New Zealand and the New Zealanders.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXVII, Issue 8489, 24 May 1904, Page 1

New Zealand and the New Zealanders.

It will 1)0 remembered tlmt wheiiDrF. 10. Clark, the founder of the Christum Endeavour niovoment, was in Oama.ru, ho said ho intended to toll his countrymen all about) New Zealand. Ho has fulfilled his promise, and in a recent number of the Chicago Christum Endeavour World, tho doctor give.-* liia impressions of this colony Speaking of New Zealand's politics, Dr Clark says they aro progressive, and oven radical. The people are willing to try experiments which other nations are too consorvativc or too tradition-bound to attempt. Conciliation and arbitration between ompluyers aiui employed to prevent strikes, old-age pensions., .State lire and life insurance, State savings bulks, mid labor legislation of all kinds have put this land in tho forefront of the progressive nations of tho world. In fact, it is the "experimental farm" of the earth in matters of political science, and is watched by reformers u.nd political economists more closely tlnm any other country. , , "The pooplo," says our lute visitor, appear to me pavLieubrly friendly, cordiaJ, and hospitable. LMey are optiuiitttiy, thoroughly believe in themselves and their couutrv, hu.ve mil united coiinijjoy *likl iUX) not afraid of declaring their belief ill their own future. All these, too, uro AincTictm traits. Why i-hoiihl noli the two niitiions develop similar oliuraeteriNticH ? Both lwivo ;1 "poiit now luii.l lo li'iibduo, develop, jiUm. populate. America, got the start of New Zealand, to bo sine, by a. couple of hundred years; but tho conditions that face settlors in a new land aro substantially tho xatn© everywhere. There arc comparatively few extremely wealthy people in New Zealand, ill fact, the author of a, careful book about this people, published only three years ago, said there was not. a. single millionaire (millionaire in Knglish pounds) in all New Zealand. «So much the better for New Zealand. But. if there are few wealthy pooplo, there is nkm little poverty. Tho cities-liavo, comparatively speaking, no slums. No ona who will work need over goi hungry or shelterless. In small maUeis, though, you arc often reminded of America, you are porImps still more often reminded that yon aro in a young Great Britain. Ice seem/i to bo an unknown quantity on the_tiibUv and cold water an extremely unfashionable drink. On the other hand, as in England, you can get tea in unliiniied quantities, enough to ruin the digestion of nil America.™ in a month. The New Zealander, howcvei, seems to thrive 011 it, and it must bo confessed that it is a much better thait wo usually taste in America. Five o clock tea, that gracious respite from afternoon toil, which, is difficult if not impossible to introduie into America 011 aecouut of our hour* of work, is quite universal in New Zealand; and one of my kind hostesses assured mo that she would rather go without any other meal in'the dav than afternoon tea.' On tho subject of temperance, Dr CUirlt says : "Til no other country beneath the sun does the temperance causo have so brilliant 3i prospect of complete and early success as in .Sew Zealand. Tho temperance vote is growing larger every year; womansuit ra go is augmenting it at every election. Already a majority of the people have registered themselves ai i.ho pulln as in iavor of the annihiliilion ul' the liquor tratlic ; and, when three-fifths of the people vote that way as undoubtedly t.liey soon will, thon the death-knell of the saloon will have boon sounded in all parts of .one of the large divisions of the Ku-lisli-spealung race, arul national, prohibition will havo come to one country, and come. I believe, to stay. All hail,, then, land of the Maoris! Y'ou ha.vo had a, wonderful past, you have a more wonderful future. ion are the moral and political experiment station of the world. Show us how to safc.'U'ird the rights of the people without oppressing either the poor or the rieh. .Show us how to settle amicably and fairly the world r.lnigglo botwecn. labor and capital. Show us how to drive out tho liquor demon and keep him out, and all tho rations will rise up and call you blessed.