NEW ZEALAND RAILWAYS.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLVIII, Issue 21, 20 November 1912, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND RAILWAYS.

AUCKLAND AGRICULTURAL SHOW. 28th, 29th and 30th NOVEMBER, 1013. HOLIDAY EXCURSION TICKETS wilt Ih* Issued from nil stations in the Auckland District to Auckland on November 27th, 28th. ami 29th, and from Hamilton. JKau-fcapakap.-i. and intermediate stations by trains arriving in Auckland not later than 1.10 p hi. on 30th November, available for return up to and including 7th December. Holiday Excursion Tickets, Issued to Auckland from stations North of Taumaru mil, will NOT be available by and will NOT be accepted on the Auckland-Wellington Express trains. SATURDAY. 30th NOVEMBER, 1912. The usual a.m. train Mercer to Auckland will start from Hrury at 7.47 a m. A train will leave Mercer for Auckland at 7.0 a.m. A train will leave Hamilton for Auckland at 7.0 a.m. The usual 4.25 p.m. Auckland to Frankton train will NOT run, and in lieu thereof a Kivclal Train for Cambridge and inter mediate stations will leave Auckland at 0.5 p.m. A train will leave Auckland for Frankton at 5.30 p.m. The usual 4.42 p.m. Kaipara train will N<rT leave Awokland ti 4» 5.0 p.m.. New’ market SJ» pun. Thin train will run through to Te Hana, anti will NOT stop at is rat tons K highland to WafkHmete Indus' ve. BY ORDER.

tengro opened hostilities against the I nspeakable Turk, ami the day after Parliament had met for the autumn session.

lu spite of these larger happenings, however, Mr. Mackenzie's arrival made quite an excellent show in the daily papers, Loudon and provincial. The ‘■.Morning Post,” for instance, gave rather more than a column to the new High Commissioner's arrival and an interview with him, and you could not open any daily paper on Wednesday morning without finding something concerning his arrival, and a good deal more about his views on New Zealand’s prosperity and progress. Almost without exception you also found his confession of faith regarding the necessity for Imperial control of the naval forces of the Empire quoted with evident approval. All things considered, Mr. Mackenzie came off very well indeed, so far as Press

notice wm euau-erned, ami New Zealand got out of his Home-coming an excellent advertisement from John D'Groat'- to laind's End, as the saying goes. Toe High Commissioner's hours have since been very fully occupied in what may be called" affairs of State, ami in returning the compliments paid him in the shape of calls and letters by all sorts ami conditions of men. He took up the reins at the High Commissioner’s office on Wednesday morning, and since then has had scarcely a minute to call his own, what with correspondence, callers, and calls. Amongst other things he has paid his official respects to the Powers I hat be in the Colonial Office, he has visited the Dairy Show at Islington, and has opened his campaign against Press calumniators of New Zealand by a reply to those papers which have been publishing a certain article designed to show that New Zealanders are groaning under an intolerable load of taxation. .Mr. Mackenzie, by meins of extracts from the New Zealand Budget of 11'11, has shown the people of the Old < ountiy that, compared with their burden, the New Zealand householder's load of taxation is a mere featherweight. .Mr. .Mackenzie lias a very- full time ahead of him. He has invitations to different functions for practically every night for the next few weeks. As for his da vs, they will be very full up with departmental work for' a long time to come. Asked with regard to New Zealand s policy on Imperial defence, Mr. Mackenzie remarked: ‘lmperial defence is a subject offering too wide a field and involvin'' too many considerations to be briefly discussed. We are all deeply concerned in an adequate system of defence, am! I cannot conceive that any Government or partv ilarois for a moment to hesitate in its decision-. If there is any doubt a.s to the oxi-tence of ample mean- either existing or in contemplation tin* situation' demands that the far-reaching interests of the Empire amt all Imperial responsibilities .should be in-i antly met. - ’ ' ’ Turning to naval defence and the recent suggestions of the I'o.mmonw ealtn Premier, that in this connection New Zealanil and Australia should work to- ■ ■eiher. the High Commissioner said: "The point raised by Mr. Fisher had not. ari-en when I left New Zealand, but I quite agree with what he says as to the neee-sity for 10-operatiO'.i. Personall v. I am i'iot a believer in-local navies, and the view. I think, held by. the people of our Dominion is that there rhonM L< one navy for the Empire' controlled the Imperial J onornment, ami that all dominions should tail into lino. Of <ouim‘. this can only be done after reaKonable consultation with the Dominion ami other (lovernmmit•=. and lor thin piirp«/*<? it is highly nc< r>sary that coni ■? plan -should be devis«‘l lor more !»••- personal iutcivhaDX’* of \ie\vs between Ministers of the Dominion's* and other depemh n i'*s an I imperial .statesmen.'' Pressed on the (pu--t :o:i as to whether New Zealand won I i be prepared to give more Dreadnoughts. Mr. Mackenzie said: “That, of roill'M*, Woill 1 be a question for the (Government t » consider, but they < ould take it that \< w Zealand would not Im* behind were the necessities to i.calling for increa*ed help. \\ ith regard to New Zealand's *cheme of military defence, I notice that much which is entirely inislvftTmg has appeal <’«l in some of the British newspapers on the subject of defence and eompuhsory service in Now Zealand. <’on«idering the fact that our scheme involves so great a departure from what the colonies, not to mention the British people, have been accustomed to, the results we have achieved are remarkable ami entirely satisfactory. No one could expect that every detail would work quite smoothly from the beginning. but the great la-t and administrative ability rhown by (General God ley» nur ( »miiian<ler-in-( hief, ami liin etall, have done wonder-. I'he people of New /.••aland have displayed a most commendable spirit of co-o|H*ralion, ami there an be no do.ibt that our s.-hemo of <!••- ten r is fairly an I -m cc-sfully launched. <o?iie object in i < to compulsory service have Ihm‘ll* ra .-<‘4 a - the result of perfe« tlv sincere conviction, a*, for instance, in tin- ( «-<‘ of the Society <»f Friend-. }{e<M«iiily a deputation ••! that lusty waited on me at vurkl iml. and I a-ke I I hem it they ur' r opposed to all forms of ‘Mate assistance or self »-arrifi<••». ami they replif'.l: *\o: wiilv to the military form.* Mr. Myero. win was Minister of Defence in inv Ministry, and misell indicated quite clearly to’objectors that, wc were determined that the scheme should

have th? full support of the Government. To tewt the value of the criticism of compulsory service, I recently submitted the matter to a camp of territorial-. They replied with groans for the eritiio and hearty eheerH lor the King, Service, and New Zealand. The question of defence should be entirely apart from party polities—a fact that Lord Kitchener specially impressed upon uh. The present Minister of Defence, Mon. Mr. Allen, is one of our most enthusiastic men. ami he will, I am sure, give his loyal support to the scheme introduced by Sir Joseph Ward. The Government has decided to make some moditieations in that law, but not in the direction of weakening it in any way.”