“More Scottish Than Scotsmen”

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26749, 19 April 1948, Page 4

“More Scottish Than Scotsmen”

PEOPLE OF THE SOUTH Special Correspondent WELLINGTON, Apl. 18. The people of Otago and Southland are in some respects more Scottish than Scotsmen,at Home, in the opinion of Dr John Elaillie, professor of divinity at Edinburgh University and former moderator of the Church of Scotland, who had reached Wellington after three weeks in the South Island. Dr Baillie said: “The further south we went the more Scottish the people became. I was touched to find how loyal they are to the Scots tradition. In fact, some of the traditions they are upholding still are fading out back in Scotland itself. Round Invercargill I felt I was back in the Scots highlands of my youth.” Dr Baillie said he was very encouraged by what he had seen of the Presbyterijan Church in Southland. He had been kept very busy meeting people and giving addresses and had made 46 public utterance in five weeks, probably more than he had ever made before in such a period. He found New Zealand more a land of plenty than of wealth. That was a good thing. The plenty was much more evenly distributed than in the United States, for instance, where he had taught for 12 years. Dr Baillie and Mrs Baillie are guests of the Government during their visit. After three weeks in the North Island they will fly to San Francisco on May 5.