THE CAPE DELEGATES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5487, 12 February 1896, Page 3

THE CAPE DELEGATES.

Messrs Visser and Halse, the agricultural . Commissioners ' from Cape Colony, were interviewed at Napier by a SaviWs Bay Herald reporter. It seems that the delegates had not intended calling at New Zealand, their first instructions being to confine their attentions to the Australian colonies, but later on orders came from head-quarters to embrace New Zealand in their peregrinations; and now they are here, glad enough to be in a fairly cool atmosphere after the scorching they received during the Sydney part of their tour. " The -wind fairly blistered us," said Mr Visser, "and with the thermometer at 114 in the shade you can imagine what it was like." When the Commissioners arrived in this colony they placed themselves in communication with the Premier, who ordered them to be supplied with all available information, and to enable them to make their tour of inquiry under the most favourable auspices instructed Mr Mayo, ! of the Agricultural Department, to accompany them over portions of their journey. The trip from Auckland to Napier, it was explained, was undertaken more out of curiosity ahd pleasure than with an eye to the main business. One thing which has struck ourvisitors more than another is the wonderful timber country through which they have already passed, and it is in this commodity they opine a trade very advantageous to New Zealand might spring up between ourselves and the Cape Government. Many thousands of pounds are sent to America every year for timber which could, Mr Visser thinks, be obtained from the colonies, and especially from New Zealand, of better all-round quality and at prices more advantageous to the purchaser than from the land of the Stars and Stripes.