The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-11-20
CONDITIONS TN
NEW ZEALAND.
A Former District Man De-
SCribeS the Island.
IMPORTANCE OF AUCKLAND HARB0R
Even Temperature Prevails and
Light Shows Are Iufrequent.
LabOrers Scarce and
Wages High.

\ letter just received 10y II. 3. =. Mac
farland. President OF the BOARD of Dis
trict Commissioners. contains a brief and
description Of the Island Of
New Zealand. Il. c. Eddy. a former en-
pIoye Of the District. was the writer. ard
he gives an interesting account Of his im-
pressicns of that little corner o. the
world
Mr. Eddy resigned his position in the
electric department to aCcept
the Office of electrical engineer to the
Government OF New Zealand. with head
quarters at Auckland. re Left Washing
ton last May and arrived in Auckland in
July. The trip over the Pacific is describ-
ed as delightful
Auckland" writes NJ. Eddy, is stu
ated on a beautiful harbor the third
largest in the world. and is about poo
miles south Of the North Cape. which is
the extreme end Of the North Island, OF
northern half Of New Zealand 1t Auck-
land the island is only six miles wide. ana
consequently we almost always have
breeze from the ocean. keeping The tenn
rCrlturc down II summer and proportion
ally Oh in winter When We arrived it
was mid-wiuter. and yet nearly all Che
trees were IN leaf. The grass was green,
and beautiful flowers were blooming
everywhere. The native trees are always
IN leaf. and the imported trees. such as
the Cak and maple, seem 10 be about the
only forms OF vegetation which shed their
leaves in winter.
An Even Temperature
The temperature is remarkably even.
During the winter months there is a
great deal Of rain, mostly local showers,
however, and seldom a continuous rainy
day. Occasionally. during the winter
months, a very light frost occurs. but il
disappears with the rising sun, and 4
frost which VIII do any damage 10 yege-
tatiOn is quite unknown in this part Of
the colony. Further south occasional
frost and slight snUwstOrms occur
This island is all Of volcanic origin,
and I am told that there are some sixty
extinct CraJers. large and small, in the
vicinity of Auckland. Some Of these are
directly on the outskirts Of the city. and
are quite interesting 70 visit.
Labor the Dominant Power.
where capital controls, here in New Yea
land labor IS on top. and practically rules
the country. This state OF affairs, while
IL benefits the nottingham in a way,
greatly retards the growth Of the COUn-
Try in the way Of local manufactures, be
cause. the labCring classes being in pow
or. wages are kept very high and nearly
all articles Of foreign manufacture can
D. rr~.nr hnr rarHf
be made, nctwIth standing the fact that a
high protective tariff is maintained.
1T seems to me that if a Government
could be established on a basis which
would be a happy medium between the
present state OF affairs here and in our
own country a system Of ideal govern
ment would al last be found
All the telegraph telephone, and
steam railway systems in this country
are owned and operated by the Govern
ment and this scheme appears 10 work
very we'll The country is far behind
the times in the way OF modern COuyeu-
fences and up-to-date methods. but
think they are gradually coming to real
iZe the fact and ere long viii adopt
more modern appliances In this city
steps have already been taken during the
past few weeks toWard establishing and
maintaining an up-tO-dare fire depart
ment the present department being little
I better than none at all
Almost any tree. shrub or plant viii
grow in this climate, the semi-trOpicaI
growth attaining an especially high de-
gree Of luZuriauce- Nearly all the native
woods are very hard and the trees. grow
To an enormous size. Tree ferns are also
quite common in the woods. or rather in
the bush, as they say here. and these
often grow 10 a great height.
timber are back in the country. and
have not had an opportunity Of visiting
I this section yet As might be inferred
from what ] nave told you. the timber
trade is one Of the leading industries
. Of this ~Ountry