A NEW ZEALANDER IN AMERICA

Otago Witness, Issue 2811, 26 August 1908, Page 89

A NEW ZEALANDER IN AMERICA

«, INTERVIEW WITH MR W. DOWNIE STEWART. BOUNDLESS OPTIMISM OF AMERICANS. (Fboh Our Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, August 23. Mr W. Downie Stewart, of Dunedin, who r has just returned from a trip to America, gave an interesting interview \to your correspondent here to-day. "My stay in America," he said, " was so brief ; about six weeks — and the country is ; so vast that any general impressions of ■ it are likely to be even more erroneous r than those of the_ numerous visitors to ! New Zealand who sum up the country i after a hasty run from Auckland to the f Bluff. "Most of my time was spent in, Denver, which is one of the best cities in America from a tourist's point of view. j The Democratic Convention was held j there in- the Auditorium, -a vast hall holfi- [ ing 12,500 people. Many prominent citizens i had' to secure admission by acting as attendants, etc. I did not stay foe the convention,, as the prospects of obtaining , admission were too remote, .. and in any case the nomination of Mr Bryan and the, programme of the party was cut and dried beforehand. " With reference "to American politics generally, I found that while, corruption is quite as bad as we have always been led to believe, yet the -more thoughtful students of American politics now hold high hopes of a gradual "betterment. They point to the. fact that one by one the States are going through a process of exposure and reform, and men who 10 years ago- had given up all hopes of interest in politics now display cheery optimism. As to the future in municipal politcs, so many of the cities have thrown away all attempt to control their public utilities that it is difficult for a public spirited citizen to take any interest in his city's welfare. In Denver all the public services, such as trains, lighting, telephones, etc., are in private hands. The political power which the possession of these services carries with it is appalling. The boss" controls the appointment of all sorts of officials, who in theory are appointed by the electors. One judge told me that his rejection at the next election was --a foregone -conclusion, as he had foul of the Public Utilities Corporation, and this judge was a man whose reputation has spread beyond America. *' Perhaps the best way to sum up one's impressions of political life in America is to say that the great majority of the magazine articles one reads on the subject are substantially correct. Such was the summing up of the situation given to men by a prominent professor of sociology in one of the universities, a man who is a friend of President Roosevelt and who has made a lifelong ' study of American politics. " I met with great kindness everywhere, and was given an opportunity of meeting many interesting men in politics and university life. Some of the most interesting men I met were Governor Buchtel, of Colorado, Professor R. T. Ely, the well-known writer on economics, Professor John R. .Commons, of Wisconsin, who is regarded as the leading authority on labour problems, and numerous others. TEey all displayed the keenest interest in New Zealand experiments, and expressed the hope that we would go still further. They explain themselves in the analogy of theatrical companies, which always try their plays on small towns before playing in New York and Chicago. This process is called ' trying it on the dog.' So with Socialism.. They wish to see it 'tried on the dog' — i.e., New Zealand — before going very far themselves. Talking of the universities reminds me that one is struck by the close intercourse between the universities and general politics in America. The professors are not recluses preaching dry doctrines to students. They are in close touch with the Legislatures, and if any measure of taxation -pr regulation of monopolies or the^ like is before any State Legislature you will find that" the main principles of the bill have been suggested and drawn by some economist of standing who is well acquainted with the legislation on the subject. The American Bureau of Labour obtains many of its most valuable reports from university students, who spend their vacation in making special studies and reports for the department. One thing which struck me as very encouraging was the large number of students of the universities who work their way through by their own efforts. I met some medical students who work on the railways as conductors or on farms during the vacation, and who, even during the session, will board themselves by cutting firewood, cleaning boots, or doing the general work of the family with which they live. In fact, the independence and self-reliance of men in ill classes of the community is one of the most admirable national traits." On bfbing asked about the position of skilled labour, Mr Stewart remarked :—: — "I should say, from the inquiries I made, that the skilled labourer of Western America is better off as regards ivages than New Zealand is. In Denver tfie wages of skilled artisans is considerably, higher than in New Zealand. Of :ourse, the cost of living is somewhat ligher, but not sufficiently so to neutralise >he difference in wages " by any means. &.s you go east the position of the wagesarner becomes less favourable. I made i very interesting stay at the Roycroften n East America for a few days, and met Slbert Hubbard, Richard De Galliene, md other interesting people. Mr Hub)ard expressed a strong desire to visit S T ew Zealand. Some extremely interestng attempts- are being made in some of he States to control the administration, if natural monopolies, such as transport,

electricity, gas, etc., but it would require too much detail to explain any of these ak present. ,- " One of the greatest surprises to a New Zealander, both in Canada and in the States, is the small size of the land holdings. I had anticipated that in a country so vast one would have found small holdings to be the exception, but the opposite appears to be the case. Anyone with a 'section' — i.e., 640 acres — is considered a large holder. Of course, the explanation in many parts is climatic — namely, the necessity of sheltering stock in winter. The enormous energy which is building thousands of miles of railway each year in Canada, reaching out in 'all directions, to develop the country, is most impressive, and the boundless optimism of Canadians and Americans as to the future of their countries is singularly' refreshing." * On being asked if he would be a candidate at the next election, Mr Stewart replied : "As to New Zealand politics, I am not yet fully posted in the doings of the last month or so. The election is a good way off, and I have made absolutely no plans as yet. I cannot make any plans till I reach Dunedin. The statement made on Friday by Mr Reardon that I have been in communication with the Labour party is very ambiguous. If he means that I hare been seeking their : support, it is wholly incorrect, and Mr Reardon must have been misinformed. I have the good fortune to be on terms of, intimate friendship with some of the Labour leaders. I find the study of their present position and future prospects of the Labour party one of absorbing interest, and I am in hearty^ accord with some of the reforms they aim at, but at the same time I could not adopt ' the present platform of the Political Labour League, and still less could I subscribe to its constitution and pledge. I fully recognise the strong reasons advanced' by the Political Labour League for such a constitution — namely, the fact that without it they are merely made use of by professional politicans as a stepping-ladder, and that they have been too often been betrayed by the man who is 'as good as the Labour man ' ; nevertheless, I am fully persuaded that whatever evils may attach to the principle of 'men, not measures,' they aTe insignificant compared to the perpetual fiascos which inevitably result from too strict an adherence to the principle of ' measures, not men.' The present internal differences in what should be a united Labour party are a striking instance of this, and until they are • preoared to trust more in their leaders and less in their platform I find it difficult to . see prospects of .political or social progress for the Labour party,"