FOLLOWING THE SUN

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 151, 22 March 1939, Page 8

FOLLOWING THE SUN

Eleventh Trip Round The World OTAGO MAN’S TRAVELS Mr. James Lobb, aged 77, who has made 10 tours round the world since he retired from farming in Waitahuna, Central Otago, 17 years ago, left Auckland last night by the Awatea on his eleventh trip. His object in. making these tours is to “follow the sun” and to live in the summer all the time. Mr. Lobb will catch the Mooltan at Sydney and go to England by the Suez route. He has not planned his trip after he reaches England, because he has made so many friends there that he does not know what they will want him to do. Apart from the friends he has made during his travels (and these include the crews of steamers) he will visit many other people, friends and relatives of New Zealanders whom he knows and who wish:. him to convey their good wishes. He has received a great deal of correspondence from the people whom he has met in many parts of the world. Mr. Lobb has travelled in England, Ireland, Scotland and many parts of the Continent of Europe. He has not been to Germany or Russia nor to the East. He said that he did not wish to discuss conditions in the countries he had visited. Though many people talked about countries they had visited, it was very difficult for a traveller to form impressions.

When asked about France, Mr. Lobb said that when he was there last the franc was well over 100 to the £, and he would get even more francs to the £ this trip. Lowering of Exchange. “Everybody was working there,” he said. “But in England there was a great deal of unemployment. The devaluation of the franc meant, in effect, that wages were lower, and this meant work for more people. We shall probably have to lower the exchange rate in New Zealand, as this would be the only way to reduce wages. The labour unions would make an outcry if the amount paid in wages was lowe-ed. Lowering the exchange rate would have this effect, and it would be the only way to do it. Actually the exchange rate was brought in with the view that it would benefit the farmer, but it has not done so. Wool-buyers, for instance, know what they are paying and make allowances for the exchange rate when buying wool.” Mr. Lobb said he had found no trouble at all in taking away money from the country for his trip. He had been told that there would be some difficulty, and when arranging for a bank draft he had been advised to apply for £lOO more than he wanted, as the amount asked for would probably be reduced. He did so, and was allowed the full amount he asked for, including the extra £lOO. As well as going abroad, Mr. Lobb has travelled extensively in New Zealand. He’has a car which has done 300,000 miles. He bought it secondhand, and has driven it more than 200,000 miles himself. Born in Cornwall, Mr. Lobb came to New Zealand in 1883, and took up farming.