The following letter is written by one who has just left China, Our voyage from Japan to Australia on the N.Y. K. 8. Ald Maru was a comfortable one. At Sydney we found a stewards' strike on and comidered ourselves very fortunate in getting off by the first. New Zealand boat leaving 10 days after our arrival.
From Sydity there were about 400 passengers and the scratch crew of stewards was quite unable to overtake the work. It was a bit of a scramble to get enough to eat and water to wash with but everyone took it good-naturedly and the weather was fine. Christmas Day was calm, bright, and warm, and on the morning of- December 27, the fourth day out from Sydney, we sighted the northern point of the South Island. True to its reputation, Cook's Strait was very sternly and Wellington hats needed tobe well secured. The situation of Wellington reminds one of Hongkong. Its beautiful natural harbour, terraces on the hillside, Picturesque villas peeping out evergreen thickets, well-kept lawns and cable tramway running straight. up the hill from the centre of the town and other features make a striking resemblance.
Wellington is one of the most prosperous seaports of the Dominion. It's population is labour 100,000. Business was good all through the war, but, in common with other parts of the world, a slump is anticipated very soon, Wool prices are tumbling down already and the New Zealand Government is-in financial difficulties. Banks are cutting down overdrafts mercilessly and both farmers and business firms, are beginning to feel the pinch. New Zealand will weather "the storm all right, however, though some may be hard hit for a time.
From the moment we stepped ashore we have been much impressed by the British character of the New Zealanders. The Colonial accent is the only thing that differen-fiates them on first acquaintance from the Old Country, and that is less marked than in Australia. They are pure British with its defects and quality Their loyalty, to the Mother Country is splendid. It is not a blind devotion. It is rather an intense enthusiasm to stre! en and maintain the British Commonwealth by the free ce-operation of all its independent states. Criticism, and consultation on all questions con—cerning the Colonial and foreign policies of the Empire must be still further developed.
Compared with Australia there is a feeling of contentment and security.- Strikes and revolutionary propaganda are not entirely absent, but make little of it against what some call a reactionary public opinion, but what I venture
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.