AN AMERICAN ON NEW ZEALAND.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5462, 14 January 1896, Page 2

AN AMERICAN ON NEW ZEALAND.

When a cftizeb' of the gifeateiit nation .on' darth" confesses /that- iri^aome • re* garda New. Zealand has outstrippeot' his country inthe march of progress, We colonists naturally incline to receive ("his opinions with respect and to class; him as an 'exceedingly intelligent and open-minded observer. A gentleman .from the' United • : State>, MrP. S,: Cassidy, df s tiie,New York Mercury, now in Canterbury, oa a visit to his brother aM other relatives, jb a critic who recognises many good points in. New Zealand and its institutions. jflYhat he saw in ' his journey recently from Christchurch to Springfield reminded him more of an old European coiurtry, ;culti» vated for centuries, than of i country only half a century old. He admires 'very much the progressive ideas embodied in some of our legislation, but in certain other respects he finds us rather slow; , For example, he Btayed one Sunday in Auckland, and found that he could not purchase a postage stamp, he could not buy a jtiewspaper to read' and he could not .get a ride on a street car. This Sabbatarian-bound condition of affairs was not what he had expected to find in New Zealand, whicli J is the reputation in America of beijrj t\«d most progressive country on eait, . Patriotic American though he is, M* Cassidy would not except his own country from this sweeping dictum, because, he says, "You have here on your statute books things that we are only discussing in the United States." As for our scenery, it is quite equal to all that we claim , for it, and wherithe people of the United States come to realise the' fact, and to know, how pleasant the trip down' the Pacific is, we shall have a' stream of American tourists coming here that' will tax our accommodation. He lias himself enjoyed in a high degree the rare scenery, the fine climate and the general air of restful content to be found in New Zealand. A visitor who Bpeaks so flatteringly of bur land may be pardoned for noting' the defects of our Sunday arrangements, and may even be allowed to tell us something about our " manifest destiny." Mr Cassidy does not see why New Zealanders should be alarmed because of warlike complications that may arise between England and other countries. If England should not be able to protect us, we should simply have to fight for ourselves, as he understands we did in the past. Such an eventuality in the future might hasten on what he believes to be the destiny of New Zealand— to become the United States of the Southern Pacific, along with such other islands as might wish, to join us. That, rather than federation with Australia, he thinks should be the natural course of events in this country. At the same time he fully admits that there ia . \ no necessity, for any alteration at present, as we enjoy every possible freedom, and are happy in our connection with the English Empire, which gives us a sense of full security and leaves us free to develop what he calls "the beautiful, fertile, rich and grandly picturesque and romantic country," of which we should be so proud. We are glad to have such an appreciative critic as Mr Cassidy in our midst, and we have no doubt that the publication of his observations and impressions, when ho returns to America, will induce many other citizens of the Great Eepublic to visit this country.