A JAUNT ROUND THE EMPIRE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2185, 14 September 1907, Page 1

A JAUNT ROUND THE EMPIRE.

CHRISTCHUiROH COMMERCIAL MAN- GIVES HI;S VIEWS.

THE “TIGHT LITTLE ISLAND’ STILL HOLDS ITS -OWN.

Special to Times

WELLINGTON, September 13. Mr E C: Brown, a prominent bu-siness-man of Christchurch, who has bee-ii on a trip to Great Britain and the- Continent, returned to the colony yesterday by -the Ooi'inithic. He •‘•ave his impressions of ait interesting tour in a half-hour chut with yyur representative this morning. -Mr. Brown has been away for seven months. Ibis trip was undertaken chiellv as a holiday,-but lie spent about six weeks on business in London and on the Continent. THE MOTOR TRAFFIC OF LONDON.

Ml-. Brown had not seen London for 22 years, so that parts of it, particularly in the West End, had quite an unfamiliar aspect. The city, however. lie says, never seems to alter, except in the buildings. "The visitor was struck with the SfiSUSK-'is strides made-ill regard to-the nfeiins of locomotion, and yet, he, added, the crowds seemed to be is great as ever. Motor ’buses were being introduced ■in large numbers. There were no fewer than two hundred and fifty of them in us'e. Generally speaking, they were considered a success, though not as -et a pronounced success. On one line, for instance, a company had only recently removed a hundred motor ears because they were not plying, ami this had somewhat dislocated traffic on that particular line. As a matter of fact, the motor as a means of locomotion in cities is vet in the experimental stage. "With further improvements in adaptability and economy of construction Air. Brown says motor services are certain to he a very great success in the near future. Even the London ’bus-drivers, who are a • very intelligent class, admit that it is only a question of time when the ’bus horse ill London will be as extinct as the dodo. 'Motors are beginning also to he very largely used for goods delivery. and it is no uncommon sight to see twelve or fifteen vans drawn up in front of one establishment. For pleasure purposes more cars are everywhere?'to ljo seen, both in England and on" the Continent, and the industry is growing to enormous dimensions.

In Paris Mr. Brown saw many motors, but .not so many motor wins and ’buses as ill London. The taximeter motor cars are, however, very largely used by the public in Paris. The taximeter is also used in all the Paris cabs, and is an excellent ideii that, might very well bo adopted in the colonies. It is a great protection to the public. As you drive along you see indicated on a dial how much you owe, ami if you give the “cabby” a small sum above the taxnmeler allowance lie is perfectly satisfied. FLOURISHING ENGLAND.

“Business,” staid Air. Brown, “is in a very flourishing state in England just now. In the softgoods trade you have great difficulty in getting your orders executed in tho timo required. All tho large mnmifaoturers are extremely busy and independent. If your time of delivery does not flail .in with tlieir ideas, well, there is no begging for orders. There is, consequently. often some little dislocation of business. The general public will, perhaps, be Surprised to learn that an enormous business is being done with America. One American firm will occasionally take the whole output of. one English manufacturer. Nearly all .the larger firms throughout the United SitatTi n>- have their having agencies in London. “These remarks apply particularly to fine textiles. Tho Americans are not ve.t able to manufacture such goods for themselves. England still lends the world in fine broadcloths, and the best goods of the West of England and Bradford still more than hold their own.” In other lines the complaint of the want of adaptability on the part of the British manufacturer was, Air. Brown found, being rapidly cured. For instance, in hoots the English manufacturer is now producing goods that will command the attention of all who have had hitherto to buy in America.

RECIPROCAL TRADE. The question of reciprocity in trade within the Empire is, it appears, still attracting a great deal of interest in tlie mother country. “In my opinion,” said Air. Brown, “it is sure to come. It is only a question of a comparatively short time. In many quarters I found the fooling almost equal to what it is in the colonies; indeed it is very strong. Tlie position is, however, greatly complicated by the arrangements tliat exist between Great Britain and other countries, and these existing arrangements must considerably delay Imperial reciprocity. In addition, of course, the present Government is pledged to freetrade. If Air. Chamberlain had been at the head of affairs I fancy you would luive seen a different outlook as the result of the Imperial Conference.”

NEW ZEALAND AND THE CON-

FERENCE. Air. Brown was present at the annual New Zealand dinner in London, and also at tlie reception to Sir Joseph Ward. “The N.Z. Premier,” he says, “created a most favorable impression by his attitude at tlie Conference. His clean, forcible, am] incisive speech delivered' oh May Ist was regarded as an important deliverance, and liis somewhat radical suggestion for the more popular use of the great Suez shipping highway, bv tlie removal of present prohibitive charges and the shortening of the voyage from New Zealand by about ten days,, m-iisf, Air. Brown thinks, commend itself to every up-to-date colonist. It was favorably commented upon by many prominent Englishmen "having commercial interests and connections in N.Z. Its great importance was duly recognised by Air. Asquith and Air. Lloyd George, tlie British Government representatives •at tlie Conference.”

“What,” added Air. Brown, “could appeal more to anyone having the interests of our colony at heart than the almost inconceivable prospect of making the journey from England to New Zealand in 21 days, yet this marvellous feat was shown bv Sir Joseph Ward .to be quite within tlie bounds of possibility, and was shown to be only a question of co-operation and subsidy, mutually arranged between Great Britain and the southern colonies. Tlio proposals set the British Government and tlie British taxpayer a-tliinkiiig, and though Great Britain might bo slow to move in the matter, tlio startling nature of the probable results from such a.service, coupled with the large interests involved, created widespread interest and discussion.

“At tlie i :o time,” added Air. Brown, “it -• not to be expected that a practical scheme will be evolved for some years to oonio. Sir Joseph is somewhat in advance of the present timo, and it would mean a very heavy outlay to provide shipping with tiie speed required for such a service.”

AFFAIRS IN IRELAND. In Ireland Air. Brown spent some time. He was sorry to see that Dublin did not present such a go-ahead appearance as most other cities lid visited in the sou til of Ireland. There was a general feeling of depression and discontent. In regard to tlie causes of the discontent and depression lie. had nothing to say, but it was noticeable that able-bodied men who were possessed of small sections of their own utterly neglected their: work lor the purpose of liiglit-marau-ding and cattle-driving. These diversions of a section of the Irish peasantry were in great prominence during his visit, and ho himself saw the results of them in the south-west of Ireland. In contrast with Dublin lie found Belfast a very go-ahead place. The city and sujviirbs had grown to an enormous extent since liis last visit. Belfast still holds the linen trade of the world. He visited some of tlie- principal factories, one 'of which employed over 5000 operatives. Business was very brisk, and tiie principal firms, with their large ram-: ilioations, found great difficulty in fulfilling their orders. The Town Hall at Dublin was one of tlie finest he had ever seen, and dost £250,000. "While in . Dublin the Exhibition was open. It was, of course, a much larger affair than our recent Exhibition, but there, as here, Canada made the best display. The Dominion had erected a building at a cost of £IO,OOO to display the illustration of its iirogress and productivity. Tlie attendance iwis very large. In one day no fewer than five Atlantic steamers landed in Queenstown with some ten thousand excursionists from the United States, the principal attraction being the Lakes of Ivillarney and the Dublin Exhibition. BONNIE SCOTLAND.

In Scotland Air. Brown found the -same air of prosperity that 'he had experienced: in England and the north of Ireland, and he was loud in his praises of Edinburgh, tlie limst beautiful city be had seen. SOLDIERS AND AIRSHIPS. In Paris Air. Brown spent a splendid holiday. H e arrived on the eve of the great national fete, and saw the review of the troops, which was, of course, held on a Sunday, in the Buis de Boulogne. By half-past 6 in the morning over sixty thousand people had congregated to witness this grand sight, and later in the day there must have been about 180,000 people present. Air. Brown also saw there the'aerial ships steering ill all directions, and either with or against the wind. One was cigar-sliaped and the other shaped after the style of a wlmle. It was certainly an extraordinary and interesting sight to see those vessels of air sailing blither and thither over the heads of tho crowd, at in elevation of from GOO to 1000 feci. In the matter of aerial navigation. Air. Brown says the French lead

•the world, and it would seem as if they have arrived at a practical sol-

ution of many of its difficulties. France was prosperous and prices in Paris were high, even higher than in London.