Poverty Bay Herald PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING GISBORNE, FRIDAY, JUNE 14, 1912.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12789, 14 June 1912, Page 4

Poverty Bay Herald PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING GISBORNE, FRIDAY, JUNE 14, 1912.

A: DISXI3NGUISHED VISITOR. ' New Zealanders have amongst them at the present time a most distinguished visitor m the person of the British Ambassador to the United States, the Rt. Hon. James Bryce, and it is gratifying to note that he has been accorded a cordial reception by our public men m the various centres he has visited. The voyage across the Pacific has. been undertaken by Mr Bryce mainly for recreation,- but he is such a keen student-of- political science that it is not surprising he should have come so far to personally investigate the conditions m this Britain of the South, which, during the past twenty years has gained for itself con- • side Table -reputation", for its m the held! ot social legi'sllttion. ; Mi JLtryce will View ouv in«w Zealuno. ahairs ' dispassionately with, a mature and cultured mind, and m the various interviews he is so generousiy giving we are sura the people of this Uormnioli will hnd mucft xo interest and instruct them. His remarks are those of a thoroughly solid manr-a, most capable and . intelligent observer. .Mr liryce pi'ef aced his remarks 1 at the civic reception at Wellington on Tuesday by^ stating that he had travelled enough to know the danger of . hasty tions, and that it was only Dy careful observations that on© cbula aiviv& at a just estimate of things. ,.', Still he hopea to learn as much as he could. Whether he would ever be bold .enough to. record, any impressions gathered he could not at that moment say, but he could at least say that he would be glad to convey any impressions which he thought of value to his Government and his friends m the Old Land. Speaking from such impressions as lhe had gathered he said he might be pardoned tor saying with .what' intense -satisfaction ho had noticed m New Zealand the existence of an, upright and honest administration by the local authorities. He could not help congratulatng New Zealand on possessing such fine harbors surrounded by suclj magnificent scenery. He emphasised the importance of municipalities doing everything possible for the adornment and b'ea.u.tyi-- of their cities, and stated that throughout his life he had never ceased to preach the value of open spaces and public parks and playgrounds. Wherever he had travelled he had been greatly . struck by the' peculiar and distinctive beauty of. the scenery of this country. New Zealand was, he isaid, one of the most attractive countries he had ever visited, and m this respect it was pleasing to know that Parliament had taken steps to conserve some of the natural beauties of the country. Mr Bryce outlined the grave effects ,which followed extensive deforestation, - and strongly commended a' wide; comprehensive policy of tree^ planting to provide timber m future years. He had seen what /was being done at Rotorua m this direction, and would say that there Mas nothing to which Parliament could better direct itself than this problem of reafforesta; tion. , "We are all trustees for posterity," he said, "and we are bound to think of those who will come after us ; we are bound to think of those who. will blame or praise us m the years to come." Mr Bryce.spoke.„in appreciative terms pf the ' 'friendly '* 'feeling existing between the whi%p^p^eip^ ,ljhis, country and the nativ^,ia^^,alia>tne manner m which .anci^t ; jkjaorjC iipw"c4, and the customs pf,' tjke abofjiginar pfopjes had been preserve^'j 1 „ $\ least -w^s one country |n, tbe;, jyjpjt^ .wh^re \ihei jwhite race and livej^ m perfect peace:' Va.ndj Jfia^nionyV. i( . (A}ijp^use.) "To me,'* he ''Vjiat i^.aourqe of unfeign^. pleasu^ .. Ijii\dl jii\dj 1 .. si^sjfac^on." Mr Bryce cpiigVatu^a^oL v^Te W t - V>?'ealan d on the^ fact 'tKa^'her^^Jj^glj|J«%ji'',itT om ! outside ( es. ri w,a^. comi^g,7 ps, fc always had^ 6#i ;)^, Jsles, jtnd that it ..did-' not .come, .m .Budden'^rushes. He was u inchned to_ ,tl>vnk tn^vat. would have been ..better forjjbljeAlln^e^ $^ate» if h % i^SW^ n i" ,-^i^w^i 4™? r j steadily and v Ne>v^.Zejila^iq had a pure British stock.! , V A '-"hatibn-- was judged on the yray the average' citizen arose to ah appreciation and discharge of his duties. A democracy could not exist where there . was not" a constant and honest sense of public duty.' Everyone had to be interested m the affairs of government, and- everyone had to endeavor to maintain a high spirit of public duty. When New Zealand was colonised she had the advantage of Inn-

ing, m the ranks of lier ifirstv settlers many men of high standing and learning -at Home. That had.been of great value. "I hope," he concluded, "that the sense of public duty which makes a democracy succeed, arid which riiakes experiments succeed, even if they are- not wholly successful at first/will be constantly m evidence here. Without particularising, I may-say that what * you do here is being earnestly watched. 'We sympathise with your aims and your aspirations, and we earnestly hope and trust that your efforts will make New Zealand a great, prosperous, and happy nation." Yesterday the British Ambassador, when entertained by, the New Zealand Club, delivered (as reported elsewhere m this issue) a. splendid speech on the subject of Imperial unity, m the course of which he laid emphasis on the importance' of cultivating a closer knowledge 'of the component narts of the Empire. It is true, as Mr B^yce admitted;' that we m this land, with our' newspaper cable services and "with the ever-increasing stream' of tourist' traffic to the Ohjl Country, alto learning a good deal more of Great Britain than . the -average citizen of the' Homelahd knows about ouir little .isles. ', but the improvement of steamship ' services, btirigin^ us much neater to England than at present, the increase of -'postal 'and telegraphic facilities, the encouragement of immigration, and other factors, not least amongst which will be the visits of^ men of eminence such as' the Rt. Hon. Mr Bryce, will do much to break down barriers of misunderstanding' and create a 'true, spirit of Imperial citizenfe'hip at Hbriie and abroad.