STRANGE CONTRASTS
, POST-WAR CONDITIONS IN EUROPE
MR. H. BEAUCHAMP'S EXPERIENCES
Post-war conditions in Great Britain were described yesterday by Mr. Harold Ueauchanip, who has just returned to New Zealand after n visit to Europe "I found England most changed after an absence of seven years," said Mr. Beauchamp, "and everything seemed to he, more or less, in a topsy-turvy condition. If one had no knowledge of the stupendous indebtedness, oocasioned by the greatest war in the history of nations, one would imagine, judging by the spend" in» power of all classes of the community, that the country was in a state of abounding prosperity. All the first-class hotels and restaurants (whose tariffs have been increased enormously) are crowded daily, find one sees champagne at £2 per quart bottle, and other expensive wines, flowing like water. Theatres and picture ehnws are thronged also, the prices for seats being far in excess of those ruling in this country. "This is certainly the day of the nouvenn /idle— people who have.' made vast fortunes during the war, and they are signalising theiT accession to wealth by spending in the most lavish and ostentatious manner. Fancy prices are nn'd for racehorses, a yen-ling, a few P'onths ago. bringing, nt public miction, the rewird fi<mr" "f "'even thousand guinea'. Further, is mncli ao-tiWr in real estate market, man" fine "Id country pronerti»s being, sold bv le neuveau pauvre to le nouvean riche.
Monev No Ohiflcf. "In mid-November, there was held. ft great show of motor-cars, at the Olympia, and this is how one of the lending London dailies writes thereanent:— 'Crowds, crowds, and still more crowds! Under the brilliant, scintillating fairyland of lights which shed their glow over tho very latest in cars and chassis, which constitute tho motor show at Olympia, was to-day a seething mass. As the day advanced only the boldest were able to move in either direction along the packed gangways. Outside wero queues hundreds of yards long. Every stand was packed with prospective, customers., in open cars of dainty lines and in the interior of beautifullyupholstered limousines, many fur-clad ladies reclined in ease, while their' menfolk discussed with the salesman such practical items. as bore and stroke of cylinders, overhead valves, petrol consumption, eTectric starters and magnetos, and the thousand and cue details which go to constitute- the modern car. And at frequent intervals, the sales order book would appear, the deposit cheq.no would duly be handod over, and another, gentleman had paid his money, and' was duly installed on the waiting list,' As these lists grew, most manufacturers ware* chary of promising delivery by a certain dnte, although in some instances the longer the I'st of purchasers, tho more optimistic the promises became.
"Money seemed no object, the great problem' was to secure early deliver.?. One young lady, with an income running well into twenty thousand a year, was determined to get the most oxpensivo car in the show, and equally determined to pay a handsome premium for early delivery. This is not an isolated instance. Everywhere the cry was early delivery,-, and yet. nearly the whole output for 192(1 nf several of the better known mates had been booked on tho first day of tho show. Olympia has never known such prosperity and such crowds. Every manufacturer wanted more space, and ■ couldn't get it at any Drice. The public also are complaining of the emigration within the show, while salesmen, with their stands packed with prospective customers, and others merely curious and critical, go about their lawful occupations in circumstances of great difficulty. Now the cry is for a midsummer show, and in one of the .great parks, wheie a huge canvas, city could be established, and where the latest triumphs of British engineering could be given adequate stand' room, buyqrs.permitted to inspect them at their leisure, instead of, as now, being hustled and jostled in all directions. Truly, Olympiia at the moment can bo only endured with serious intentions of 'becoming car owners. There is no room for mere onlookers. <
"Over 300,000 visitors attended this show, and. to give you some idea of tho business done, it might be mentioned that one company booked orders for cars, delivery' spread, to the tune of .£6,000,000; and, mind you, manufacturers would not name a firm, price for future deliver}'—buyers had to undertake to pay the price ruling upon completion of the car. A friend of mine placed an order for a Rolls-Uovce, for 1921 delivery, his was booked at the minimum price of ,£3IOO. Within a week ho was advised that the price had been advanced by .£250, and, when notifying same, tho manufacturers gave the buyer the option of cancelling his order if ho so desired. He elected to take the car on, the supplier's term 6.
The Gospel of Economy. "Yet, while these conditions obtain, people in high places, Ministers of the Crown, bankers, and others, are preaching daily the necessity of economy. They point out that, since signing the armistice, there is no sensible increase in the exports of Great Britain, whilst the imports, largely owing to abnormal prices of all commodities, are mounting up by leaps and .bounds. This adverse trade balanco is reflected in the rates of exchange ruling in the United States, of America and Japan, both now creditor nations. In tho United States the British pound is worth to-day only about 15s. Bd. Further, the public are asked to realise the fact that tho National Debt lias risen from with an annual interest charge of less than 4120,000.000, to ~£8,000,000,000, the interest on which will bo at least •£400,000,000 yearly. Still, inspito of this Gargantaun indebtedness, there is no attempt at economy, or earnest effort to stimulate productiveness.
■ ■ Demands by the Workers. "Per contra, the working classes -ar» clamouring for shorter hours of employment, and higher wages accompanied by diminution of output, per capita; in other words, the fatal 'go-slow* policy is in evidence- everywhere. It must bo obvious that if these conditions are maintained there can only be one end to the Old Couutrv—bankruptcy. I am, however, one who thinks that long before that stage is reached the working classes, hnving'iecovered from tho financial orgy thsy enjoyed during the war, will see the error of their ways, and will adopt a more reasonable attitude towards Capital. In Germany, manufacturers, cordially assisted by their employees of both sexes, are already marshalling their forces with a view to recapturing the trade tliev diave lost since the outbreak of tho war. in 1914, and this policy, sooner of later, is, I think, bound to have a.tonicky effect upon the industrial life nf Great Britain. "There is. I believe, very little chance of anv alteration in the fiscal system of the Old Country. In the munis of most people, Protection would enable manufacturers to induljro in profiteering to the same extent a-, they did during the war, whilst "Free Tind*. with its inevitable COiniietit.ir.il. ,vouM f ""cr- de-n the price j nf essential commodities. On the other' hand. tiw,iid\<ii:,ilvs of Protection argus that, r.ndor that policy, manufacturers of every description would bo en couraged to such an extent that, in course of time, Great Britain would beeniiio a. self-eonhined country, and that, with increased industrial activity, she would be able to absorb that great mass of unemployed which existed in pre-war rtnvs. Moreover, undo:- some system of Governmental control steps could be taken to guard awiins' profiteering. S'o far as I am concerned, 1. must confess I new vitli apprehension German and other cnniiytitors in Great Britain, but it is unite impossible to get people in the Old Country to see eye to eye with one ,m this question. "It was my privilege to he in London during 1 the great strike of railway mo", which !as:ed for nine days. I say 'privilege.' because it was a magnificent objectlesson ir organisation on tho part of the Government. As by a magician's wand, thousands of motor-lorries appeared on the aoene within ii fow hours of; tho
men knocking oft' work. Theso were largely manned by volunteers, men and women, and they provided tho means of transportation until the semblance of a railway servico was re-bstablishod. With the aid of motor-lorries, milk and other farm produce was brought to tho metropolis a distance of sixty miles and over, with tho result that there was little, if any, suffering from shortage of supplies of food. True, rationing was reintroduced, but that entailed very- little hardship on anybody, and then it was simply wonderful to see how the railway and tram sen-ices were revived by men and women volunteers. Within, a week most of these services were back to their old time-tables. The public were dead against the- strikers from the start, and it was easy to see that, vrihhout that hacking, they were doomed to failure. Favoured by beautiful weather, during the whole period of, the strike, many people thought it no hardship to walk eight and ten miles daily to and from thoir offices and place? of employment, and wonderful distances' were covered by many on motor and push bikes, and anything Hint would travel on wheels. Owners of private cars quite recognised the r'ght of pedestrians, especially Indies, to hold up their cars, in crowded thoroughfares, and ask for a lift to or fro A- the city. The thing that appealed to me most was tho great good humour of the people, and their Teadiness to adapt themselves, without grousing, to all ?erts of inconveniences. Although, as T have said, the strike lasted only nine d*vs. ; t <-ost tho country not -less than £30,000.050.
Bad Time to Visit Europe. "After my late experiences, on land and sen, if anyone asked iny advice about visiting Europe now, or in the near future, I should give him the same reply as that given by 'Punch,' many year's ago, to those about to marry, don't! Steamers, railways, hotels, pensions, and accommodation houses in England, and on the Continent, are all uncomfortably crowded, everything. is more expensive than it has been within the memory of man, food, generally, is sparse in quantity,' and indifferent in quality, tip 3 have readied the outside limit, and services, even if you arc prepared to pay well for them, are grudgingly given. True, some people, in France think that in converting the pound sterling into francs at the rate of 36, or even a fraction more to the pound, they are making money, but they aro quickly. dWUusioncd when paying current rates ruling for commodities, or for board;and lodsing. "For example, a bottle of Scotch or Canadian rye whisky, of first-class quality, costs, respectively, in a reputable hotel in Mcntone. '60 francs and 80 francs. This, at the present, rate of exchange, represents, say, 355. and 4Cs. Bd. per bottle. Personally, I did not buy at those prices, but contented myself by "drinking the wine of the country, moderate in price and excellent in quality. In most parts of Europe acute discomfort and distress is being caused by tho unprecedented scarcity of coal and wood —both articles having reached famine prices. In some of the palatial hotels 1 visited on the French and Italian Riviera, it. was most distressing to seo people—many of the invalid class—crowding round a fireplace wherein two or three small piece 3of wood—no coal, please note—wero reserved for a whole evening. Coal, when obtainable, was selling on the Riviera from £15 to .£l7 per ton, and very poor quality at that. "It is no affectation on my part to say that I am truly glad to get backto my own country, and am more than ever impressed with its wonderful resources and potentialities."
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Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 87, 7 January 1920, Page 8
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1,953STRANGE CONTRASTS Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 87, 7 January 1920, Page 8
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