CANDID COMMENT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27096, 2 June 1949, Page 6

CANDID COMMENT

NEW ZEALANDERS AND WORK “Some time in the history of New Zealand, the people here must have worked hard, but they do not now.” This is one of the impressions gathered by Mr Thomas H. Campbell, of Edmonton, Canada, during an extended holiday visit to New Zealand. Mr Campbell, a believer in straight talk, bad some other candid things to say about New Zealand and New Zealanders—“ they lack courtesy ’’—but he balanced these with equally warm tributes—“the hospitality of Dunedin citizens is second to none.” A retired businessman, Mr Campbell has for the past four months been visiting the Australian mainland, Tasmania and New Zealand. Although he has lived in Western Canada for 45 years, he maintained his interest in Ihe traditions of Scotland, where he was born, and that sharpened his anticipation of his stay in Dunedin. Yesterday he met officials of Scottish organisations and last night he attended piping and dancing .competitions in the Concert Chamber with the Mayor, Sir Donald Cameron. Mr Campbell prefers New Zealand to Australia. Its scenery he has found amazing in its variety. He was much impressed with the stability and architecture of buildings in Dunedin and with the enterprise of its citizens in the promotion of its general welfare. That few homes were centrally heated was the subjept of criticism from Mr Campbell. A guest entering a cold house felt that the atmosphere was generally unfriendly. “To make a home comfortable, you need central heating,” he said. Speaking of his own country, Mr Campbell said that Edmonton, capital of the province of Alberta, was in the heart of the great agricultural belt known as the “ bread basket of Canada.” “It is the gateway to the far north: from Edmonton the Americans built their highway into Alaska during the war, a highway 1700 miles long. Edmonton is the fastest-grow-ing city in Canada at the present time, and its resources of natural gas, oil and coal are beginning to be fully developed 1 .”