The Saint Paul globe., 1898-07-01
is A VERY BUSY GOVERNMENT
THAT UNDER WHICH NEW
ZEALAND OPERATES

1t Owns the Railroads Does a Bank.
ing Business and Writes Insur-
ance on All Classes of Home
Risks -D DIR. james Hudson, an
Old Practitioner of Nelson, Talks
Entertainingly of the Antipodes.
DR.. James Hudson, of Nelson, New
zealand, stopped in st. Paul yesterday
on his way to his former home in Man
chester, Eng. DR.. Hudson has for
many years practiced medicine in Aus
tralia and New Zealand, but Of late
has been in the queens service on one
or the big trans-Pacific liners plying
between Melbourne and Vancouver
When seen at the Merchants he said:
i think the present colonial govern
ment Of New Zealand is quite superior
to any in our part of the world. The
government is yearly increasing ITS
Iunctlons,and but recently it has taken
to buying up the large inland ranches
and selling them in small farms to set
tiers on the deferred payment plan,
Which enables clerks and others of
quite limited means to become inde-
pendent. The government also owns
the railroads, does a general banking
business, and writes insurance on all
classes of home risks.
when the government first went in %
the life insurance business there was
great deal Of opposition from the
business community, but since it has
been In operation the wisdom of the
plan has been proven beyond q doubt.
For years I could not bring myself to
believe that government control of
public enterprises was the best thing
for the country, but the general sat-
1sfaoeory results obtained from govern
ment control during the last ten years
IN New Zealand and Australia has
fully convinced me Of the desirability
OF the plan. The plan certainly has
worked admirably in our colonies. and
I see no reason why the United States
could nct at least control It's transpor-
tat1on facilities to the direct benefit
OF the resident population, ais it would
necessarily result in reduction of the
rates of all kinds of traffic both freight
and passenger
Ihe home guard in New Zealand
consists OF less than one full regiment
OF artillery, which is stationed in small
squads all over the colony doing patrol
or police duty. There seems to be no
doubt In the minds of the English in
New Zealand as to the outcome of the
Spandsh-American war. I left Nelson
On June l, but at that time news of
Aomlral DeWeys victory had not
reached us. However, the war was not
regarded by the people of New Zea-
land as a very serious affair." as there
is but one logical outcome of the
trouble, and therefore very little anx-
iety one way Or the other has been ex-
hiblted by our people.
There is now in effect a prohibitive
tax of f100 per head on Asiatics, which
has resulted in very few coming to our
shores. The few that live there now
came before the tax was imposed, and
since then the Importation Of manda-
rms has shown very visible decrease.
THE executive and legislative de-
partments consists Of a governor, who
lis merely figurehead, and the two
houses of the legislature. The house of
representatives is elected by the people
and the upper body, the colonial coun-
Gil, is appointed by the government Of
the day, consisting of the prime minis
ter and his cabinet. On the whole the
government is patterned almost exact
ly after that Of England, with the pos
sible exception that many departures
have been tried increasing the func-
tions of the local governing power
Which as yet have not been adopted in
England or other colonies