The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1895-12-13

The New Zealand Herald of Nov
ember 3Oth, in speaking of the visit
of Attorney-General w. o. Smith
and Hon. Geo. n. Wilcox to Auck-
land and the Colonies says:
During the present month New
Zealand has been hOnOred by visit
from two leading Hawaiian states
men, namely, the Hon. William o.
Smith, the Attorney General, and
Mr.. G. n. Wilcox, a member of the
Hawaiian Senate, who came here
partly for holiday trip, but princi-
pally to watch certain features of our
land laws, which have been adopted
by the Legislature of Hawaii, as in
actual operation. AS the stay of these
gentlemen, extending over a period
of some three weeks, is just about to
terminate-for they leave by the Ala
waited upon the Hon. w. 0. Smith,
in order to obtain, if possible, his inn
pressiOns of the colony, which could
hardly fail to be of interest, consider
ing his important mission and wide
political and social experience. Mr..
Smith received our representative
with the utmost courtesy, and at once
expressed his willingness to give his
opinions of what he had seen.
perhaps you might at the outset
say, whether the special object of
your visit to our colony has been sat
isfactOrily Accomplishment"
Having replied in the affirmative,
Mr.. Smith proceeded: "Our Govern
ment having adopted certain features
of the New Zealand Amended Land
Act of 1892 of the disposition of our
public lands, Mr.. Wilcox and myself
came here to learn some hing more of
the details of the working of this law.
OF course we had to adapt the New
Zealand Act to our conditions. We
have been extremely interested in
what we have seen, and we have
received most valuable assist
ance and information from the Pre-
mier (Mr. Seldom, from the Sur
and also from Sir Robert Stout
Leaving Auckland few weeks ago,
we have been to Wellington, Christ
church, and Dunedin, returning from
Wellington overland through the
Lake district, passing Lake TaupO on
our road to ROtorua; and then back to
Auckland once again"
Having traversed the country from
north TO south, how did the colony 1t
self and colonial life so far as your eX-
perience of these things went, strike
yOu?"
"From a political point of view, 5"
replied Mr. Smith, "we were extreme
ly interested in all matters of govern
ment, and these present some features
which are in advance of what we have
been accustomed to. Then, again, We
have been greatly interested in the
people themselves, and in the country
and its products. One of the most
pleasant impressions left upon our
minds has been the feeling that we
We're IN the midst of a commonwealth,
if l may call it so, of intelligent
Anglo Saxon people. Though some of
your problems of government seem to
US rather perplexiug, there are strong
grounds for confidence and hope for
the future in the high standard of in
telligence among the people. In Ha-
waii we have population made up of
several different races, but here you
are one common people. Then your
educational system pleased Us very
much, and there seemed to be among
you higher standard of public NOR
ais than is found in some cOmmuni-
ties. The government seems to be of
a decidedly paternal character, and It's
various features present most inter
6StlnS study. 1n6Te Certainly SeeIu
to be possible dangers, but the great
ground for confidence is, after all, in
the body of Intelligence among the
people,
"And what about the country itself:
Mr.. Smith ?'
II was just proceeding to say that
we were delighted with the diversity
of the physical features of the country.
Then there is the variety of its prod
ucts and its great resources, which
open vast possibilities for the future.
1t may not be improper for me TO say
here that to Us as strangers 1t seems
rather hard to understand why there
should not be com plete free trade be
tween the Australasian colonies.
They have so many interests IN COM
mon that it seems as though they all
must benefit from a mutual inter
change of commodities. 1t Is rash
thing for a stranger to make sugges-
tions, but l will venture the sugges-
tiOn that your colony would be equal
ly well off with biennial sessions OF
Parliament as with annual sessions"
Have you anything TO say about
our land laws-yOur special mlssIon?'
Eyes, we came here more particu-
larly to learn about the working OF
your land system and land laws-and,