ENGLISH OPINION OF NEW ZEALAND.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6707, 21 November 1889, Page 3

ENGLISH OPINION OF NEW ZEALAND.

A Talk with Mr W. Montgomery. Mr William Montgomery, whose name has long held an honourable position among those of Canterbury's public men, but whoso health compelled him, a few years ago, to exchange his New Zealand home and public life for a period of rest in Europe, has returned to Christchurch, and this morning a representative o£ this journal had a few minutes' conversation with him at the Club. Mr Montgomery, who certainly looks as if his visit Home had done him good, and who declared himself " twice the man " that ho wa3 when he left our shores, opened the conversation with: "I suppose you have come to get my impressions on certain matters, but I wish to say, first of all, that I will, on Ho account, thrust myself, through, the medium of the public Press, upon the notice of the public, in regard, that is, to any personal matters. With that promise, if you aak me anything, I will give you my impressions." ENGLIBH OPINION TWO YEAES AGO. "Of course," said the interviewer, " we have no wish to ask you to do boj but I think, nevertheless, that when you were at Home you may have formed some impressions which you might, with advantage, make public through the Press. For instance, you can, probably, tell 113 something about the state of public feeling in England with regard to New Zealand— in financial circles or anywhere else." " I can, perhaps," said Mr Montgomery, " respecting the general public who are not in the inner circle of financial rings — men whom I met at hotels, clubs and watering places ; men with money to invest, and who actually do invest in stocks of all sorts. The impressions of these men about New Zealand were> perhaps, very largely, also those of most intelligentpeople who took an interest in the subject. I am not speaking now of those in financial rings and syndicates. " When I got Home some two years ago, these people, investors many of them in. various stocks, hearing I was from New Zealand, would ask me many questions about the place. The first thing they would Eay generally was, i'Oh, you are from New Zealand. Are not things in a very bad way out there ? Aren't you very heavily in debt?' And then in all probability the question would follow, •Do you think you'll be able to pay the interest?' That question was asked me in London, in English watering places, in Paris, in the Eiviera, and in Algiers, so you may guess how widespread was the feeling of doubt. Of course, speaking as a colonist, and speaking truthfully, I endeavoured to show that our position was thoroughly eound. I gave Bom o f acts and_figures occasionally,and those who questioned me would receive what I said very courteously, but there was a feeling left in my xnind that they thought I was speaking as an advocate for theColony, and not quite judieally. The idea that seemed to me to be in their minds wa that we had borrowed very largely ; tba we were constantly having Recourse to fresh loans ; that we had annually recurring deficita in our budgets ; and that a great many people were leaving the Colony. They often referred to the opinions expressed in Mr Froude's book. Well, as I said, I endeavoured from my knowledge of matters to show them that these very grave doubts respecting the stability of the finance of the Colony could be removed if they looked carefully into, for instance, the Colonial Treasurer's Statements from year to year. This, I may say, was my experience during the first year I wasatHoine. A CHANGE TOR THE BETTKR. "Within the hast bix or eight months there has been a great change in the opinion of people with whom I have come in contact. They saw by the published statements that we were making the two ends meet, and, in point of fact, had a surplus in our public finance ; that the Parliament had decided not to borrow for, at any rate, three years, and they saw by paragraphs in the newspapers that our exports were very large, and so, instead of Bpeaking to me in the doubting way, they formerly had, they Baid, ' Well, things are looking better out there ; I think you'll pull through; Things will be all right soon, I expect ?' It was some time after the news of - our ceasing borrowing, and going in for economy, had got Home, before their doubts began to bo removed. It takes time, you know, to remove a doubt which has got strongly fixed in the mind of man. The general impression now is i that New Zealand has recovered consider- ! ably, and is still recovering rapidly from & [ state of deprension in which she has been for a long time ; that economy, public and private, has taken the place of extravagance; and that if this economy continues^ and the seasons are favourable, the future of the 'Colony is assured of success. I would just say this— and this is a fact — that people won't go to a Colony or country which they think is not progressive; but the people of England are anxious to go to other countries where they can do .better, and to find better "inveatments for their money than they can at Home; and if they think a country ia progressive, and not depressed, they will go there ; and is it not a good thing, as I have been asked, for this or any other Colony, to have a steady stream of the right sort of people flowing into it P My own feeling ia one of great gladness that the people of England have changed their opinion of New Zealand, and changed it for the reasons for which they have. Of course you must remember that New Z^land-iB -tO; thfl British unhlir not A bl£

thing. The nation is of such immense size, and home and foreign affairs take up so much attention that we do not fill the public eye very largely. "My own intentions may "be told in a very few words — to lay in as large a stock of health as possible. I intend to return to England tor their next summer, and after that shall, I hope, come out to pass the rdst of my days in the Colony. I cannot give you any opinions on political affairs, as I am now only a private citizen ; and I cannot say anything, of my own knowledge, of the opinions held respecting the Colony among any other class than the one I have told you of — the class of investors — not speculators or brokers, but those who have money to invest in our or any other debentures."