ROTARY FOUNDER

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22098, 2 May 1935, Page 12

ROTARY FOUNDER

ME. HA PHIS' YISIT CONCORD IN THE PACIFIC ROTARIANS' POWER TO HELP THE VALUE OF TRAVEL "Rotary was well founded in Australia and New Zealand by such men as Sir Harry Braddoii, Professor Osborne and Sir George I owlds, and 1 am sure that it will continue to do fine work 011 the lines they laid down," said Mr. Paul P. Harris, founder of Rotary and first president, of Rotary International, in an interview in Auckland last evening. Mr. Harris, who is visiting New Zealand for the first time, lately completed a tour of the four eastern States of Australia Ho has spent the past fortnight with Rotarians in the southern centres, and travelled north from Wellington by way of the National Park, Rotorua and the Waitomo Caves. With Mrs. Harris he will leave by the Mariposa on Saturday for Honolulu. Speaking of his present tour, Mr. Harris said be was particularly glad to visit the Auckland Rotary Club, which was the oldest in New Zealand. He had personal links with it; through the late Sir George Fowlds and Mr. Charles Rhodes, who had been his guests at his home in Chicago, and through other mernbei's who had attended international conferences. The Manila Conference Lately he had taken part in the Pacific regional conference at Manila, to which New Zealand Rotary had sent five delegates. "1 am confident that Rotary is playing a useful part in promoting the study of problems affecting tho Pacific countries and in fostering goodwill among their peoples," he added. "An economist has said that tho Pacific, not the Atlantic, will become the theatre of the world's commerce. If that comes about, there will be greater need still for mutual under- | standing among the peoples around the Pacific basin."

Quoting a saving by Joseph Conrad that travel was a solvent of international differences, Mr. Harris said he looked forward to the time when many thousands of Americans would visit New Zealand and Australia every year. The manager of the Chateau, Mr. R. Colbtie, had told him that already Americans ranked third in number among his guests. New Zealanders held the first place, with Australians second and British visitors fourth. However, it appeared that at Rotorua this order did not obtain, owing to the large number of anglers from Britain, Mutual Transpacific Travel It was to be hope! that travel between America and the southern British Dominions would be mutual. Australians and New Zealanders were good representatives of the British Empire, and they would find much to enjoy in California, if they went no further east. He believed that some people in New Zealand held it to be unpatriotic to travel by American steamers, but if thai; were so he had been most unpatriotic, because he had always crossed the Atlantic in British vessels. As a matter of fact, only one American transatlantic passenger line was operating in competition with lines owned by every sea-trading European country. Mr. Harris was much pleased to find good provision made for winter sports at the Chateau" "It is a fine thing that you have such a splendid national park," he said, "and that your young people can enjoy ski-ing there. I have much to do with an American national organisation for developing and utilising State parks. The object is to provide natural mountain and woodland playgrounds for the people, particularly those who spend their lives in large cities. At Bear Mountain Park, on the Hudson, 50 miles from New York City, there are 10,000,000 visitors a year. We have 33,000 acre's in our outer belt of parks at Chicago, and 9000 acres in the inner area, serving a total population of 5,000,000 people. On some days there have heen as many as 400,000 bathers along the lake shore." Civic Welcome To-day New Zealanders, Mr. Harris thought, were fortunate in having so much beautiful country open to them, but he felt that the reservation of a national park for winter sports was a great advantage. Mr. Harris was accompanied on most of his North Island trip by the New Zealand district governor, Mr. J. M. A. Ilott. He will be accorded a civic reception at the Town Hall at noon to-day, will have lunch with the Auckland Rotary Club, and he and Mrs. Harris will be entertained in the evening by the Dickens Fellowship. After leaving New Zealand, Mr. Harris will attend a Rotary conference in Saskatchewan, Canada, and will make a short stiy in Chicago before leaving to take part in the international convention at Mexico City. WELCOME AT HAMILTON PRINCIPLES OF MOVEMENT [FROM OCR OWN correspondent] HAMILTON, Wednesday Members of the Hamilton Rotary Club accorded Mr. Paul Harris a cordial reception to-day. Mr. J. Prentice presided, and welcomed Mr. Harris. The Mayor, Mr. J. R. Fow, extended a welcome to the visitor on behalf of the town. In his address, Mr. Harris complimented the members, of the club on their singing. He explained that he did not introduce singing into the Rotary Club's programme. At first he did not like the idea of it, but when Mr. E. Buggies suggested it he offered no objection and now approved of it. Mr. Harris dealt with the philosophical; side of Rotary and explained the fundamental " principles underlying the aphorisms, "service before self," and "he profits most who serves the best." The speaker quoted examples to show that the acquisition of riches did not bring happiness and that greater pleasure was to be obtained in giving service.