HOME AGAIN.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXV, Issue 5023, 22 July 1903, Page 3

HOME AGAIN.

A VISIT TO PLACES m £&TIi!R-BST. SO-'AIE IAIpiiESSXONS. Air W. G, Fitz Gerald, chemist, of AVrJwiiu lias been on a pleasure ti'ip to South Ai nca and Eugiaiul, returned by thu steamer Gormunc yesterday. lie lias much to say tha*- is interesting m regard to places ho visited during ids holiday. Air .Auciiiin mu Wuli’-ngton l-.u-jt November, connecting with tho Aberdeen liner A.u»t.rulasian at Sydney. Christmas Day on board was* ono of tne most enjoyable days he has ever spent, for tho hearts of forty-eight children ou j board were made glad by a Christmas tree for their esficcial benefit, with the subject of this interview as Kriss Kringle, or Santa Claus, as English boys and girls know him. The children received numerous gifts, and their fond mothers declared that it was the best, day they had ever had. “Wo got to Durban early in January/’ said Air FiteLTuraid to a ‘'Times” representative yesterday, “and after a couple of days’ rest. X proceeded by tho mail train through to Johannesburg, spending two days thoro ,and then 1 went on to Pretoria. I mot Mr Gcorgo Hutchison, formerly cf "Wellington, m Johannesburg, and wo had a good long j chat over New Zealand affairs and tho I prospects of South African trade. Tho impression existing thero seemed to bo that it was far too soon for people to ho rushing to South Africa, as tilings had not yet become properly settled after the war. Until the labour dlfiicully is placed on a, more satisfactory bates people should bo very chary in going thero. for they take tho risk of swelling tlio largo number of unemployed already there. Tho rate of living is exceedingly high, and food is really nt famine prices. Hotel accommodation. too was prohibitive, and some young fellows preferred under the circumstances to live in touts. “I was Jncky to be in Pretoria on the occasion of Mr Chamberlain’s visit. It was very pleasing to find the fooling existing in regard to him right through from Natal io Pretoria. Every railway station on th« route was decorated in. bis honour. Whilst I was there Air Chamberlain was having bis conference with tho Boer generals. The idea seemed to bo that they had come down to bully him in respect to their claims for tlio distribution of money for repatriation purposes. Of course, the result proved that Air Chamberlain was quite equal to the occasion. Ho put it lo them quite plainly in asking where the money went that Mr KVuver bad token with him when be loft South Africa, computed at a million sterling. I had tho opportunity of going through tho housn formerly occupied bv Mr Kruger In Pretoria,, which is now used bv tha officers of Gin South African Oonstabidrn*v as mess-rooms. I brought n nariosite awnv with mo in tho sbntjo of ono of ; IVTr Trnifrovk each entrv borvV*. f Tho prospects of tho frozen meat trade’ with South Africa? Well, I heard a great many remarks to tho effect that the condition of the moat that came out of tho cold stores was not so good as it might be. Tho . Impression seemed to bo that it was kept far too long in the stores. Of course, the food thero comprises very largo quantities of tinned stuff, and it was hoped that competition would result in nn improvement of tho frozen article that figures so largely on the menu at the hotels. “After a sojurn of a littlo over a week in Pretoria., I ventured to Durban, and took passage by tho old lonic, now known as the Sophocles, for England, reaching thoro tho fast week in February. After spending a fortnight with my brother, vicar ‘of Frees, in Shropshire. I went to Ireland, and thonco to London. I happened to bo present at th* performance of Tolstoy’s ‘Resurrection,’ when King Edward and Queen Alexandra were there. Believe mo, thero is no more popular man at tho present time than the King.” Replying to a query as to how. ho found labour conditions in England, Air Fitz Gerald said that fifteen years ago when bo left England, tho agricultural labourer was in receipt of 9s Gd per week; now ho is getting 15s. “The English agricultural labourer is a man who would do exceedingly wejll in this country,” added Air Fitz Gerald, “and wo ought to encourage him to come to New Zealand, just as Canada assists emigrants. I found that New Zealand was welj advertised at Home. Fifteen years agb this colony was simply regarded os a province of Australia, now it is very much different, and most people you meet have a good word to say for New Zealand.”