INTERVIEW WITH PRINCIPAL RAINY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVI, Issue 9463, 6 September 1889, Page 5

INTERVIEW WITH PRINCIPAL RAINY.

During the course of the forenoon a Herald representative inborviewed Principal Rainy. He is, in many respects, a great contrast bo his brother delegate to the colonies, Dr. Macgregor, each having their distinctive gifts. He is a well-built man, with prominent features, of fair complexion, and about 65 years of age. Principal Rainy was rather averse to saying much as to his views on the colonies, considering that as a passing stranger his opportunities of judging matters were not

good, and consequently his opinions would nave little weight. The following facts were, however, elicited in the course of conversation :—

He arrived in Melbourne on the 13th May, and from theuco visited Tasmania, South Australia, Queensland, and Sj'dney, returning to Melbourne again. With regard to tho Victorian Jubilee celebrations, he considered that they revealed a good deal of church life and energy in the Presbyterian Church of Victoria. £00,000 had been raised as a Jubilee Fund, partly for church debts, partly for supporting the ministry and Home Missions. He lectured and preached in the various churches. His feeling was one of amazement at the progress of the colonies, more especially of Victoria and its capital. V Sydney had had more time to develop itself, and therefore was not so remarkable, but still was more lively and busy than he expected to see it. Everywhere he was struck with the number and variety of institutions, more especially of an educational character, but was sorry to find that with the exception of New South Wales, there was no Bible reading in the public schools. The difficulty which was made in this matter, was made by mere theorists, and any sensible schoolmaster could overcome it in ten minutes. He was agreeable to selected passages and a concience clause or both. Nothing was gained in the way of averting the opposition of the Roman Catholics, by depriving the Protestant children of the Bible as a lesson book, as the hostility of that denomination must be rockonsd upon whether the Bible was in the public schools or out of thom. Victoria struck him as being a community full of life and vigour. A financial crash was only avoided after the land boom" by . the timely arrival of the rains after 18 months of drought. The banks had taken tho alarm and wore beginning to restrict credit, but when the rain caiao down, confidence was restored, and everyone felt they would have a good season. The change was magical in public feeling; it was just as if f» much gold had dropped from the skies. It did not suit him so well, as he had rainy weather everywhere he went in Australia. He went down Brisbane Harbour, on a picnic, carefully shut in with tarpaulins. The evil effects of the "land boom" were not so serious as might havo been anticipated, because the losses and gains were pretty well confined to tho same circle of people. It was an interesting sight to him to "see groups of political communities working out their own social and political problotns side by side. Only one thing struck him as supremely absurd, namely, the Customs frontiers, between two British colonies like Victoria and New South Wales, just as if they were two countries belonging to different nationalities. Victoria had not, however, got so far on the road of Protection as to tax imported manuscript sermons in order to protect the native article, but perhaps when the Protection dogma was thoroughly worked out they would keep out all but Victorian-born preachors, as they were now doing the Chinese. Queensland he regarded as a colony of unbounded resources, but the labour question had yet to be settled —whether certain parts of the colony could be worked by European labour, or, on the contrary, the aid of servile races have to be invoked, a procedure to which tho Democracy were opposed. Somo planters stated that tho sugar industry could be profitably worked on small estates, with new machinery, by Europeans, without recourse to coloured labour, while others denied these statements. He did not know which side had the best of the argument, in fact he had himself no opinion on the subject. Tasmania was a beautiful island, but rather stagnant, the youth of the country looking to the other colonies for openings in life. The Tasmanians were, however, now inclined to believe that there was an improvement about to set in, in agriculture and mining, especially in the north-western portions of the colony. As for New South Wales, it had a great future before it, as it possessed all the elements which went to ma e up national prosperity. Speaking of New Zealand, Principal Rainy- said he was especially pleased with : Dnnedin and it* institutions, and enjoyed his visit. Ho preached and lectured there to large audiences. Although tho Presbyterian element dominated there he was just as kindly and heartily received at other cities, where the Presbyterian element was not potential. While in Wellington he visited Parliament,

and listened to some of the debates, with which he was pleased, and also witnessed the presentation of diplomas ; to the University students at Wellington. He was gratified with the completeness and efficiency of the appliances in connection with higher education at the Dunedin and Christchurch Universities. The trip overland from Wellington to New Plymouth proved a most delightful one, and he was much pleased with the country and the scenery through which he passed. ; He thought Dunedin the prettiest place in tho colony till he came to Auckland, and he hoped before he left by tho outward San Francisco mail steamer to see more of its surroundings and of the adjacent scenery. It was his intention to take three or four weeks in his tour through the United States, so as to see the various places of interest. : TO-NIGHT'S MEETING. This evening at 8 o'clock Principal Rainy will deliver a lecture in the Choral Hall on " The Presbyterian Churches of the World." There will be free admission, bub a collection will be taken up on behalf of the Church Extension Fund. Trams will run to the hall to suit the occasion.