there were 10 daily papers published. However, these were printed in different languages to meet the requirenvente of the cosmopolitan inhabitants. The ancient city of Damascus liad also come within the march of progress and modern hotels were now to be found; motor cars flashed along modern highways where? a few years ago they had never been seen, while seven daily papers carried the news of the outside world to its readers. Manufacturing concerns were springing into being and as a result the ancient city was losing much of its former charm. CONDITIONS IN JAPAN.

Japan is also well-known to Mr Tliurtle and, commenting upon the conditions of that country', he explained that on the occasion of his last visit he had been struck by the absence of any outw'ard signs of poverty as compared with the larger cities of England. Why, it was difficult to determine, for the low costs of manufactures must, perforce, be reflected in the wages paid to employees. How'ever, the cost of living was low and reasonable luxuries appeared to be within the means of the workers. While tho hours of work might possibly be extended, the, health of the employees was not overlooked and in the big places of business a rest hour was observed daily at 11 a.m., and during that interval all the staff members, from the manager to the office boy, carried out physical exercises in the open air or on the roof tops to music which was supplied either by radio or gramophone. Outwardly at least, the Japanese certainly appeared to be a happy and healthy race. In conclusion, Mr Turtle paid a compliment to the lay-out of Palmerston North, considering that the grass plots and flower beds in the heart of the city' gave it a pleasing freshness, while the shops were of a very modern type and carried the better class lines. However, like another recent visitor to this centre, Mr Tliurtle . considered that it was most unfortunate that the railway should pass through a place of such beauty.