Shipping- Industry.

Hokitika Guardian, 21 January 1922, Page 2

Shipping- Industry.

IMPRESSIONS- OF A NEW • . ■ ZEALANDER. WELLINGTON, Jan. 17. That the outlook for the British shipbuilding industry is not by any means bright was the impression gath-

ered by Mr C. V. Houghton, formerly manager of the New Zealand Shipping Company at Auckland, who returned by the Rimutaka from London to-day. In the course of a brief interview with a “Post” representative Mr Houghton remarked that at the present time there is far more tonnage available in the ports of the Old Country than employment can possibly be found for. The shipbuilding industry, he said, was decidedly slack. There was very little activity in any yards. “Things have not yet settled down in the Old Country,” Mr Houghton continued, “and everything is still more or less in a state of chaos.” Generally speaking, one did not see marked signs of unemployment, except among the class which depended more or less on casual labour as a means of livelihood. . . Mr Houghton noted a tendency towards decline in shipping freights. These were easing slightly and merchants were anticipating an improvement in trade with the overseas dominions. When Mr Houghton left Home trade was in a state of depression, but there were indications that' colonial houses were about to order more freely, thus giving rise to the opinion that they were reducing tlieir stocks of imported goods. “The last I heard from merchants before I left,” stated Mr Houghton, “was that they were receiving more orders from the colonies than they had been doing. They were hopeful of improvement in that direction.” Lord Northeliffe, said Mr Houghton, had cabled to his . newspapers a most glowing account of his visit to New Zealand. Considerable space was devoted to Lord Northcliffe’s impressions of that part of the Dominion which he had seen. He had expressed the view that New Zealand appeared to be the most desirable part of the Empire in which to live.