AFTER TEN YEARS

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10522, 25 February 1920, Page 7

AFTER TEN YEARS

A VISITOR’S IMPRESSIONS AIK i'FRCIVAI, BRETT INTERVIEWED. NEED FOR BETTER ROADS AND RAILWAYS. Air Pcrcival Brett, a partner of Messrs R. B. Brett and Son, and the manager of the New Zealand Press Agency, London, was interviewed by a •‘Times'’ representative at the Midland Hotel yesterday afternoon. “I arrived in the Dominion on the Niagara on December 19th,” stated Air Brett, “and stayed for about a month in Auckland, after which 1 went through New Zealand motoring with Mr Cecil Leys, of the ‘Auckland Star.’ We motored right through to Invercargill, did the Cold Lakes, and visited most of the principal towns en route. I can't say that I note ; any great changes in New Zealand; but one thing I noticed particularly, and that is the bad roads you have got out here. They are dreadful. The sooner the Government and others concerned get to work on them tho better for the colony. If tho Government wants to encourage tho tourists, as I imagine it does—it advertises for them pretty freely—it ought bo give tho motorists a chance. NATIONAL HIGHWAY SUGGESTED “I think you bught to make a national highway from tho. North Cape to the Bluff,” continued -Mr Brett. “Alter all, oven the farming community is largely dependent upon communications; and I think that if the Government wants to encourage tho settler as well as tho tourist, it should improve the roads and tho railways too. The railways are very bad. I see very little improvement in the railways since 1 was here ten years ago. WAR UPHEAVAL AT HOME. “As to tho position at Home (said Mr Brett in reply to questions), «t course in the Old Country we aro in the transition period from war to peace, and I think it will tc some time- before we get back to really good conditions. 1 don’t think people here realise what an upheaval the war has meant at Home. I don’t think t.icy have the faintest idea of what the Britishers had 'to put up with during tho war. I served in the Navy myself foi just about three years. I was in the North Sea and tho Mediterranean. I was in the Naval Reserve as a paymaster; but after about three months service in that capacity I was turned over as boarding-officer of a ship. 1 was in the Mediterranean for about five or sis months, and was then sent to Iceland pn patrol work, and was in the North Sea for some two years. I think there is nothing new I can tell you about the Old Country.. Nothing but what you already know.

OUT FOR COLONIAL BUSINESS. “But I would like to say. that the British manufacturers are out to .get all the business they ca** with the colonies; though, of course, they are greatly handicapped by present conditions; especially by the lack of raw material. They are prepared, however, to make great sacrifices to reestablish themselves in the colonies. That is certainly my experience. Of course, the trouble now is not only the want of raw material, hut the high freights; and I don*t> think they are likely to come down every much vet The cost of building ships is so much greater. In conversation the other day with the managing director of one of your great shipping companies 1 was told that they have now to pav over £400,000 for a vessel as against £120,000 before the war. There is little prospect, therefore, of freights coming down; and if they do cdsno down, it will be a very gradual process Of course the shipping companies have gob to see a return on their money. , “I am here chiefly to-polish up my knowledge of'New Zealand generally. I act, as vou know, in London, for the principal New Zealand newspapers. I should have been hero five vears ago hut for the war. I have been going round looking up old friends, and ajn hero in Wellington for the Press meeting and to sec my friends again, polishing up my knowledge of New Zealand as I go alon". “Rents and prices ‘are extremely high at Home at present, and aro likely to remain so for some time I am afraid. .Of course, wo are haring our labour troubles there; but 1 don t think they are as bad as in most countries at the present time, although I would certainly advise any man who thinks of leaving England to come out to New Zealand. 1 don’t seo any great change in the colony since I was here ten vears ago. Of course I see a great growth: in Auckland.especially, which seems to he. going ahead more quickly than other centres, though they also show evidence of growth.

THE NEW ZEALAND PRESS. There is no doubt about it that the Dominion is ■well catered for by newspapers. They are well up to the mark In fact, I think they are ahead ot m oat of tho newspapers, in other parts of the Empire—enterprising and with a fine cable service. “I S o on to Auckland to-morrow (Wednesday), and my present intention is to leave Auckland for Sydney on March 4th, going Home via Suez; but there is just a possibility that that may b© cancelled and that I shall S° back by Canada T came out through Canada.

PAPER SUPPLY QUESTION. "I want to go across to Queensland to investigate the question of raw material for paper-making. I understand they have some sort of grass there that may bo used in paper-mak-ing. I want to investigate the matter in the interests of the British papermakers. I don’t think that the question of tho paper supply is going to cause us any very serious trouble; though, shortly after I came through Canada, the position was for a time very acute there. I think they will soon have most, if not all. of the British paper-mills in full work again. At present, of course, they are full up with Home orders, owing to the .live years’ starvation of tho newspapers there. The big wholesale bouses are full of orders for tho Home papers; but they are all anxious to re-establish their connection with tho British Dominions. In fact, I know that in one or two cases in which I sent orders to the Old Country the British mills put aside Home orders in order to fill orders for New Zealand. I don’t think there is any cause for anxiety, therefore. They will get the paper all right, - though they may have to pay • nigher price at Homo IMPERIAL PREFERENCE. “I don’t wish to discuss general

politics; but I may say that I am a strong Imperialist. W© all wish to see preference within the Empire, and a great growth of inter-Empire trade. This applies especially, of course, to those who have taken any part in the war. ' . . XT “I have been serving in tho Navy so long that I am a littlo out of touch with social and labour conditions at Home; hut I think things will in time become all right. It will he a gradual process, hut I think things will settle down at Home sooner than in most countries. “I am just going north now' to spend a little time with my relative, _ Mr Henry Brett, of tho ‘Auckland Star, before leaving for Australia. I shall be going to Queensland in any case, even if 1 finally decide to return Home via