AFFAIRS AT HOME.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2377, 18 December 1908, Page 5

AFFAIRS AT HOME.

DRUNKENNESS AND DEPRESSION.

THE REV. DR. IRWIN’S IMPRES- ; sioNs.

[Special to “Times.”]

WELLINGTON, Dec. 17

Tho Rev. Dr. Irwin, of Christchurch, returned to New Zealand today (after an extended tour abroad. Interviewed by a representative of this /paper, Ito said that in the large centres of England, Scotland, and Ireland drunkenness was simply appalling. One could not help noticing it- in such places as London, Glasgow, Belfast, and Dublin. One of the worst features of it was the large number of women drinkers. . In some of the public-houses there seemed to be neatly as many women as men drinking. They did not mind drinking in public, but stood at the open bar drinking either with their own sex or with men. In answer to a question about trade at Home, Dr. Irwin stated that at Homo they had scarcely ever had as •much depression in business circles generally as existed at the present time. The shipbuilding trade specially :w|.is very depressed, and was affecting Glasgow and Newcastle-on-Tyne very seriously. lin Belfast matters were not quite so bad, because they had some back orders to keep them going. Belfast, however, :was detrimentally affected in (another .way. This was by the depression in tho linen trade. Quito a little while ago that trade was booming, but now it was in a very bad way. When he left Home there was no sign of an improvement in trade, in fact the people were looking forward to a very bad winter. Like other recent visitors to England, Dr. .Irwin complains of tho inadequate representation of New Zealand at tho Eranco-Englisli Exhibition in 'London. The court, in proportion with those of Canada and Australia, was too small, and New Zealand! did not apparently put forward the effort it should have dono in connection with such a big show, which wfis ono of the finest exhibitions there had ever been. He admitted, however, tlilit the most liad been made" in it of the material there was in England. New- Zealand advocates of tho freehold wiliVbe pleased to learn that the new Irish land /laws which are enwhling tenants to make their bands their own aro working satisfactorily. .Many of the. farmers wore now graduuially acquiring the freehold of their 'lands, and 'were actually .paying less per annum than they had paid in renting them.