A TRAMP ABROAD

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4258, 18 January 1901, Page 7

A TRAMP ABROAD

( SNAPSHOTS BY A PALMERSTONIAN. CHAT WITH MR' MAURICE COHEN. Mr Maurice Cohen, ono of Palmerston’s leading citizens, returned by the Moana, on Wednesday, after making a living visit through Great Britain, the Continent, and .America. Mr Cohen was delegate of the Palmerston North Chamber of Commerce at the Convention of Chambers of Commerce of the British Empire, held in London, and was treated royally by his colleagues at that monster commercial demonstration. There were a number of New Zealand repre- 1 sentatives there, .and as our readers already know, many important matters ..•pre discussed. -Mr Cohen was also present, as a delegate from this colony, at Tho’National Sheep Breeders’ Conference at York, held simultaneously with the Royal Agricultural Show at the latter place. This show Mr Cohen describes as an object-lesson to a colonial it puts anythin,, Ibe colonics can offer quite into mHmificance. It is a remarkable educational and interesting display, and magnificently managed'. On the occasion of .Mr Cohen’s visit the Prince of Wales and the Duke of York wore visitors to the show. The place was cu fete to receive them, and it was interesting, Mr Cohen says, to see the hoary old town, reverend with age, blossoming out with, flags and bunting in honour of the roval visitors. Asked if ho had picked up any hints there which would be valuable to the management of the Manawa-tu Agricultural "and Pastoral Association, Mr Cohen said ho thought he had ; but while rdviim all praise to those responsible for "lie conduct of the Royal Agricultural Show, ho could conscientiously say that for so small a place as Now Zealand is in the world’s economy, it is remarkable bow well we do things. In fact, the only csseptial difference was that "while boro we carried out our agriculture, exhibitions ou a Lilliputian scale, tbeie everything was gigantic and extraordinary. Whilst travelling about from place to place in England, Air Cohen found that the -New Zealander was dear to the hearts of the people in the Mother Land. There was an almost exaggerated appreciation of this colony’s services tn the Empire in the despatch of troops tn South Africa. AVliether it was that the New Zealanders had specially distinguished themselves, ov whether reminiscences of the excellent impression made by our Premier the guest of the nation on tlio occasion of the Queen’s Jubilee still . lingered in the minds of those with, whom Mr Cohen came in contact, he does not know, nut his experience was that visitors from this obscure corner of the globe were mere in favour at Homo than, perhaps, any other representatives of the Queen s dominions.

Of course, Mr Cohen interested himself in the wool and frozen meat business. When he arrived in England wool had slumped, chiefly as a re-action after the sensational speculation which, had been indulged in by the French buyers. Tho result of the operations of the iattor had been—it was not a mere figure of speech, h.ut an actual reality—that there were throe miles of wool, a great deal of it mi warehoused, on the quays iuid everywhere in France. In conversation with some of the largo manufacturers of woollens at Home, Mr Cohen learned that they had 1 made up their minds to “buy- only from hand - bo mouth.” They could see the game that was being played,, and had decided to purchase only a sufficient quantity ,of wool to answer actual requirements., Mr Cohen found that New Zealand mutton had an excellent reputation. So much is this so, that it was quite a common thing to see placarded in butchers’ shops the legend “Finest New Zealaua lamb.” In others “Prime Canterbury',” also bad a place, but some of the purveyors, Mr Cohen found, professed a naive ignorance of any other Canterbury excco' that to bo found in tho County of Kent. It was a fact that a gieat deal of our mutton is sold as “Best English,” but though this cannot have one’s moral support, says Mr Cohen, tho colony doesn’t suffer, as butchers are prepared to compete for finest quality with the intention of selling it as home-grown. .But there is another practice which the New Zealander, bo he moral-minded or not, cannot countenance, and that is the sale of loivgrade Australian mutton as the product of this colony. In this way an illicit gain is set off to our detriment by a counterfeit loss. y After spending eight days in Paris, and glancing at an exhibition, which; he admitted, it would take three months to see, Mr Cohen passed across to America There he found a nation so vast and so wealthy that it hardlv seemed to realise its own colossal strength. Mr Cohen was impressed, and somewhat oppressed—as many have been before him,with the knowledge that right there lay one of Great Britain’s most fearsome competitors. Our Home manufacturers, Mr Cohen says, will have to be very keen ana very much alive rl they do not desire to be overtaken by this Colossus in the race for trade. Nothing is too big for the American — nothing can exhaqst his enterprise. On the other hand, nothing is too small for him—.nothing tooi trivial to dull his sense of .enterprise. Indeed, it. is his attention to detail -which makes for iiis pre-eminence as a man of business. It was with much gratification that Mr Cohen found that New Zealand was I not, amid all this vastness, an unknown quantity. .He found that in the minds of serious students- of human affairs, what has been known as “Kewj Zealand’s experimental legislation”, its being regarded with all seriousness. In fact," he found that these studies had 1 got past the academical stage, and tha.l ’ hard-headed men of business were se ,, i-| ously regarding the application of our, laws to the amelioration of local cpudi-j tions which arc becoming intolerable. Certainly, the conditions, of labour in America" aro appalling—yvith .their concomitants of strikes and bloodshed, the enrichment of. tho few by moans ! of trusts, and the impoverishment of the many by the rc-acfcion of tho same pro ; cess. Though wo, individually, some times feel the inconvenience and loss attending wages adjustments, we should not, Mr Cohen . thinks! be quoruh-us in our complaints, because m this country the condition of employer and employee alike are vastly superior to that of the Americans, in all the essentials winch gc to make for the betterment and true happiness of the race.. Not only is ■'bis colony in good repute in America, : but cur Premier’s name is held in revereno < and gratitude by a large section as a inau of large political proportions, and as a. reformer of magnitude. After visiting the principal sights of I the world : seeing everything that .was worth seeing; standing appalled at the iglory and majesty of Niagara; viewing [’■he mountain grandeuis of Switzerland; [taking inspiration , from' the art, of Rome ; and gazing enchanted at. the i satisfied to live his hfa out amougri

{ us, and to accept of the simple host I that this .country' provides. “Live in New Zealand, and travel _ out of .it : said an impressionable tourist whom Mr Cohen met in Melbourne, “my dear sirf I am astounded!'’