OVERSEAS WRITER IN NELSON

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 17 January 1939, Page 2

OVERSEAS WRITER IN NELSON

MRS McGRIGOR PHILLIPS

INTERESTING PERSONALITY TOURING NEW ZEALAND

An interesting visitor to Nelson last week was Mrs McGrigor Phillips, F.R.A.S., F.R.G.S., F.R.H.S., of Temple Sowerby Manor, Westmorland, England, who, accompanied by her husband, Captain McGrigor Phillips, is touring New Zealand by car. Mrs McGrigor Phillips is better known to the English public as Dorothy Una Ratcliffe, under which name she has written many books, including Equatorial Dawn, Lapwings and Laverocks, and Swallow of the Sea. She is also a well-known contributor to such papers as the “Manchester Guardian” and the “Yorkshire Post,” and although her tour of New Zealand is in the nature of a holiday and a rest between two books, she has been commissioned by these journals and two other leading papers to wTite a series of articles on our country. These should prove intensely interesting, since Mrs McGrigor Phillips is making more than a cursory journey throughout the two islands. She shows a deep interest in the social and economic problems of New Zealand, as well as in the scenic beauties we have to offer.

One very surprising remark she made was that she had met \ ->re Communists

in a month in New Zealand than she had met in a year in England. “Although”, she added with a smile, “few of them know the truth about Communism in Russia, where the Government refuses to visee the passports of travellers who can speak the language. I myself was refused permission to enter the country because I was learning the language. Those who are allowed entry into Russia are shown only what they are meant to see, so that it is difficult for anyone to discover whether Communism is going to solve the problems of the world or not.” Our own Government, she considered, was making a sincere attempt to do its best for the people, and given time, would be successful. However, if our manufacturers were to supply us with the bulk of our goods, it would be necessary for them to increase their advertising considerably in order to induce the public to show a preference for New Zealand-made goods. since many lines fell considerably short of the standard set by overseas manufactures. NEW ZEALAND’S LACK OF POPULATION One of our chief difficulties, said Mrs McGrigor Phillips, was lack of population. We have here in New Zealand public facilities for five million people, and emigrants of the right sort are badly needed. Commenting on the fact that a large number of Austrian Jews have settled in the country, she felt that since they were mostly of a superior type, they would make excellent citizens. The Austrian Jew combined the culture of the French with the solidarity of the German, and for that reason should be an asset to the country of their adoption. Mrs McGrigor Phillips, who has travelled extensively in South Africa, stated that we have excellent roads in New Zealand, and that they are far superior to South African roads. She considers we have wonderful hospitals here, and expressed pleasure at the beautiful thought which inspired the City of Napier, rebuilding after the earthquake, *0 give its loveliest site to the public hospital. BEAUTIES OF THE SOUTH ISLAND After exploring the North Island very thoroughly, Captain and Mrs McGrigor Phillips crossed over to Marlborough where thej' spent some time before journeying to Nelgon, and already they have made up their minds that they prefer the South Island to the North. They declared that the Marlborough Sounds were simply wonderful, and that Nelson was a city of beautiful flowers and colour. “The thing that impresses me most about Nelson Province” said Mrs McGrigor Phillips, “is the extaraordinary light. It is not as golden as the light to be found in the Grecian Isles, but there is more depth of colour. I wonder Nelson has not produced some firstclass w T ater-colour artists, with so much splendid material at hand. Turner could have exercised his talent to the full amongst the sea-lochs of Tasman Bay, where every moment brought a fresh change of colour and scene.” Kaiteriteri captured the hearts of the visitors, who plan to return there for a few days when their South Island tour, which is a very comprehensive one, is completed. PROTECTION OF NATIVE BUSH An appeal for the protection of New’ Zealand’s native bush was made by Mrs McGrigor Phillips, who pointed out that plants indigenous to the country all grew with beautiful curved lines—the kowhai, the rimu, the native pine, even the punga ferns. “If only you would preserve your bush on the higher ranges,” she pleaded, “so that the exquisite curve of green against the sky w’ill not be lost. Clear your lower hills for grazing, if you must, but let New Zealand keep its character of outline on the highest hilltops. You have plantations of pines and other imported trees, which all grow straight up towards the sky, and lack the beauty of New Zealand’s own native bush.”

Another thing on which the visitors commented was the number of newspapers produced in the country. The advertising is well laid out, and the reading matter, too, in Mrs McGrigor Phillips’ opinion, and produced on excellent paper. In England, a town of thirty thousand inhabitants would support only a weekly paper, while here every small town had its own daily newspaper, which was produced in a first-class manner, by well-paid staffs. Captain and Mrs McGrigor Phillips left Nelson on Saturday morning for the West Coast in continuation of their j tour of the South Island.