MR ROLLESTON AT HOME.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6936, 27 October 1900, Page 6

MR ROLLESTON AT HOME.

NEW ZEALAND'S LAND POLICY. GENEROUS APPROVAL. [From Ocr Corrkspoxuent.] LONDON, Sept. 22. The Hon W. Rolieston, though decidedly averse to the interviewing process in London, when, his foot was once on his native Yorkshire heath, willingly submitted himself to the interviewer from the Rotherham "Advertiser." Mr Rol'kston was discovered at the Swan Hotel in Maltby, of which village his father, the Rev George Rolieston, was vicar for half a. century. Mr Rolleston's remarks were mostly of a non-com-mittal character, and he confinecl himself to safe generalities. The greatest social change he considered that had taken place in England since he left it, more than forty-two years ago, was the " much greater realisation of the brotherhood of man," the realisation of the fact that recreation is as much part of. a man's life as labour, the spread of humanitarian ideas, the advance of higher and technical education. He attributed- New Zealand's prosperity to the steady manner in which she has settled her lands, and her determination not to be behindhand in general and technical education. In the matter of labour legislation, he said vaguely "it is the case that New Zealand is pretty far advanced," whiOie the success of the Compulsory Arbitration, Act he thought depended greatly on the mutual forbearance of those interested. "At present it is in the region of experiment, and wh.le it would not be fair to say it was absolutely a success, it would not be fair to say it was ai failure." Trades Unionism he thought on the whole was worked satisfactorily in the colony. On the topic of fe- ; male suffrage,, Mr Rolleston was again in ■the non-committal mood, and seemed to think New Zealand on its trial in this experiment; Be expressed himself somewhat more strongly on. the question of Federation, and said that, in his opinion, New Zealand could not come into the Commonwealth, by reason of its 1200 miles distance from Austra--1-a, and the essential of- popular government that the centre of administration should be easy of access. Mr Rolieston had no complaint to make against the policy of the resumption by Government and the cutting up of large estates. This," he said, "is done in the faircsb manner possible. Compensation is given in such cases, and up to the present there has been no ground of complaint. The power of resumption has been exercistd without the least harshness. There has hardly been any compulsory resumption. It has practically all been effected voluntarily, by arrangement between the State and the owner." After a eulogy of the up-to-date methods of New Zealand farming, and .of the quality of the stock, which Mr RoTleston considered quite equal to, and, in many cases superior to the general average of the English, he wemfc on to explain the arrangements that were made to ensure that only the best meat -and dairy produce was sent to England, and to emphasise New Zealand's determination to utilise her great resources to the utmost. The interview closed with a brief reference to New Zealand's broad view of the issues in South Africa, and her patriotic action in the despatch of such strong contingents. If Mr Rolieston was cautious in his utterances on labour legislation, he paid eloquent tributo'«to the prosperity of New Zealend, her loyalty, and the excellence of her produce, and generally said all that he could in favour of the colony. A statesmanlike course, and one in striking contrast to that adopted by so many Opposition visitors to ' the Old Country, who lost no opportunity of decrying their own colony, and crying " stinking fish."