NO PESSIMISM.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18896, 11 January 1927, Page 7

NO PESSIMISM.

SPIRIT OF ENGLAND. MR H. J. BESWICK'S OBSERVA. TIONS.

"So long as the spirit of the English people remains as it is to-day it 'is difficult to imagine the Old Country going under." Such is the opinion of Mr H. J. Beswiek, who recently returned to C'hristchurch after a trip to •England.

Mr Beswiek was in Loudon during the coal strike, and stated that although it would be difficult to estimate the disastrous effect it had had upon the industries of the country, it did not cause the amount of hardship that might have been expected because of the fact that the summer was a warm one, in consequence of which there was not the demaud for coal for household use that otherwise would have been the case. Although the strike was a big blow to the country, the people were by no means pessimistic concerning it and before Mr Beswiek left on his returu to the Dominion a number of large contracts had already been received by English firms, which augured well for a busy time. The motor industry appeared to be particularly busy, and it was a good sign that the prices of cars had recently been reduced. A certain English make dominated the market and in his opinion about 40 per cent, of the motor-cars he saw on the roads were the' product of this firm.

Motoring was a real pleasure in England because of the beautiful roads which were laid down-in all parts of the country. These were still being improved and . hundreds,' probably thousands, of men were engaged in widening and straightening them. The control of traffic was a matter in respect of which Mr Beswiek was favourably impressed. Motorists drove fairly fast and although in London traffic was very much congested it was safer than in Christchurch. If a motorist were in a line of cars and the vehicle immediately ahead of him went ahead he had to do so also if he did not want to make trouble for himself. Cyclists were not the source of danger that they were in Christchurch for the reason that in London they were subject to exactly the same c.ontrol as motor traffic, whereas in'this City they seemed to do as they'pleased. Another advantage that motorists had in London was that if they wanted to leave a line of moving traffic to cross to any point between two intersections they could .do so without having to proceed to an intersection. All they had to dot was to signal -their intention, and wait for an opportunity to cross. So far as motor-cyclists were concrned, they indulged in a good deal of pillion-riding and every week-end they figured in accidents, but whether th.ese were due to double-banking he was not prepared to say. Horticultural Shows. Mr Beswiek is keenly interested in horticulture and during his sojourn in England made a point of visiting some of the big flower shows held in London. "I arrived Home too late to see the Chelsea Hospital Show, which is the greatest in Britain," he said, "but was fortunate in being able to attend a number of others, including that held at Holland Park, which is the second :n importance." At all these shows he was impressed with the quality of the blooms displayed, but particularly with the manner in .which the exhibits were arranged and staged. No expense was spared to ensure that the exhibits were shown to the greatest advantage, but -he was afraid, that it was beyond; the reach of exhibitors in the Dominion to hope to attain such a standard in this connexion. A considerable number of. those who exhibited were professional horticulturists and consequently there was keen competition between them, with the idea of -placing themselves prominently before the public. Discrimination was shown in selecting blooms of a uniform size and colour for exhibition, and fruit was displayed similarly. Mr Beswiek was struck with the wealth that was represented in orchids, some single exhibits occupying a considerable amount of space. There was certainly nothing in New Zealand to compare with them. New varieties of roses, chrysanthemums and other blooms were also admired by him, the manner in which they were shown enhancing the effect they made. A pleasing feature of all the shows he attended was the eagerness of the professional exhibitors to give enquirers any information they desired. Colonials were often surprised at the prices they wero called upon to pay for flowers, but it. had to be remembered that the shops in which they were sold commanded high rentals. It was not tho blooms that wero sold over the counter, however, which enabled such businesses to be carried on. By far the of business was done in supplying flowers for hotels and social gatherings. , "When Mr Beswiek was in London in 1920 he was disappointed with the manner in which the famous gardens at Kew had been allowed to deteriorate in consequence of the War but on his latest visit he was pleased at the improvement effected. He noticed, however, that some of the large glass houses appeared to be overstocked owing to the gfowth attained by the bigger plants. "With regard to the Christchurch Domain Gardens, Mr Beswiek has come back convinced that the Gardens can compare favourably with the parks of London. Our local flowers, •he states, are generally quite as good as those which are.to be seen in.the public reserves of the metropolis but in Engr land the system adopted of putting out flowers such as annuals is to grow them in the early stages in pot plants, probably under glass, and when they are sufficiently developed to transplant them in beds. By this means it is possible to obtain a uniformity of size and colour impossible in other circumstances,'but this, of course, entails a considerable amount of labour and consequent expense. Speaking of the betting tax recently imposed in England, Mt Beswiek said that it had led to so mud- trouble that he would not be at all surprised if in the near future it was decided to adopt the totalisator.