THE GOVERNOR'S TOUR

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14776, 8 March 1910, Page 5

THE GOVERNOR'S TOUR

SPEECH BY HIS EXCELLENCY, (Peb United Fkess Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, March 7. His Excellency tho Governor arrived in Christchiirch yesterday, To-day ho paid- his first and final visit to Cheviot, when he was entertained at dinner by the local bodies. Responding to the toast of his health, his Excellency referred to the importance of population to the country, with the view of making Now Zealand self-defen-sive. _ He was very pleased' to learn that experiments wore being tried in fruitculture in the country. That seemed to be a Jong way off military training, but in reality the two subjects were closely connected. His idea was that thero was not sufficient first class land in New Zealand for everyone to share in it, but experience had shown that a man and his family could make a good living at fruit-culture on from 15 to 25 acres, provided the land and the locality were suitable. He su"g«sted that instead of 200 or 300' acres being tho minimum for farm selections it should be 15 acres for fruit-culture, which would provo equally profitable and would result in very closely settling the country. In regard to internal 'defence, he said the visit of Lord Kitchener was most fortunate at tho present time in viow of the passing last session of the new Defence Act, which was one of the most self-sacrificing and patriotic actions New Zealand had ever done. He hoped it would be possible to adopt the scheme Lord Kitchener would propose. Ho was certain if the people were able to do so they would make this country perfectly safe as regards its internal defence, and that they would bo of enormous assistance to any part of the Empire that was menaced.

His Excellency will leave for the West Coast to-morrow.