MR DION BOUCICAULT. His Histronic and Literary Labour In New Zealand.

Te Aroha News, Volume III, Issue 128, 14 November 1885, Page 8

MR DION BOUCICAULT. His Histronic and Literary Labour In New Zealand.

M b BoijoioaultV' wiio is presently a$ jUhrist- ', -dliurch playing "in ihisi ownT popular Irish SJamas, 1 is tmeebm£fthßifc:mthithe earner overflowing ' success; that * 'crowned /his season at -rHis^outhful • bride ds earning •& high reputation *as* an; actress afeo, bairtg a most/ipopulat favourite. The 'Company, after a short season at Wellington, leave on the 20th iastanffc for -Auckland, opening heireon the 1 '23rd. Mr Boucicault was interviewed by : a newspaper reporter jllSt before leaving Dunedin, ana gave his' views on a variety of interestirig points. Fe said that he was now engaged in writing his views of the Aiustralasian 'people as seen from the stage. The work'wu 1 be published'in parts, appearing in the London, American; and Australian Press, after which it will retire into book form. As he toas affection for the dramatic dhape, much o£the work will fall irito dialogue. In ! New Zealand 'he hasarranged forits appearance in the Auckland Star. He is much interested in promoting a highway between Great Britain and Australasia, via the United States. By this route the distance can, he feels assured, be accomplished in 28 days, thesections of the road being : Fifteen days to San Francisco, five across the American con-i tinent, and eight to England from the United States. If such a line' lof communication were established 'to run weekly, he is sure it would monopolise the ', through' passenger traffic. Firstly, because 1 of its speed. Secondly, because of* the ! climate it passes 'through being temperate t throughout. Thirdly, because of the objects and places of interest on the road. < Fourthly, on account of the Pacific Ocean, 1 which ia so worthy of its name. Fifthly, ' because this road passes exclusively through' English-speaking peoples who will never 3 bo at war. The ' solidarity of the English - and American people is becoming yearly 3 more and more complete and evident. 3 Sixthly, such a road would necessitate the establishment of a line of first-class steamers' I like the Oregon, Alaska, and others (which 1 were recently chartered aB war cruisers > when war with Russia was imminent), and' s the presence of six or eight of these vessels k in the Pacific means the maintenance of a B powerful fleet ready and present to take in - munitions of war at Sydney and Auckland b which cities seem destined eventually to become great naval depots. Mr Boucicault, pointing to the subsidy of * £200,000 by Germany to a line of German r steamers connecting the Pacific with that * country, asks why Great Britain should' be 3 less generous in' her relations with her great c interests on this nether side of the civilised h world. He says the governing class of Great 1 Britain are concerned about European complications and Indian interests, but the j English people turn their face to the west >f —to the United States, Canada, and Ause tralasia — and the English people indicate c by their attitude the true policy. He contends that Great Britain is not an integral part of Europe, but & group of islands off the coast of that continent, resembling the position of New Zealand with regard to Australia. He thinks the English have been involved' in European quarrels because their kings *" were and are foreigners, and the aristocracy *' havethesameproclivities. England involved v herself in a huge debt by her interference a in affairs that did not concern her Blood ie and money were expended without stint, k ! and nothing got by it but what might d have been achieved without such waste. 6 If she has been spared humiliation and 3) conquest by other nations, much is owing 18 of course to the pluck of her people, but 3 " still more to her insularposition. Biittheend :e of it is that England has not one sincere * friend in the world of nations, excepting it [4 may be the United States. There is her ** natural ally — the only people that do not desire, and perhaps would not tolerate j e her humiliation. These sentiments coming Lr from a shrewd observer, one who has lived *" for 30 years in America, who is an American 38 citizen, and is regarded in Great Britain as xt an Irish patriot of a very earnest type, are worthy of consideration, r- Adverting to the line of mail steamers id now employed between San Francisco and >y Sydney, his opinion of them is very low. ax His experience is confined to the Zealandia, r o in which vessel he made a trip last June. 10 He found the vessel cranky, and fond of 30 rolling at the smallest provocation. Freih quent stops were made in mid-ocean to b- mend matters in the engine-room. The crew were" a scratch lot. Ihe officers did in not get on weU with the captain. . The food i e was the worst' he ever encountered. The lg captain apologised for the cooks, but jf feared to complain. But the worst ,of all was the chief stewardship— words (j fail to describe the superb indifference of d that department. Altogether, Mr Boucicault desoribes the Zealandia as a self actt ing ship on a happy 'go- lucky voyage ; and, lj thanks to the captain and chief officer and p the engineer— all good men and true— and £ to splendid weather, the voyage was accom : y plished without calamity. He says this service was only a " side show " of the Paci3 . fie Mail Company, who seemed to know and ,f care little about it. The route, both in >r London and New York, was not managed with " push." It was difficult to obtain any Jr information about it even at headquarters. ;o It was not advertised or recommended 11 in any way. Mr Boucicault doubts c that paying freight is to be had at present 3_ 3 _ between the American ports and Australia, but for mailß, express -matter, light stuff [q easily handled, and passenger through [. traffic, it would eventually gain the monojf poly. Steamers need not remain in port 10 more than four days, thus making a trip ' c - every 18 days, or 20 trips in the year. He j. thinks that for pleasure travel New Zea- [ s land would obtain the greater part of the >r patronage, as tourists would find more objects of interest, finer 1 spenery here than in ' Australia, and distances are not so great. America would escape n the heats of Jupe, July, August, and September by using these months in a trip. The cost to each visitor for travelling expenses, including hotels, would, he calculates, be £12 10a per week. Ho remarks that " a fellow could not go to Scar c boro or to the Rhine, to Saratoga or to Long Branch or Newport, and do it for kt 12 guineas a week. The advent ofia 2 thousand or two of such tourists would r be a welcome benefit to "New Zealand, and an economy to the visitors. And >> if the travelling ' English and American r public could come at the knowledge of what „ was to be had for their money during a four months' tour, there would be a rush for the I antipedee. "If I were a leading resident s here," said Mr Boucicault 1 . "I would raise c a subscription and invite 60 prominent '.' Englishmen arid 40 Americans of high f public- standing to make a tour lof b New Zealand — from Auckland jto 9 Invercargill — dine them, wine them, 1 receive them like royalty (which they ■ are), and send thqm Home full ' The ad : * ; Vertisement) would be worth a million sterl3 ing to the colony, and if the right ,men 3 were picked they would leave h&re by way i of investment five jtitnes what ; their visit i would cost. If you v^ish , to^ what I i shall say of New Zealand wjien I get HpineJ; i I shall say—You % hayea .big'showVbutJ you - don't know how to/manage it.!' /;; >4i