COMMUNITY TRADING

Hokitika Guardian, 17 February 1920, Page 3

COMMUNITY TRADING

A HINT FROM SWITZERLAND,

Commerce to-day interests more people than ever before.

A successful business man of international experience—-cradled in. Poland, reared in England, trained is America, Australasia, and Europe—said a day or two ago:. “If we would only get together, the openings are so numerous and so great, our aggregate capacity so matchless, that England could regain her old prosperity within five years. The keys to the situation are leadership, unity in production, and effective transport.” Prophets of calamity will dismiss

this as the rosy dream of an optimist. But he was a practical 'optimist, and he proceeded to draw a contrast and to outline a moral.

Our communities, lie said, are not sufficiently alive to the importance of co-operation for progressive aims. Consider what happens in a Swiss community. Every canton has its bank, actively interested in local development, Every priest has an eye to the

laterial welfare of his flock. Looking around his locality, the fiest studies the conditions, activ.-

ties, and resources. He calls his neighbours together and says, it may he, “My children, we have no watch industry among us. If we established works our people would be employed and our prosperity would be enhanced.” So they go to the bank, which approves the scheme. Then they approach a watch manufacturer, who negotiates with the bank and an arrangement is made for an advance of, say, £20,000, for a term of years. The community is responsible for

half that amount; the manufacturer makes himself reponsible for the remaining £IO,OOO, on which lie agrees to pay 0 per cent during the term of years. At the end of that time he guarantees to pay the full amount of his half of the capital. The factory then passes to his undivided ownership. He builds a tine modern factory and

trains hundreds, maybe thousands, of local residents in the trade. The community has sunk £IO,OOO ip the venture. But it is a good investment. The community is stronger. The homes are more prosperous. The public treasury benefits; the Churches reap their quota front a thriving people. As nothing is so powerful as ex- j ample, the spirit of communal enterprise extends and the cultivation of skill and industry is fostered. T|ie sluggard is regarded not merely as a drone hut also as a fool. That is why the Swiss to-day *ire among the most contented of peoples and their Government, in the opinion of many, is a model worthy of the study of all Europe, The optimist sighed as lie spoke of the different atmosphere in England—the lack of support offered by the banks, the absence of the communal spirit, the unprogressivc tendencies of officials.

In the Development Departments lately established in cities like Sheffield, Nottingham, Cardiff, and Newport (Mon.) he sees hopes of hotter things. But, lie argues, why cannot the Churches and other organisations ; take a hand, as in Switzerland, in 1 spreading the creed that work is ennob-1 ling and production the greatest aim of j man? The smaller towns and villages could join in the movement,. j