ENVIABLE MISSION

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 18922, 25 January 1936, Page 11

ENVIABLE MISSION

'NICEST PLACES IN WORLD' DUTCHMAN'S TRIP Mr. Y. Baars has given himself a commission that most people will envy, remarks the Dominion. He is a Dutch cigar manufacturer and his mission is to look for the "nicest places in the world." That, is what brings him to New Zealand. He said when interviewed' that he had left his sons to look after the business in Holland while he went on a world tour. He heard that New Zealand was most picturesque and made it one of his first calls. Now that he is here he-is pleased he came, and intends to prolong his visit more than he intended. Conditions in Holland at the present time, said Mr. Baars, were not good. "In fact, the people are growing poorer and poorer." he said. The high tariff barriers imposed on Holland's exports had lobbed her of her former profitable outlets for her produce. Farmers could not sell their butter or their cheese-. ■ Some help was, however, given by the Government.- The butter cost about KM a pound to produce-, but it- could not be bought under 3s a pound. The surplus went to assist the producers. The Dutch farmer was a most industrious type of man, working from early morning until late at night. Although Holland was only about a (bird of the size of New Zealand, it had a population of eight millions and cultivation was on a most, intensive scale. The people were, poor, but when they looked at the countries round them they really bad no cause to complain. Belgium particularly, Fiance, Italy and Spain, were all in a much worse position. Mr. Baars was of opinion that Australia' and New Zealand, had emerged from the depression earlier than Fiiropean countries probably because they were not so crowded. He was envious of New Zealand people, he said. It was a comparatively new country, and there was a. freshness about it that could not lie found elsewhere.