CONSUL RETIRES

Southland Times, Issue 22293, 7 April 1934, Page 6

CONSUL RETIRES

MR COLVIN M. HITCH RETURN TO UNITED STATES PRAISE FOR DOMINION (Per United Press Association.) Wellington, April 6. 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 to-night for Auckland, sailing by the Mariposa to-morrow for Los Angeles. Mr Hitch will reach the retiring age of 65 in July next and is returning to the United States to have a holiday before his actual retirement. Mr Hitch said that 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 to find that the country had made such wonderful development in the very short time since ■ the first settlers came to New Zealand,” said Mr Hitch. “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 easly accommodate double or three times the population you have, but these things, of course, will come along in the ordinary course of affairs. I was particularly interested to find New Zealand so well supplied with first class newspapers. I think it is remarkable in a country 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 that he had also been particularly impressed with the agricultural and trade journals in the Dominion.