HON. T. FERGUS'S RETURN.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11933, 5 January 1901, Page 2

HON. T. FERGUS'S RETURN.

LESSONS AND EXPERIENCES AT HOME. The Hon. T. Fergus, of the firm of Messrs Donald Reid and Co., of Dunedin, returned from his trip to the Home country a few days ago, and a representative of the Otago Daily Times waited upon him yesterday with the view of learning something from him of his sojourn in Great Britain and on tho Continent. Mr Fergus courteously agreed .to answer any questions our reporter might put to him. Reporter: In the first place, Mr Fergus, I would like to ask you what position you consider our colony occupies in the minds of the people at Homo at the present time? * Mr Fergus: Well, owing to a variety of circumstances, principally tlifl ready and first assistance given by the colony to the.mother country, New Zealand has been brought into greater prominence at Home than ever it was before. In fact, it is now known in a large portion of tho country where it had' never before bt>en heard of. Articles have appeared in not only the important City daily, but tho majority, of the provincial papers at Homo descriptive of New Zealand and its resources and facilities, especially for agriculture and for sheep and wool-growing. They know us better by our sheen and wool than by any other product.- Then the men who have returned Home from South Africa—the officers and men who hove been invalided and who have met the New Zealanders—speak in tho highest terms of our men as a very superior lot, and especially well-behaved. Tho officers say they never had any troublo with them, nnd the men of regiments to which they have been attached have also spoken highly of them. This has helped us .very much indeed. The same remark is applicable to the whole of the Australian colonics. . Perhaps it was a little injudicious sometimes that letters appeared in our papers from private individuals of the various contingents coming from the colonies, spreading themselves, as it were, and patting themselves a little, too, on tho back; but it has been overlooked.

Do you consider, Mr Fergus, that the people at Home liave a good opinion of tho stability of I he colony? There is no doubt about it that as to the stability and the resources of the colony thereis but one opinion at Home among the people, and that is that we have a grand future before us and that wo could stand a good many reverses and yet come out superior to them. What have yon to say about the salo of our produce in the Home market?? Well. Mere was a very serious fall in wool last year, which affected not only Now Zealand, but all Australia; but it has been compensated for, somewhat, by the very largely increased price we are getting for our mutton and toef. Our beef is now beginning to take better. Our mutton has fought its way pretty wo]] to the front, and New Zealand lamb is to be teen in nearly all the province?. A great deal more rare is being "bestowed on the handling of the meat. If is a sight in Smithfield on a Friday morning about 5 , o'clock to see the quantity of our stuff there which is being disposed of fo the butchers. On one of the mornings I was there lamb was selling at within a fraction of 6d. but that could .not be taken as a criterion of the ruling prices, because at that time the dockers' strike was, on, and only .1 few holders had lambs ashore. _ Them was a good deal of meat lying in the river, but owing to the strike it was impossible +0 get it out. However, it is a fact that the average nrice of lamb last year stood higher than ever it has done before in Great Britain for a similar length of time. Beef; too, is talcing very well, and those-who have exported from Canterbury and Otago have had fairly satisfactory prices. Of course, the quality has been good. There is great competition nt Home with tho United States and Canada. They send to Oreat Britain a good (leal of the beef in a chilled condition, and two or three of +he principal salesmen told mo it was very hard to beat. It really is good?

I suppose, Mr Fergus, you attended some of the largo shows at Home?

Yes, I attended all tho principal shows at Home—(he Royal Agricultural Society's Rhow , at York, the Highland Society's show at Stirling, and tho great horse show at Dublin. The last-mentioned is the biggest thing of its kind anywhere. The York show was a splendid affaiv, principally, of course, of horses and cattle, but it really did not strike mo' as a more important show, relatively Rpcaking, than a show in our own colony. ' I consider that our shows are more largely attended by the people in proportion to the population than are the shows at Home. Our exhibits, too, nre more numerous and quite as varied. There is no doubt, however, that the Home shows, as far as the quality of the stock is concerned, we something splendid. In York, the big horses, outside tho thoroughbreds, are what they call the Shires. This is a class of horse that is much more used in England than the Clydesdales. In fact, Clydesdales, especially the long hairy-logged class, were very little seen. Dairy cattle were not represented as much as ono would have expected, but the beef cattle were shown in good numbers, and of fine quality. The agricultural machinery was not as varied as we have it. but the appliances for making farms nice and comfortab'e were- certainly ahead of nnrs. Altogether, it Was a very successful show. I understand, however, that those who have control of it arc seriously considering the advisability of discontinuing it as a peripatetic exhibition, and centreing it in some place contiguous to where they could put up permanent buildings and give it a. definite home —a stop which, lam sure, would add very greatly both to its,popularity and utility. Of course, there are many smaller shows in England, which are very valuable indeed, and at these shows there are often quite as good animals shown in th'n various classes as at the Roval, Tho Highland Society's show at Stirling differed very much, from the York show. The.principal exhibits there, however, were also the horses, and those, 100, of (lie heavier class, and they were a crand lot. As I said before, you ses very little of the heavy, long hairy-legged Clydesdales. They have more approached the Shire hovso. They are 'cleaner in tbe limb, look lighter, and nre perhaps more active. They snom to be taking the place ontiroly of the old Clydesdales, and some of the best breeders say they..are goine ltack to the original type. The sheep at tho Scotch show were fairly numerous. Of, some of tho classes shown we do not see many in the colony. For instance, we do not see many of the little Welsh or the black-faced Cheviots. The Down sheep are also represented in greater numbers than they are here; but there are no merinos and very few Lincolns or LeicPstors to speak of. With regard to agricultural machinery, .as at York, there was not anything like the quantity one would expect to find. On tho whole, however, it was , an exceedingly prood exhibition, and one moots there all the orincipal breeders and stock owners, not only from England, Scotland, and Ireland, but also from the Continent. Then the Dublin horse show was excellent. It was an exhibition of nearly all heavv hunt-era, weight-carrying hacks, and blood horses. There were over 12.00 entries, and certainly it was nn eye-opener to one from the colonies. In this department Ireland is r.ertainlv for abend of either England or Scotland. I believe the show is one of the biggest in tho world.

Hoiv do farminpr ond farm implements at Homo compare with the nositinn in that respect in tho colonies. Mr Fcrpus? Farming ac Horre and in thn colonies is not to be compared at all. Tho first thing that strikes a New Zrnlander who rops Home is Hip extremely small size of the paddocks and the preat number of fences about them. You would think there was a great wostft of ground when there are so many thorn hedges and fences round little bits of paddocks. One result is that there is little opportunity for working rnachinorv, such as Tenners and binders. It is used, however, on the larsre places, but, the majority of the farms do the work by the old-fashioned methods. Labour is not dear. nil-hough they complain of its rcnrcity. T think fhoy bp«t'ow more attention on the cultivation of their fmnll lots than do the people in tho colony. Tho.y put more labour intothem, and they go in heavilv for fertiliser?, otherwise they say it would not pay thorn. Of courEe. they feel the competition with the Continent and America very keenly. They do not seem to think so much of New Zealand, for, with tbp exception of our sheep, thev have not felt our competition very keenly. The Continental and American competition with them in ijrain and cattle is very great, r.ml nt all the bit; shipping ports cattle boatn come in from outside places in preat numbers, much of the stock being alive. You were at Homo, I think. Mr Fergus, when the elections were proceeding Yes. I was at Home during the whole of

the elections, and I was present at tho London, Glasgow, and many provincial ones. They do not take place on the same day, an they do in New Zealand, but extend over sevc • ral weeks. In London during the election everything passed off in the.moat friendly manner. There were differences, of course, among the crowds outside the newspaper offices waiting to see tho results of Jhe poll, but it was generally "shown in the way of Rood-natured ohaff. There is no doubt the Imperialists, who have got the reins at tho present time, have tho sympathies of the people with them, especially in the large centres of population and homes of industryLondon, Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow, nnd such places. Tiio elections were fought in a very fair spirit indeed. The order with Which they were conducted is a thing that strikes one. Did you seo anything, Mr Fergus, in the way of demonstrations in connection with the war?

I was present at the great demonstration whon the City Imperial Volunteers returned to London. All the papers had beep, telling the people thoy ought to make the demonstration worthy of the occasion, and they did it. At the time of tho Queen's Jubilee, I believe, the people were warned to bo careful or thero would bo accidents, nnd as a consequence many refrained from attending, and the Jubilee passed off wall. This time, however, tho papers encouraged the people to turn out, and as a result there was'an enormous crowd. I went from tho Strand to Finsbiiry Pavement to call on Sir Ross, of Messrs Ross and Glendining, and before I could got back—and the distance is not great—three hours had elapsed. I could not get along Finsbury Pavement and Moorgato street, or by St. Paul's Churchyard, but hud to go along by-ways and back streets, as great crowds wero pressing in the main streets for points of van'ftge along tho lino of march. There wero muny accidents, but really what struck a stranger was that, the accidents wore comparatively few, seeing the tremendous rinlce the orowd seemed to run. I may say the men of tho C.I.V. looked a splendid lot of fellows. I saw a good number of (horn afterwards, including a numbor of tho officers, and limy wore a fine, hardy set of men—brown and spare, and fit, one would think, to go anywhere. I bolieye you also visited other parts of Grpat Britain, Mr Fergiie?

After taking a tour round England, I went to the Scottish lakes, mountains, fiords, and islands, and paid an extended visit to Ireland, going to the north, south, oaet, and west. I also went to I'nrin to boo the Exhibition, which is indeed a wonderful sight. It would occupy ono's time for several months to soe it properly, and onn can got but an inadequate idea of it in a stay of a fortnight or threo weeks. I may say I was fortunate in my visit, as I met nn old trioml in the West Australian Court—Mr Venn, who was Minister of Public. Works in Western Australia at ono time, as well as his secretary, Mr Aytoun, wjio was formerly a reporter on the press in Melbourne. The former gentleman kindly put one of his staff at my disposal. Of course, I specially dep.ir.ed to see the food products, the agricultural machinery, and the eirotrical machinery. The art sections and the other sections of education I also wanted to visit, but I looked particularly to those I thought would he of most value; , to me. This took up a considerable portion of iny time. West Australia is the only colony frora the south that exhibited, and the court was certainly- a. itplendid one. The exhibition they have of auriferous and argentiferous ores is .something amazing. I think the intrinsic value of their gold alone is over £100,000. Their timbers, pearls, and penrl sheila have lieon put forward in a most artistic manner, and the only complaint is that they have not sufficient space allotted to them to show to advantage. I believe the exhibit is to lie 'taken to Glasgow to be shown at the Exhibition there this year,, for which Glasgow is now busily preparing, and which promises to be quite ae good from an educational standpoint as the Paris one. It will, at any rate, bo more utilitarian than the Paris display. "On the whole." said -Mr Fergus, "in travelling through the old country one comes to the conolusioh tliat we can learn a great deal from them. Tn the matter of municipal institutions and methods of dealing with the population (hey are, of coiirse, ahead of us. We could very well imitate the lighting of their streets, the. cleanliness'of their thoroughfarps, their perfect drainage, their electric tramways, and the Kko; and it would bo to our advantage. They have also other institutions which we do not require—their public lodging liouec3 (I refer particularly to Glasgow), thoir'public wa'hhouses, etc. I was very much taken with the strides which Glasgow has made; it is quite up-to-date. I think, however, that as far as the quality of the meat they exposed for sale at th* public markets is concerned, the city is very backward. In fact, it that the fliit-hnritkSf! allowed wnKTfli' to #o into consumption, Altogether,'>l; hs'd a very good time. I experienced nothing but kindness from the political men at Home. The Chambers of Commerce Conference, to which I was a delegate from Dimedin/nnd Invercargill, made mo acquainted with a great many of the foremost merchants in Great Britain, and with representatives of British trade and commerce all over tho world—Canada,' the Cape, Natal, India, China, Singapore, and Australasia. ' 1 will have to meet our chamber hero later, however, and jriro them an account of the proceedings, so will say little further on that liPncl. AltoeetW. ray trip was one of great pleasure and profit."