A TRIP ABROAD.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1715, 11 January 1905, Page 63

A TRIP ABROAD.

MR J. M. JOHNSTON’S VISIT TO ENGLAND. NEED FOR ADVERTISING NEW ZEALAND. Among the passengers from Sydney by the Wimmcra on Wednesday was Mr.). M. Johnston, of Palmerston North, who had been on a visit to America and Great Britain in company with ALr John Davies, of Levin, who, however, returned some weeks ago. Messrs Davies and Johnston spent a. considerable time in Ireland where they purchased a number of Roscommon sheep for their farms, and some Kerry and Dexter cattle for the Government. The latter were exhibited at the recent Manawatu show, and there has since been considerable controversy concerning their value. . . Speaking to a representative or the “Mail” on Wednesday concerning his visit to the Old Country, Mr Johnston said the ignorance encountered everywhere concerning Now Zealand was astonishing. The reason for this, he thinks, is the small attention the colony receives from the newspapers. Very rarely is anything to be seen in them about the country. “Oh,” said one newspaper man to him. “New' Zealand? vve don’t know how much to believe of what comes from there,” The affairs and news of other parts of the world figure largely in the British press—news from China. California, the Cape—from everywhere, in fact, except New Zealand. It was reallv lamentable also to notice the manner in which advertising the colony was neglected. Practically nothing was done. On all railways and steamboats and places of public resort. America- and Canada were kept before the public by picture and print. “I never w f itt to an agricultural show in Great Britain, big or little, and I went to many.” said Mr Johnston, “wyfh-c-ut finding on tiie ground a Canadian lent, and in that tent were samples of wheat and other produce, and outside boys were to lie seen distributing leaflets and handbooks. We are asleep in regard to this matter, and sadly neglecting the opportunity of doing good work. See what the result is! V hy, a nobleman one day said to me, “W hat wild animals have you got in New Zealand?’ When 1 said none, he was greatly surprised. and wanted to know what sort -of cattle were indigenous to the colony! That seems queer, of course, but a. bank manager actually asked me how long it took to go by train from Sydney to Wellington, and a lady wanted to know how far New Zealand was from New York! The Agency-General does good work, but it is undermanned, and its scope is not wide enough. The Tourist Department should have an office in London, and it should be conducted on progressive lines, and with appreciation of tlio object in view. On the steamers running via Suez to Australia, there is alwavs a supply of literature concerning Canada, but there is never, anything about New Zealand. That sort of thing should not continue. It would be a good plan, for instance, to have pictorial publications placed on the ships in London, to .be. followed by others of later date when the ves c els arrived at Fremantle.” Mr Johnston also, thinks that it would be well that the mail agent on the San Francisco steamers should be given tlie status of an agent of the Tourist Department, and should have assistants to relieve him of part of liis postal duties, so that he might devote some time toconversing with passengers and distributing among them literature descriptive of New Zealand’s resources and attractions. It would also, in his opinion,, be a good idea to have monthly letters from New Zealand published by arrangement in lending provincial neivspapers throughout England, Scotland, and Ireland. THE KERRY CATTLE. Referring to the purchases of Kerry and Dexter cattle, Mr Johnston declared there was no doubt whatever that the Kerry, for rough hill country and cold country was superior to any other stock —that was to say, they would give the largest yield of butter fat under such conditions. The best authorities in Ireland agreed that no cattle milked so avclL on poor land as the Kerry—it was the best “poor man’s cow” in Ireland. They would be very suitable to such country as the highlands about Apiti, MangaVveka, Kimb-olton, Hautapu, or in parts of the Waikato, or on pumice country. They were not to loe corfipnred with HolBteins on “warm” lands, but for “cold” country they were far away superior.

Every one of the cattle purchased was true to type. Three of them were exhibited at the Park Royal show. So far as the Dexters were concerned, they were not to be beaten for crossing for beef. While in England, Mr Johnston was shown by the Duke of Devonshire s manager two Dexter steers that were being fattened fox* the Christmas show of fat stock at Islington. The first prize in fat stock w r ent in the previous year to a beast of the Dexter cross. On the King’s fai'in at Sandringham, Dexters were the favourite animals for beef. 'When in Irel an d Mr Johnston saw a man cutting a ten-acre crop of oats with a hook. He saw another person eiitting oats with a scythe—and cutting it so that the stalks fell into the standing crop. At KiHarney lie went into a shop to buy a shillelagh. The seller of blackthorns had heard of New Zealand. “Shure your Mr Seddon’s a foine "man” he remarked. “He was here not long ago and bought a bundle.”

Mr Johnston thoroughly approves the appointment of a High Commissioner for New Zealand in London, and thinks there is great scope for an energetic representatives to bring our products into notice. For example, he found it impossible to obtain anywhere at Home New Zealand ox-tongues, sheep-tongues, canned whitebait or fruit, while American products were everywhere on sale. He and Mr John Davies' had a number of experiments conducted with New Zealand flax; and in this and other respects there is room for enlarging the duties and staff of the Agent-General’s office. Among his most notable experiences at Home Mr Johnston includes a visit to the King’s residence at Sandringham. He found New Zealand tree-ferns that were taken Home by the Duke of Cornwall and York flourishing in the King’s grounds. Mr Beck, the manager of the King’s establishment, showed him over the stables and had the three famous entire horses, besides the mares, foals, yearlings, and two-year-olds paraded for his inspection. Mr Johnston was also shown over Queen Alexandra s dairy. He found that travelling on the steamers that piv between Great Britain and Ireland was not a pleasant experience, none of the steamers in the service being equal to the vessels of the New Zealand fleet of the Union Steam Ship Company.