New Zealand Preferred.

Speaking at the Accountants' Reunion Mr. A. W. Hutchings, Otaki, expressed keen appreciation of New Zealand life and conditions.

“He would” he said, “tell New Zealanders that theirs was the best country in the world and he had visited Australia, Tasmania, South Africa, England, Wales, Scotland, France, Italy, Sicily, Switzerland and Belgium. Accompanied by his wife they had made no mere ru[gap — reason: illegible] of their tour, but [gap — reason: illegible] taken plenty of time at each place. His wife was an accomplished linguist and thus had been able to talk to all manner of people. They had gone walking back into the country districts, doing ten or fifteen miles a day, seeing and talking to the working people of the various countries, and examining the conditions under which they lived. After gaining this inside information he could assure them that we in New Zealand were particularly fortunate in our country and living conditions. Nowhere had he seen people so happy, well clothed and well fed as in New Zealand. With all the talk about other countries he could assure them that New Zealand was equal to the best of them.

Referring to the Continental ambition “to winter in the South of France,” he said that here in New Zealand we had “an equally good climate; our sea was just as blue, our sun was just as warm as theirs; and our people were nicer, cleaner, more wholesome and happy than those found in other lands.” (Applause.)