RETURN OF MR. HEATON RHODES.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2215, 19 October 1907, Page 2

RETURN OF MR. HEATON RHODES.

AUSTRALIAN OBSERVATIONS

(Special to Times.)

WELLINGTON, Oct. 18. Amongst the passengers who returned to New yesterday by the AViimmera were Mr and Airs Heaton Rhodes, both greatlyimproved in health. The member for Ellesmere leaves for Christchurch and it will depend upon the doctor’s report whether or not he will come hack for the remainder of the session.

Mr Rhodes sjient most of his time in Australia recuperating near Melbourne, so that he has not much to say regarding politics and commerce at the present time. He-says they are feeling the drought a good deal and the crons are very stunted. In Sydney lie met the head of one big company which had just taken 7000 acres of land for six months at .a rental of £6OOO. This was country in the Western district that would carry 2J sheep to the acre. It was necessary to take this land to save the stock. Mr Bent is talking of resuming one million acres in the Western district at a cost of six million pounds. He .proposes to take the” land at the present valuation, even though he does not- take it till five or ten years hence. Some of this land, Mr. Rhodes says, is in places suitable for close settlement, but in other places it is patchy. Mr Rhodes spent a- little time in Queensland, where the talk was all about the trend of population. In thart state some Canterbury men who had acquired property there were very pleased with their purchase. People seemed to think that pastorally there was a great future before Queensland. The visitor was favorably impressed with what he saw of the Darling Downs. In regard to the political and commercial outlook, Mr Rhodes says there is undoubtedly great jealousy between the Slates. This jealousy lie found more marked in Svdhey than an Melbourne. The labor question is more prominent in Australia than here as is proved by tho existence of the party system in so many States.