PRAISE FOR DOMINION

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18366, 7 April 1934, Page 5

PRAISE FOR DOMINION

U.S. CONSUL’S COMMENT AMAZING DEVELOPMENT NEED FOR POPULATION ■•/Wa (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. After a. little over three years as consul-general for the United States in New Zealand, Mr Calvin M. Hitch, accompanied by Mrs Hitch, left Wellington last night. for Auckland, and is sailing by the Mariposa to-day for Los Angeles. Mr Hitch will reach the retiring age, 63, in July next, and is returning to the States to have a holiday before his actual retirement. Mr Hitch said he and his wife had greatly enjoyed .their stay in New Zealand. He had found the ‘Government officials courteous and obliging, and the people had been very kind and hospitable. “I was surprised when I landed here 1o find that the country had made such wonderful development in the very short time since the first settlers came fi* New Zealand. Your public roads are wonderful, and, taking all things into consideration, the development has been; somewhat in advance of the population of the 'country. With your present development, New Zealand could easily accommodate double or three times the population you have, but these things, of course, will come along in the ordinary course of affairs.” Mr 'Hitch said: “I was particularly interested to find New Zealand so well supplied with first-class newspapers. I think it is remarkable, in a country of the size of New Zealand, and with the long distance you are from other centres of population, that your newspapers should be able to carry so much foreign news each day.” Mr Hitch said he had also been particularly impressed with the agricultural and trade journals in the Dominion.