The San Francisco call., 1904-04-11

ful in the contrasting variety ana prod
fgality Of her gifts. for within the Inn
ited area Of the land of the Moa are TO
be found the greatest geysers on eartn,
the highest waterfall Of the universe,
the most extensive ice field in the eX-
plored world. fjords that excel the ia
NOUS inland bays of Norway and Clin-
ton Valley which. with its thousand
feet bluffs reared against the perpetual
snow-capped ranges OF the southern
Alps. threatens to challenge constant
comparison with the wondrous beauties
Of the more famous Yosemite.
Where nature has been SO lavish it
seems but reasonable that man should
be encouraged TO great experiments,
and New Zealand has proudly risen TO
expectations by embarldng on tide OF
progressive legislation which for some
time past has commanded the close at
tention OF all civilized people. New Yea
land was the first of all British COM
munities 10 grant the franchise TO
women, the first TO elect women TO civic
Office and the first TO admit women TO
the practice of law in the public courts
of the colony-departures which have
all been amply justified by results.
But IL has not been alone in encour-
aging concessions to what an eminent
divine has described as the 'fairer. wiser
and better sex" that Maoriland has held
up the torch TO modern advancement,
but in all sections having as a common
goal the greatest good TO the greatest
number" and something beneficial for
everybody Land purchase has become
-, o,scf1 lao
TEN which makes it easily possible for
every fairly industrious settler to be
the proprietor Of a farm Of his own Sc
lection. Under the fostering care Of the
government a state savings bank has
been established where the most mod
crate sums are received and such inter-
est and security guaranteed as to en-
courage thrift even among the most
prodigal.
The investment Of capital is protected
in such a manner that for years past
money has been pouring into the col
ony which, during the present year,
has reached the high-water mark of
unprecedented general prosperity. For
the working classes there is an act
which enforces the eight hOur-a-day
principle, with One-half holiday every
week and special provisions for the en-
ployment Of juvenile laborers in fac
tories, and there is further a govern
ment labor bureau which supplies free
all information with regard TO rates
and the demand and supply in the vari-
Gus districts Of the island. For the
benefit Of both capital and labor there
has been passed an arbitration bill
under which all disputes are adjusted,
and strikes made illegal, so that the
two great factors in economic develop
ment may keep on their road encOur-
aged and undisturbed.
The housing of the poor, the provision
of old age pensions for respectable COL
onists whose advanced years have
drifted them beyond wage earning pos
sibilities and the reform measures
adopted for the reclamation of children
and other first offenders against the
country's laws have all been dealt with
on lines of liberal advancement that
have compelled, even fascinated the in
terest of more lethargic lawmakers in
all parts of the world. Even while the
somewhat eruptive idol of Birmingham,
Joseph Chamberlain, sat preparing his
first pronouncement on preferential
trade. New Zealand. bold and active as
ever i'm decisive legislation, set TO work
and within the short period Of twenty
four hours enacted a measure of fiscal
reform. thus leaving him a follower,
not a leader, in the great scheme Of
British trade amendment with which
the late years of his life are TO be so
closely allied
These points suggest q few Of the
social conditions which obtain in this
wonderland OF the Pacific, where ma
rrrr huc r.1o 20
records in geysers, waterfalls, glaciers
and fjords. OF the Tasman glacier.
Green, the great Alpine climber. has
said that nowhere in the Alps is there
such a scene of SURPRISING grandeur
II measures more than eighteen miles
long and is three miles wide, while
from one point Of its dazzling crystal
beauty the eye commands a view ex-
tending TO the ocean on either side of
the island, and the land picture
stretching TO the north and south takes
in vista of over four hundred miles
Whittier than any marble CLEANS this
great glacier in the summer sun and
around il circles a panorama of the
most impressive mountain scenery.
comprising no less than forty-eight
glaciers with more than a score OF
alpine peaks ranging up from 5000
feet until the summit OF Mount Cook
is reached and snowy crested Aorangi
shows it's altitude Of 12.349 feet against
the sky. The ice-seamed sides of this
enormous height have been compared
TO a wall OF frosted silver From the
great ice plateau near the base OF the
precipice there is a glacier OF remark
ably interesting action which makes
its descent in an indescribable cascade
of broken ice upwards OF 1000 feet high.
Colored in myriad hues by the pres
ence of constantly recurring rainbows
and glinting in the unshadowed sun
OF succeeding days this many-tinted
fairy field. made up OF broken ice in
spiral and cube forms, moves in un-
T1vsled beauty in it's majestic course to
the sea
In this locality the ice caves and
crevasses are beautiful and stones
rolled into the latter take from sig