PROSPERITY INDEX

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 100, 22 January 1935, Page 10

PROSPERITY INDEX

Condition of Building Trade “THE KEY INDUSTRY” Last month, as manager for the Colonial Mutual Life Assurance Society, Ltd., in South Australia. Mr, R. B. Ashe was in Adelaide when his society opened a large new building there. Having now crossed the Tasman as the new manager for New Zealand he will be in time for the opening of the building under construction in Wellington. This is expected to take place at the end of‘next month. “One of the results aimed at in our building programme 's definitely to relieve unemployment in the various countries in which the society does business,” Mr. Ashe said when interviewed by "The Dominion” on his arrival in Wellington bv the Maunganui yesterday. "We take the view that building is the key industry, and by assisting it many other industries also are assisted, which eventually of course, helps the society itself. Our building announcement in Australia was regarded in business circles as having the effect of 'breaking the depression.’ The very tact that one society was prepared to spend a large sum in that way gave the start; other people came in, and .lie total Intended building expenditure rose in Adelaide recently to over £500.900. If the building industry is flourishing then all the other industries will flourish; that applies to most countries. “The society’s completed business Is now £2,000,000 greater than in the previous year, and that tn itself is a p.i»cicularly good index as to how things are going in all businesses, for we are in touch with every par. of the community. It is interesting also to note that in Australia the improvement has come from the men on the medium to low wage as well as from the highly salaried, section.” Mr. Ashe, who has been accompanied to New Zealand by bis wife and two young sons, succeeds in New Zealand to the position of Mr. A H. 'Johns, some time ago appointed assistant secretary of the society and now in South Africa on inspection work Mr. Ashe joined the society in 1910 and he was manager of the South Australian branch for the past eight years.