PROSPEROUS AMERICA

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 85, 5 January 1920, Page 6

PROSPEROUS AMERICA

TRADE POSSIBILITIES MR. GUNSON'S IMPRESSIONS Tho Mayor pi Auckland (Mr. J, H. Gunson), who has just returned from a visit to America, says that enormous expansion of trade interests—chiefly manufacturing concern* and shipbuilding—as well as the development of land resources, is taking place in tho United States. TII9 growth of many of tliu cities is reinaA'ablo, as instance Detroit, which in 1900 had a population of 285,000, whilo to-day tho population, exceeds 1,000,000. Detroit is tho hub of' fho motor-car trade of the United States, and tho growth is due chiefly to tho> enormous expansion of the motor-car business which much exceeds tho most sanguine forecast. Most factories in tracks, tractors, and motor-cars are deluged with orders, and quito unable to overtake tho business. "Prices in all lines aro much beyond pre-war levels and wages correspondingly advanced, strikes of workmen in both East and West in shipbuilding and upon the whanes have been general and protracted," 6lates Mr. Gunson, 'Tjut while involving heavy loss both to workers, and employers, they have not stopped tho How of business. When I left San Franciscj) the shipbuilders were returning, and a settlement of, the port dispute was in sight. The latter did not suspend shipping, but it greatly handicapped operations. A much more serious position is that of the coal miners, with which crisis tho Government iB involved, The issuo appears to lxs ono of constitutional government and law and order, as against revolution, and there is no doubt that the peoples of tho States will stand by the Government, as I believe tho great body of workers will do when the issuo Incomes clear. "The country is very anxious about the' future of its trade with the resumption of conditions more nearly normal in European countries, and in Great Britain. Jligli prices obtain for grain and produce, while cattle, hogs, and poultry, and in fact, all foodstuffs, have reached record rates, with tho result that the cost of living is the chief problem confronting legislators and only overshadowed., for a time by the miners' dispute and the League of Nations tangle. "Tn tho cities extravagance is apparent, oarficnlnrly in dress, and whilo tho savincs bank deposits show an unprecedented increase, yet the people never snout as much. The spending power of the community is very high; they think no more of a dollar than we do of a, shilling. In the thickly populated parts of New York. Chicago, and other largo cities, where in 1002 I saw much poverty and distress, I found, on this occasion, a transformation. Children who havo no near playground other thnn the streets were_ mostly well dressed, whilo at evening, in laree groups, there was nn atmosphere; of happiness and contentment, This apoears a strango contradiction to the unrest prevailing in leading sections of the big labour unions, and goes to nhow that, in many cases, there is moro than the nuestion of wages at tho bottom ,of tho unrest.

"San Francisco is a changed city 6ince . my previous visit. Following tho fire of , |!K)fi it has been largely rebuilt, particu- , Inrlv _in the commercial area. San Francisco, like Auckland, is engaged upon port development. California was never so orosperous ' Its great fruit in- , dnstrvis booming. Prunes, apricots, etc.. as well as walnuts, sold in record crons at high prices ■ during August, and September, returning many millions of dollars to tho growers. In consequenco value of frnit lands has risen rapidly. I visited a fruit orchard which had iu'st chanced hands—lGo acres at 1015' dollars tier acre. That indicates value in Callfornian improved orchard land of tho best class. "I visted threo different State fairs, one of which was at Ontario, Canada. Theso are the same as our agricultural shows. Tho cattle are wonderful, particularly the- Kansas stock, but I saw no sheen in America to annroach New Zealand flocks. I often told, people wo havo morn sheen in Now Zealand than they hnvoin America. Tho dairying, ton. is primitive, and it is impossible to obtain good butter,' which they don't understand how to make." Recent from tho United States goes to show that thero is no fear of American carr being dumped upon the English market (says J. Owen, in tho "Westminster Gazette"). The process of dumping signifies the unloading of rubbishy articles upon a foreign market at prices which paralyse legitimate trado for tho time being. For'that kind of trade no sensible person has any consideration. A rubbishy motor-car is a dangerous instrument, 'and if such a, thing as a downright bad car existed its makers should be imprisoned. But, needless to say, this typo of vehicle does not exist, for the very simple reason that it could not find a market after the first few hundred, cars had proved failures. s Neither in' America nor'any other country could money bo made out of producing vehicles which collapsed in service or gave such bad results that it w<s uneconomic to use them. Hence we can get rid of the idea that America could or would dump upon us absolutely Kid cars. The real fear of our industrial leaders is that from the United States will como a flood of cheap yet reasonably good cars. Tihat fear, I am afraid, .will . continue to disturb our manufacturers until they adopt tho obvious course of turning out cheap cars themselves. But for the present America is said to bo hard set in meeting the requirements of its homo market; and, indeed, with a little enterprise, wo might be able to export moio of our choice automobiles to tho States. Sometimes motorists are concerned oyer tho erratio or wobbly steering of their car. Even when tho front wheels are in alignment and tho steering has been overhauled in the workshoD, the trouble is still in evidence. An English expert lias found tihat in most cases tho insertion of metal or fibre wedge.'? between the front axle and the road springs overcomes tho (rouble. It is an easy and inexpensive matter to test tho euro on any cur 6hoiu'ng this defect. Tho first experiment should be made with a pair of wooden wedges, and when tho right size is determined by the simple process of elimination, then metal or fibre ones can bo made for permanent fitting, because wooden ones will probably split iu timo. Tho wedge with tho thicker end in the roar should be inserted from tho back of the front axle after loosening off the spring- clamp bolts. Tho effect will be to rake tho stub axio forward. The best method to secure tho wedge in position is to make it broader than tho spring itself, nndfat the edges cut semi-circular notches for the spring < clips to pass through. This will preclude the wedge, slipping out. Of course, this method will not cure every case of wobbly steering, but it is certainly worth a trial where other adjustments or alterations have failed to effect their purpose.

An hotel built for tlio u«o of Americans to visit Uifl graves of their eoue Mid - kinsmen who are turned in the American military cemelorioa "will lm opened uliortly at Komajjup-soiiß-Moiit-fancon, the highest point of llic Vonl'in ImttloficW, which Hie American* s'orm«l nt the ond of September, ISIIB.